FPP RetroChrome 400… a big oops moment
When it comes to photography, I’m on a pretty intense never-ending streak of messing things up just by “trying stuff.” That includes buying film without ever looking it up, letting it rot for years at the bottom of some pocket, sending it through airport X-ray machines multiple times, and then developing it without even using the proper chemistry… If you’re thinking that sounds like a total waste of film… you’re right.
But I’d also add: at least it’s not blank, right?
That’s pretty much what happened with a roll of FPP RetroChrome 400 I’d had sitting at the bottom of my backpack for years, before finally deciding to use it at TXWC last summer near Barcelona.
But what’s FPP RetroChrome 400? It’s a bit of a long story and you can learn more on FPP’s blog riegh here ➡️ RETROCHROME – The Truth is Out (There)
But to summarize, in 2015, the Film Photography Project (FPP) discovered a large stock of expired color slide film being auctioned by an unknown agency. They bought a lot of turned out to be Kodak Ektachrome 2253 movie film, as it arrived in big metal cans and was originally designed for use in high-speed camera systems. FPP cut down and hand-rolled the film into standard 35mm cartridges, giving birth to what’s now known as RetroChrome. Clues on the film’s packaging referenced the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, suggesting it may have been used for military or scientific testing before digital systems replaced analog imaging. When those systems were retired, leftover film stock like this became available to the public. So RetroChrome is essentially an old Ektachrome reborn, so totally unpredictable when expired, but full of character.
I knew slide film is way more sensitive to bad exposure, X-ray machines, and high temperatures, but none of that compares to me deciding to cross-process it in C41 instead of taking the time to have it developed in E9, like it literally says on the box. Honestly, I’m not even surprised. A big part of me just wonders what I’m going to do with the second roll I have of that stuff.
Moral of the story: Thank god I didn’t shoot a bike check on this…
Y’all like yellow?
🎞: FPP RetroChrome 400
📷: Leica M6
📍: Sant Cugat del Valles
