So following on from my last post shooting the Lomochrome purple in Malta, today’s update is how I got on with Washi S film.
If you have not come across this film before it is a film provided by Washi, a French outfit, best known for their film papers. I have shot this film twice before. One time in London where I was very happy with the results and once in Brighton where I got a few images but I wasn’t respectful to the film properties so not so great.
Washi S is a sound recording film used in the motion picture industry. Shot in a 35mm camera it acts as a very high contrast ISO50 Black & White film. What I have learnt in the few times I have now tried it, is that you have to be very respectful to the highlights and also the areas where the sun is reflected.
This roll was shot in my OM1n, metered at ISO50 using the Lumu iPhone app and an orange filter on the camera. A little note, I found it better to meter the whole scene and then also spot meter certain areas of the frame to try and gauge between the bright and the dark to aim to keep the light under control. This again maybe my own blind leading the blind theory but seems to have worked out.
I shot this roll in the city of Valletta, which is Malta’s capital and also a UNESCO World Heritage sight. The conditions were bright sunlight, mainly clear skies and shadows from the buildings.
Here are the results, I don’t normally say things like this, but I am very very pleased with the results and looking forward to using and understanding this film more and more.
An idea what a difference one stop makes below
and another example below of one stop difference
The Parliament area of Valletta
Near the main gate to the city
The lift to the Upper Gardens
The Architecture
Valletta is also going to be European City of Culture in 2018 and they are building up installations, artwork and sculputure to add to the fantastic historical sights they already have.
And finally, my favourite (non-family) photograph of the whole trip. We were sitting in a typical Valletta outdoor cafe, great food and drink when I took this, it is also the first shot of the roll. It has come out exactly as I visualised with the film and I love it.
I hope you enjoyed this, still to come from my holidays rolls: Oriental Seagull 100, Kodak E100VS, Fuji Velvia 50, Kodak Vision 50D, Kodak Vision 250D and Kodak Double x
Film Photography London 
Goddamn, these are fantastic. That contrast!
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Thank you Matt. This film has contrast by the bucket load.
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I loves it, I do.
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Sandeep
Some questions and observations
1. Love the feel of the film
2. Why do you think is the max f stop range to keep highlights in check with normal development . E.g. I work to 5 stops max for normal development in a scene , any more then I reduce development by 30%
3. The orange filter? Would tend to increase contrast even more I guess. Have you shot any without and what are your thoughts
Anyway well done mate – saves me experimenting
Andrew
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Thanks
1. Me too, it has a unique look that I like
2. Can’t help much here as I am clueless on the technical side of things and these are lab developed. In short I metered for the scene first, with this film respect the highlights as otherwise you will just get white, with nothing on the negative either. You have to be careful with the sun reflections also. Then take into account where you want shadow detail. I only then adjust the F-stop & then thus the speed if I wan’t to change the DOF
3. Good question & someone else asked also. I used orange as I read that was good with this film. I wil try a roll with no filter, Yellow & Red also. My guess is and this is counter to all logic and just my feeling is that no filter will actually leave you with a harsh black with harsh white contrast
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Lovely set of photos. I love the high contrast and rich blacks.
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Thank you. I also love the contrast this film gives
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