Harman Switch Azure 125

Harman Switch Azure 125 is a colour film designed to make familiar scenes look anything but familiar.

Rather than reproducing colours normally, Switch Azure deliberately changes how colours are recorded. Harman describes the effect as switching the colour channels, so blues can appear orange, reds can move towards purple and blue, and yellow tones can become vivid azure. Skin tones can also shift dramatically.

The result depends heavily on what's in front of the camera, the available light and how the film is scanned. That means there isn't one fixed "Azure look". A blue sky, a red car, green foliage or a sunset can all behave differently, which is part of the fun.

Harman recommends shooting at ISO 125, generally outdoors and metering for the mid-tones. A little exposure bracketing is worth considering when you're getting to know the film, particularly in brighter or more difficult lighting.

This is not the film to reach for when you want accurate, natural colour. It's for experimenting, playing with colour and seeing what happens.

Best for

Creative photography, street photography, travel, landscapes, fashion, unusual portraits, architecture and projects where you want unpredictable colour.

What to expect

36 exposures at ISO 125.

Expect strong and sometimes surprising colour shifts rather than natural colour reproduction. Blues, reds, yellows and skin tones can all be transformed, and the final result can change depending on the scanner used. Harman specifically notes that different scanning equipment and methods can produce noticeably different results.

If you're shooting it for the first time, don't be afraid to bracket a few important frames. The unpredictable nature is part of what makes this film interesting.

Developing

C-41 colour negative processing.

Switch Azure is designed to be processed using standard C-41 chemistry, so it can go through a normal colour negative processing workflow.

Scanning is where things get particularly interesting. Harman provides guidance for adjusting scanner settings, and different scanners can produce noticeably different colour results from the same negative.