“Oh wow, that’s weird”.
This is the exact phrase I uttered to myself when I first saw Harman’s new switch Azure film.
Wait… we’ve seen this before
If you’re aware of Lomography’s brand of experimental films, Harman’s new offering might look a bit familiar.
Switch Azure uses a similar process as Lomography’s Turquoise to create false color effects. Warm colors become cool colors, and vice versa!
Both Azure and Turquoise are directly marketed as special effects films, and each company has their own take on labeling that weirdness. Lomography lists Turquoise as a part of their “experimental” family of films alongside Lomo Purple and Metropolis.
Harman chose to include the term “switch” right in the title of Azure, and that’s actually an accurate representation of what’s going on under the hood.
The party trick of these films is that they switch the dye couplers associated with the red and blue channels in the emulsion. While the film still contains the standard three light-sensitive layers (blue, green, red), the colors that those layers produce during development are altered resulting in dramatic color shifts. Blues become oranges and reds become blues.
So, what’s different?
The main differences I that experienced when comparing these two films were in the skies and in the shadows. I’ve read other reviews mention that skies in Azure can have more of a pinkish tint, and that seems to be consistent with my results. However, when overexposed, Azure shots that featured a bright sky lose the depth of that pinkish hue, and not very predictably.
Another obvious difference I noticed is in the shadow areas- Azure had a very prominent green cast that was absent (or reduced) in turquoise. The deep shadow areas of Azure felt kind of gritty or dirty compared to the more natural shadow areas of Turquoise.
The Comparison Caveat
While I shot both rolls side by side at 125 ISO using the same focal length, there’s another variable worth mentioning. Lomography films, including Turquoise are considered “XR” or extended range films.
You can rate Lomo XR films anywhere between 100-400 ISO essentially under and over exposing Turquoise to achieve different looks. Varying the ISO on XR films will change the level of saturation and brightness of your images.
To my eye, Azure shot at 125 seems closer to what Lomo Turquoise delivers around 400.
And the verdict is…
So, is Harman Azure or Lomography Turquoise better?
Well, obviously “better” is a subjective thing, but my preference between the two is Turquoise. Why? Well, for two main reasons.
First, the variability of rating the ISO on Lomography films gives a bit more flexibility. The base brightness of Azure at 125 vs Turquoise at 400 means I can get a similar look while shooting at faster speeds.
Second, I’m not really a fan of the pronounced green hue in the shadows of Azure. For me, Turquoise just looks cleaner, especially when underexposed.
Here is a good comparison showing how the shadows differ between the two:
But it’s not a flawless victory…
While I prefer Turquoise, Harman gets an easy win on the packaging. Azure (in 35mm) is wrapped in a robust metal canister versus the dinky plastic canister Turquoise comes in. Fun fact: I’ve had issues in the past with Lomography rolls binding up and getting snagged.
In my opinion a metal canister should be a standard feature on a $13 roll of film. But I’m just a dude buying these films, so what do I know.
To be continued?
This was my first roll of Azure, but most likely it won’t be my last. Harman has stated that their color films are an evolving process, and they’re still tweaking and improving on the formulas. I’m curious to see what the future holds for Azure, and if they’ll continue to update it like they’ve done with their Phoenix and Phoenix II films.
It’s also worth mentioning just how cool it is to see Harman trying things. They’ve been killing it lately with their experimental releases like Harman Red, now Azure… maybe we’ll even see a competitor to Lomo Purple in the future, who knows?
So, Harman, keep doing what you’re doing- the film community appreciates you.
Handmade prints and experimental films:
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Harman Switch Azure 35mm (1 Roll)
Lomography Turquoise 35mm (1 Roll)
Lomography Purple 35mm (I Roll)
Lomography Metropolis 35mm (1 Roll)