Capturing San Sebastián with Experimental Film

Around ten years ago, I sold my Contax T2 because I kept having issues with its retractable zoom lens. Even during the warranty period, it had to be repaired multiple times, so I was relieved when I finally managed to sell it. When I rediscovered analogue photography, I started looking for a suitable replacement and came across both the Contax TVS and the Fujifilm Klasse W. I ended up buying both second-hand, but the shots here were taken with the Fujifilm Klasse W – I won’t go into too much detail about the camera itself, except to say that it’s a highly compact, robust, and reliable piece of kit. Not once have I regretted buying.

Whenever I travel, I always take one of these compact cameras with me, and I enjoy experimenting with unusual films. In this case, I used the LomoChrome Turquoise 35mm film. My wife and I took a culinary trip to Bilbao in the Basque Country, Spain, and also visited nearby San Sebastián. The city not only boasts a beautiful sandy beach in a horseshoe-shaped bay but also an incredible selection of restaurants in all price ranges, making it well worth a visit for the food alone.

San Sebastián sits on the Atlantic coast, and there are always plenty of surfers out on the water, even in the rather chilly autumn months. Somehow, the place feels more like a small town in Cornwall than a typical Spanish city. The Lomography film creates extreme colour shifts, with blues and greens becoming particularly vivid, while the sky takes on a dramatic red hue. This results in striking, intense images—without any need for post-processing.

I love the direct, unfiltered results and rarely edit my photos. It’s always exciting to see what kind of effects this type of film can produce, and I’ve grown very fond of it. I also find it amusing when I drop the rolls off at a regular drugstore for development, only to be told that the film is “expired” and they apologise in advance for the unpredictable results.

Share this post: