Frugal Film Project – Dale Rogers

FFP JUNE 2020

Dale Rogers, Phillip Island, Australia

Canon EOS 500

Lomography Color 800

This is the third and final month shooting the Lomo 800 for the Frugal Film Project. The first two months I struggled to find a place for Lomo 800 in my photography kit. Maybe partly due to decreased shooting while in COVID-19 lockdown but I just couldn’t figure out how best to use this color film.

This month I decided to try it on some of our awesome island sunsets. The other evening I was making dinner and noticed perfect conditions for a killer sunset. I quickly grabbed the camera bag and ran down to the beach. I had a Fujifilm XPro2 with a 10-24mm lens in my bag along with the Canon EOS 500 with a 17-40L f/4 lens loaded with Lomo 800.

As predicted the sunset went off producing beautiful orange and red streaks in the overhead clouds. I took a meter reading in the sky then metered on nearby dark bushes and choose an exposure between the two to hopefully get the color in the sky as well as detail in the dunes and bushes.

Upon getting home, the digital images were stunning and I was so happy. I only hoped the Lomo800 images were half as good. When the scans for the Lomo shots returned I was extremely impressed and believed that the film shots were equal to my digital images. I even posted on social media the Lomo 800, the digital and a shot I took on my Samsung S20+ phone in RAW mode together and asked which was the film, digital and smartphone. No one could tell the difference between the digital and analog shots.

So after three months, I have finally found the sweet spot for Lomo 800 and will be picking up a few more rolls to use in the future.

This is the Cape Woolamai Surf Lifesaving Clubhouse on Phillip Island, Australia.