A photographer exposes both sides of the film to create stunning effects

A photographer on TikTok exposed both sides of a roll of 35mm film to create some stunning and unusual images.

Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Evan Purney is a photographer and content creator who enjoys experimenting with photographic film to produce extraordinary results.

As seen in a TikTok video that racked up 1.2 million views, Purney first turned a roll of film to the wrong side where the emulsion is exposed through the base of the film to get a full scale background. red. Then he moves the film through an empty roll and turns it right side up to create unique overlapping images.

@ameyecool Interact for part 2 😊📸 #filmphotography #aesthetic #artexperimental ♬ Fairy Fountain – Super Guitar Bros

The technique is known as “two-sided exposure” (EBS) and it combines double exposure with redscale photography.

Double exposed film

Double exposed film

Purney used a Ricoh KR5 Super 2 with an SMC Pentax-FA f2.8 50mm macro lens. For the film, he chose a Fuji Superia Xtra 400 for its vivid blues and greens which he said would contrast well with the “redscale” effect.

“Honestly, the unpredictability of the film is why I love it. The amount you can experiment with the process at every stage fascinates me,” Purney said. PetaPixel. “BSE is a really cool process that’s been around forever, but I haven’t seen a lot of people use it since this photographic film revival.”

It took two attempts and some experimentation with exposure times for Purney to get the results he wanted.

“I was delighted with the results! I have already tried it once but I did not find the effect pronounced enough. This time I made some adjustments to the exposure times and was really happy to see the improvement,” he says.

“I shot the redscale side at around ISO 125 (overexposed) and the normal side at around ISO 800 (underexposed). Normally with double exposures you want to underexpose a bit on one or both exposures, but when shooting “redscale” (wrong side) you usually overexpose a bit (2-3 stops) so I deducted like 0.5 from this. Based on my first attempt adjusted to these values, but it’s definitely something to experiment with.

Double exposed film

Double exposed film

Purney is fascinated by the endless possibilities of film photography and aims to set himself apart from other photographers through his use of experimental techniques and practical effects. In another TikTok video, Purney uses his old Nintendo DSI equipped with a 0.3 megapixel camera to take a series of photos.

Other works by Purney can be found by visiting his website and instagram while his photographic experiences and tutorials can be found on ICT Tac.


Picture credits: All photos by Evan Purney.

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