182 ☼ Surreal Redscale Film + a Leica M6
CAMERA GIVEAWAY: Nikon FE + Nikkor 50mm f2
Dear friends,
This week was all about testing. I took an MPB-loaned Leica M6 to London and Paris, and I tried out Harman’s brand-new redscale film—two very different approaches to street photography.
Also in this issue: a BIG new Process x BuyMoreFilm CAMERA GIVEAWAY: The iconic Nikon FE +c Nikkor 50mm f/2—easily one of our coolest giveaways yet!
Shooting with the Leica M6 in London
When the good folks at MPB lent me a Leica M6 for a couple of weeks, I took it straight to Paris and London for last fall’s Process Photowalk Tour. The camera is a legend for a reason. It’s historic, high-end, compact, and gorgeously designed.
I foolishly underestimated how dark London was going to be in fall and packed only 100, 200, and 400 ISO film, which led to some desperate adjustments. One roll of Kodak Tri-X had to be pushed to 1600 just to get anything usable! Thank goodness for Carmencita being such a great lab and being able to deal with it!
For my solo walks around either city in better light, I stuck to Double X and Fomapan 200—both black-and-white budget films that hold up well in a classic rangefinder. I love manual focus, but I have to admit I find focusing with range finders challenging because I’m so used to SLRs. The bright side of that challenge is that I have to shoot more slowly with a rangefinder, so every shot feels like an intentional act rather than a reflex. I know the zone-focus folks are much quicker with it, but that’s not me.
Testing Harman Red 125 Redscale Film
Redscale film is a wildcard. It shifts colors dramatically by exposing the film through the base layer rather than the emulsion. In other words, it flips the film backwards. I’m sure the original redscale film was discovered by accident!
This reversed direction leads to deep reds, oranges, and unpredictable shadow tones that can look surreal. Harman kindly sent me three rolls of their new Redscale 125 film to test. I loaded the first roll into my Pentax LX, but halfway through the roll, I realized the meter was way off. I worried I’d ruined it, but the fun thing abut shooting with experimental film is you can’t really ruin it.
The second roll went into my Contax G2 for a quick lunch break shoot with my friend Vlada, who escaped her office for a few minutes of creative freedom.
The third roll followed me on errands around Amsterdam, including a trip to the premiere of Straatcoaches vs Aliens, a new Dutch sci-fi film. I used flash for most of those shots which brought up the contrasts and
Seeing everyday life in redscale gave even the most mundane moments a dreamlike quality—storefronts glowing in copper tones, shadows taking on an eerie warmth.
3 Quick Tips for Shooting Redscale Film
Overexpose Generously – Redscale film benefits from being overexposed by at least one or two stops. Underexposing makes the images too dark and muddy. I loved the vibe with flash especially.
Expect Variability – Different lighting conditions affect the intensity of reds and yellows. Experimenting in various settings will help you learn how the film reacts.
Embrace the Weirdness – Redscale isn’t about perfect color accuracy; it’s about atmosphere. Lean into the unpredictability and let the film do its thing.
That’s it for this week! If you enjoyed this issue, share it with a friend.
Let’s keep shooting, learning, and sharing—one messy, human step at a time.
Warmly,
Wesley
NEXT WEEK: Mary Ellen Mark is one of my all-time favorite photographers, and I recently wrote an essay about her for Dutch Public Radio’s De Nacht Is Zwart on NPO Radio 1. Next week, I’ll share an English version of that piece, along with some portraits I shot using an unusual lens—a manual focus Sigma 85mm on my Canon R5.
This Week’s Gear and Lab
Camera: Leica M6 TTL.72mm + Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II VM lens.
The Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 is a perfect match for the M6—it’s tiny, light, and surprisingly affordable for an M-mount lens, but it still has plenty of character. Paired with the Leica it makes for a compact and iconic street-shooting setup. As a bonus, the M6 tends to spark conversations, especially with older photographers who used to shoot Leica or street shooters who either have one or dream of it. It’s a camera that feels like it comes with its own built-in community. A beautiful camera, and while expensive, it lives up to that price.
For the redscale film I used a Pentax LX and a Contax G2 with the 35mm lens.
Shout out to MPB.com, my go-to for buying and selling used gear—they’re fantastic. Easy, fast, and everything comes with a 6-month warranty
Lab: My film is processed and scanned by Carmencita Film Lab, whose care and consistency I trust completely. They’re the best. Use code “PROCESS” at checkout for a free size upgrade on your next order.
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Enjoying Process? Support it by picking up a book or joining the Process Photo Club.
Process Workbook Volume One & Two: Creative prompts and assignments designed to get you out of your head and into action with your camera.
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NOTICE Journal, Volume One: A fresh perspective on beauty and rebirth, shot in Amsterdam.
€40 (€20 for Process Photo Club members)
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Process x BuyMoreFilm Camera Giveaway
My friend Stephan started BuyMoreFilm in 2018 as a passion project, building it into a beloved source for second-hand cameras and film. As he prepares to close this chapter at the end of 2025 and move on to new projects, I want to take a moment to thank him for his kindness, generosity, and passion in growing the analog community.
To help celebrate BMF, we’re giving away a gorgeous Nikon FE with a beautiful Nikkor 50mm f2 lens to a lucky Process reader. For everyone else, there’s a special discount—use "PROCESS10" at checkout for 10% off any purchase, and any order over €100 gets 20% off.
How to enter: Answer this week’s question in the comments:
Q: If you could photograph a local small business, which would it be? What is keeping you from doing so?
Make your answer specific and personal—it’s always great to see what inspires you.
Deadline: Submit your answer before 11 a.m. EST on March 9th. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in an upcoming issue.
This giveaway is for all Process subscribers, free or paid—thank you for being here!
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Every week on my way to the lab that develops my films I'm passing a shop (small business) that makes and sells belts, wallets, purses, etc all leather. One day I enter the shop and met Peter, the owner. I asked what is he using for maintenance of leather products. In return Peter wanted to know what kind/type of leather product. I explained leather cases for my cameras that were neglected before I bought them. This is how I found out that Peter was a photographer too. He did very little photography at the time as he was getting old and the sight wasn't great anymore. Also he found that time was a problem. We bacame friendly and in time I bought few things from him: oil for maintenance, glue for small diy jobs. One day I asked him if I can take photos of his shop and him working. He agreed with one condition: take the photos when he is ready (he told me that some day he can be moody and is better for our relationship to leave him alone). My regular visits to him continued and we alway had a good chat and most important - a laught. Few weeks down the road, ready to start our project, went to the shop and found the door closed. Door was closed for the following 4.5 months until one day when I found the shop open and a different guy inside. I asked where is Peter. The guy inside was Peter's son, he informed me that Peter had a stroke, fell ill and was in hospital in the last 4 months of so. Shocked! I was shocked and terrified! Unfortunately Peter was not getting better and doctors gave him few more days to live. He passed away a week after that. My project was never started and it won't be as Peter is gone. Peter was very funny, witty, sharp (spoke his mind out no matter what) and a proud owner of a Nikon FE camera.
I just realized I won something from your giveaway - but don't know what ever happened to it, actually! You just reminded me 🤣. It was back in December, I think... anyway, the best local business I ever shot was my mother's hair salon for a period of one year. Those images are precious to me, especially now after she has passed away. I'm working on a story to accompany the collection but it's taking while since I have multiple projects going. The short version is that my mother continued to work until 90 years old! Her salon was frozen in time from 1977. She changed nothing. It was very dark with only one window so I had to incorporate some flash. (Looking back, I would have shot it differently but what can we do?) Mom had three remaining clients left and those are the three I photographed. I look forward to sharing it with the world someday.