Shooting A Discontinued Roll

I am constantly learning about film photography. I’ve been shooting and developing it since I was 8 years old, but I’ve never formally studied photography. Whether it’s learning about new cameras, heretofore undiscovered photographers, or different types of film, I find the expansion of my knowledge to be as exciting as the photography itself.

When Stephen of the blog Zorki Photo came to visit Istanbul, we’d been Internet-friends for a while but hadn’t yet met in person; when he gifted me a few rolls of hard-to-find film, I was particularly touched. I was especially excited about a roll of Agfafoto CT Precisa 100— I was completely unfamiliar with it, and it’s no longer being produced, so these rolls are becoming rarer and rarer.

I felt pressured to make every picture count, since it was unlikely I’ll be using this film again anytime soon… and then I relaxed a bit, and just had fun shooting the colorful world around me. Cross-processed, the images are vibrant and full of contrast.  Lucky for me, so is Istanbul!

From the colorful orbs lining the streets in Kadikoy to the rainbow steps that have overtaken the city since autumn to the blooming tulips, Istanbul is full of bursting color. Cross-processing often hyper-saturates the image, and the Agfa is particularly great. There’s a warmth about the images that I really enjoy. I guess I’ll have to search the Internet for more of this discontinued film… It’s too lovely to shoot with only once.