What Is Cross Processing?
Cross processing simply refers to the process of developing one kind of film with the chemicals meant for another type of film. Doing so produces some wild, usually unpredictable results that can give you photographs with vivid saturated colors and higher levels of contrast.
Regular colour film is usually processed using C41 chemicals in order to produce negatives. Color slide film is processed using E6 chemicals in order to produce ‘positive’ slides. Cross processing simply means using the wrong chemicals to process your film. The most common method used is to shoot using colour slide film and have it developed using the chemicals usually used to develop colour negative film (C41).
How to Get Your Film Cross Processed
Some film developing labs will not willingly cross process films for you while other will willingly do it without even batting an eyelid. Some labs believe that cross processing film can degrade the chemicals they use, forcing them to change their chemical mixes more regularly. This seems a bit of a grey area with some believing that cross processing films has no ill effects on the chemical mixes at all.
As a result of the above you may need to shop around for a lab that is willing to cross process your film. The best way is to be upfront and simply ask the lab if they will cross process your color slide film using C41 chemicals. Some labs will already offer this service (owing to its increasing popularity) while others will look at you strange before agreeing and warning you that your photos may come out looking funny!
If you are really struggling to find a lab willing to cross process your films you can be a bit more deceitful and remove or replace the label from your roll of film and label it as C41. This can be done by either mocking up a fake label or simply adding a white label onto the roll and labeling it C41.
Cross Processing Film Tips
1. Use Expired Film
Due to the chemical breakdown of expired films they tend to produce the wildest colours. No longer should you throw that old roll of film you’ve found at the back of a drawer in the bin. Such is the popularity of cross processing with expired film that certain types sell for a premium on auction sites such as ebay!
2. Under Expose When Cross Processing
Cross processing your film does tend to over expose your photographs. As a result it can often pay to purposefully under expose your shots when shooting, typically by around one f stop. If you are using ISO100 film set your cameras ASA dial to 200. This will underexpose your shots by one f-stop and should help you improve the results.
3. Experiment with different film types
Each and every type of film will tend to yield different results, even different batches of the same brand of film can vary. Results usually change noticeably in the levels of saturation and the colors that are brought out or dominate the photographs. Below we have tried to summarize in general what you can expect from certain types of film.
Fuji Sensia 100 – Red
Fuji Sensia 200 – Green
Fuji Sensia 400 – Green
Fuji Provia 100 – Green
Fuji Provia 400 – Green
Fuji Velvia 50 – Green/Blue
Fuji Velvia 100 – Red
Agfa CT Precisa 100 – Green/Blue
Kodak Ektachrome 100 – No colour shift, increased contrast & saturation
Kodak Ektachrome EPT 160T – No colour shift, increased contrast & saturation
Check out the latest prices for Slide Film on Amazon.
4. Experimentation is The Key
One of the joys of cross processing your films are the unpredictable results. While some of the information here can help you try to achieve the results you desire every type of film and lab will produce different results especially when you add in other factors such as age of the film, lighting conditions when shot, camera used, state of chemicals used to process, scanning process used etc. As a result the best way is to get out there, try a few different types of film and experiment until you find a look and a feel that you like!
Cross Processed Agfa Precisa 100 Film
Which Camera to Use?
Perhaps the most popular, well written about and iconic cameras to use if you want to get into cross processing color slide films is the Lomo L-CA+ . This Russian built 35mm compact camera was designed by the communist government to provide the masses with the ability to record their happiness on film. It’s rugged build, good lens and retro look have made it a cult favorite to achieve the cross processed look. If you are looking for a slightly cheaper route then why not opt for an Olympus XA2 instead.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
The second tip is contradicting. I think you should underexpose the film instead of overexpose it, since cross processing tend to overexpose the film.
Kamal – Thanks for pointing that out. I’d managed to confuse myself! I’ve corrected tip 2 now.
If you are using ISO100 film set your cameras ASA dial to 200.
sorry i don’t get this point. I am french and also not very good with all the terms in photography, ISO 100 is the film grade… but what about ASA? dial to 200.
do you mean if i use a ISO 100. to set up my camera at 200, like if i was using a ISO 200?
I’m about to shoot Orwochrome film (bought in East Berlin in 1986) for cross processing (specific chemicals are no longer available, I guess). Any previous experience ? any tips ?
A l’attention de Seb : ASA c’était le standard ricain (American Standard Association) et DIN le standard allemand (Deutsche Industrie Normen) qui donnait l’équivalence ASA 100 = DIN 21. Tout ça a été remplacé par la norme internationale ISO (International Standard Organisation) ce qui donne ISO 100/21° !
Si ton appareil dispose d’une couronne de correction d’exposition (concentrique à la couronne de réglage de la sensibilité), graduée par demi valeurs ou tiers de valeurs, généralement de -2 à +2, tu peux afficher ISO 100 et régler la correction sur -1. Si ton appareil n’a pas de réglage de correction d’exposition, pas de problème, tu fais comme recommandé ci)-dessus, tu indiques ISO 200 (ou ASA 200 si ton appareil est un peu ancien).
Thomas – I’m afraid i’ve no experience using this film. I’m intrigued to see the results though….