Lomography

Today on the menu: Agfa Vista ISO 200 in cider vinegar with added lemon-vodka mixed with orange juice and a pinch of washing powder.

It was about one year ago when I, inspired by a tipster where a lomograph put his film into a dishwasher and boiling saltwater, had the idea to sacrifice one of my loved Agfa Vista films for an experiment. I wanted to try something new and looked in my room for liquids that I suspected to create interesting effects. Finally, I decided to try cider vinegar, lemon-vodka, orange juice and washing powder. I mixed everything and was a little bit worried about putting my film in this corrosive cocktail because it smelled so bad.

I left the film 3 days in the liquid and then I washed it with clear water and let it dry in the sun for 2 weeks. After that I wanted to load my Diana Mini with it, but I detected that I couldn’t wind the film forwards because it was too sticky. In this moment I remembered the tipster with the dishwasher I mentioned in the beginning. So, I put my Agfa Vista between the cutlery and switched the dishwasher on. Attention: If another family member empties the dishwasher afterwards, they might think that the film was trash that was accidentally in the dishwasher!

I put the film in the sun again to get dried and make sure that it won’t cause damage in my lovely camera. I forgot the film, however, there for about 3 month and discovered it only when I was packing my backpack for a journey. I took the film with me to Los Angeles, loaded my Diana F+ with the 35mm back with it and tadaaaa, I could wind it (almost) without any effect of violence. My plan worked!

Back in Germany, I immediately brought the film to my favorite drug store to get developed there. The prints, however, looked incredibly ugly and that’s why I threw the negatives sadly in the corner. Until I, today, one year after I had started my experiment, found them again and decided to scan them.

Now I’m a little bit angry why I haven’t scanned them earlier because I’m totally overwhelmed by the results of my self-scanned-photos! I would never have expected such colorful results as the prints looked grey and pale.

Enough talking, have a look at the photos and try it yourself!

Of course, I have no idea which of the many influences caused which effect, but here’s the recipe in shortened form:

100ml cider vinegar
2cl lemon-vodka
20ml orange juice
1 pinch of washing powder

→ wait for three days
→ put the film into the dishwasher
→ let it dry
→ take some photos
→ get the film developed and scan the negatives yourself
→ be surprised by the results and jump for joy