Harman has announced a funky new film called Switch Azure where the colors swap around — rendering blues as oranges, yellows as blue, and reds as purple.
The ISO 125 film comes in 35mm and medium format 120. Azure follows other radical releases from Harman, including Harman Red and Harman Phoenix 200, as well as more prosaic ones like Kentmere Pan 200 and Harman Phoenix II.
Harman, based in Cheshire, U.K., notes that the scanner used on the film also affects the color: Fuji scanners appear to make the colors more intense, while Noritsu makes the blues more faded. It’s developed via the standard C-41 color negative film process.
“By ‘switching’ two of the three color couplers around, this creates a differing contrast response to the individual channels which can render blues as orange, yellows as a vibrant azure and reds as hues of purple/blue,” says Giles Branthwaite, Harman Sales and Marketing Director.
Harman Switch Azure is available today. Visit the company’s website for more information.
PetaPixel’s Tests
I took the 35mm film with me to shoot a soccer game. It perhaps wasn’t my best idea, but where I stumble others can learn. Here’s what stood out:
The Color Switch is Dramatic
I hadn’t fully grasped just what the switch would do to my photos. As Harman notes, it really does turn skin colors blue, kind of like The Smurfs. Even a dog turned slightly blue in one of my photos. So if you are thinking of shooting portraits with this film, bear this in mind.
You Can Play With the Film in Post
Since the colors this film captures are so avant-garde, you can spin the hue wheel in Photoshop. The soccer team I went to shoot is nicknamed Blues, so I was hoping for a blue tinge. I ran them through Photoshop to make them more blue, but there were unintended consequences: like the field that was green in the initial captures became a kind of purple. Green, by the way, stays largely untouched during normal capture.
This Film is Perfect for Someone
While my decision to bring Harman Switch Azure to a soccer game was, in hindsight, not my best idea, I can see this far-out film working at a music festival or in unorthodox landscape photography. In the examples provided by Harman, photographer Vitor Lopes Leite captured a striking architectural shot with a burning hot sky and green foreground.
The Film Performed Well, Even on a Gloomy Day
Harman advised me not to push the film, as the company says Azure performs best at box speed. I was a little worried, but I needn’t have been as even when I was shooting in the rain I managed to get a decent enough exposure.
The rain appeared to show up on the film as little red marks, which makes sense given that the blue becomes orange/red. But I wouldn’t advise shooting in the rain with this film, better to shoot it on a bright, sunny day.
