Film Photography News — March 2020 Recap

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This month’s Letter covers new film from Lomography, a tiny light meter and the Hasselback Portrait  instant film attachment. As well as, Polaroid and Silvergrain Classics rebrand announcements, and postings from three open calls for submissions, including Analog.Cafe’s own “Monochrome at Home” project.

Lomography Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8.

The new slow film stock, meant to start shipping in June 2020, is exceptionally contrasty and demands a lot of light.

Along with the release, Lomography shared the developer guide for the film, providing times and dilutions. Kodak’s D96 retains the best detail in highlights at six and a half minutes, and 20°C.

If June sounds like a far-away date (it is) you can apply to become one of the ten lucky testers for Lomography Fantôme Kino, using this form.

The advancement of small analogue photography businesses.

Our industry is highly reliant on the giant Kodak, Ilford, and Fujifilm factories to remain functional. Still, it’s the small businesses that drive the innovation, modernization, and the excitement for the creatives and hobbyists. The resilience of a part-time passion in the technologically advanced era gives way to hundreds of new products and services. Last month there were seven product launches. Today, there are three more.

As of this writing, a tiny light meter project by Reveni Labs raked up 8x its funding goal. Hasselback Portrait, an Instax back for Hasselblad cameras, overtook its mark of 150,000 HKD twelve times over.

Polaroid Originals and PhotoKlassik are now called something else.

Polaroid Originals has rebranded itself, again, to become Polaroid. The story of this iconic company is a turbulent one. The American corporation, founded by Edwin Land, was at the forefront of commerce and innovation in the mid-twentieth century. Their products, SX-70, the most complicated consumer product to date, and the 600-series, have changed the cultural and technological landscape of photography forever. Sadly, the company's demise in the early 2000s, following a lengthy lawsuit with Kodak and the departure of Land, ended up in a string of layoffs and bankruptcies.

Their last factory, along with its supplies, was bought by a group called Impossible Project. The film production resumed. A few years later, the business has grown enough to afford what remained of the Polaroid brand and renamed itself to Polaroid Originals. Today, the final chapter of transformation is complete. Polaroid Originals is now Polaroid.

Meanwhile, the only full-featured quarterly print magazine dedicated to film photography, PhotoKlassik International, is now called Silvergrain Classics. A full review of this publication is available here.

If you’re thinking of purchasing a copy for yourself, please consider doing it through Analog.Cafe’s Shop. That way, a small percentage of the sale will be allocated towards subsidizing the expenses associated with running this website, at no cost to you. Thank you.

Calls for submissions.

PHOTO IS:RAEL photography competition is on: “We are optimistic that we will be able to hold the 8th International Photography Festival as planned, in late November” — community manager, Inabal. The call is open until April 6th.

LensCulture Street Photography Awards competition is on track to exhibit winners in Paris this coming November with a deadline for submissions approaching on April 22nd.

“Monochrome at Home” project calls for black and white film photographs shot in and around your home. Selected images will be published in the inaugural issue of Analog.Cafe’s Monochrome magazine.

COVID resources and safety guide.

✪ Note: this guide has moved: “COVID-19 Prevention Advice and Resources.”

Stay healthy, friends!