Discovering the Art of Capturing Vibrant Color
Images with Black and White Film:
An introduction to trichrome film photography

Published 3/2/2023

As a newbie to trichrome photography, I didn't have any preconceived
notions about what to expect. I stumbled upon this captivating technique
by accident after reading an article by Jack Crofts on the Ilford photo
blog featuring Jasper Fford, and then discovering Andrew Keedle's breathtaking trichrome shots in a feature on Shutter Hub. (@apkeedle on Instagram). The endless possibilities for creative expression with trichromy intrigued me, especially after seeing Keedle's mesmerizing wheat fields and powerline shots with bubblegum skies.

Coincidentally, I had just bought an old Zeiss folding 6x6 camera from my friend Joey at @awesomecameras a week prior, which came with a set of six or seven colored filters in a plastic accessory bag. After reading about trichromy, I eagerly rummaged through the bag and picked out the red, green, and blue filters, ready to embark on my trichrome photography journey. The green filter I had was a lighter shade, more towards the yellow spectrum than the typical green filter. Similarly, the blue filter was a lighter shade of blue. While unsure if they would be effective, I felt it was worth trying,

Shoreline Expedition A Triad of Color and Motion.jpg

especially since I had the gear on hand. I delved into the article multiple times and conducted further research to better understand the mechanics behind it. The YouTube video posted by Attic Darkroom also proved to be a valuable resource. My first attempt at capturing trichrome. Unfortunately, most of the images I captured turned out to

be subpar, and one roll was ruined due to overlapping. Despite these setbacks, I learned a great deal from that day. I created this one image and from that point on I was all in.

There's one aspect of shooting film already that leaves much up to
uncertainty. The process can be intimidating but the results are worth the
effort. The cost of entry was secondary in my mind. In order to capture a
single trichrome, three exposures must be used to produce one final
image. So shooting on 6x6 provides 4 final trichromes per roll.

How It Actually Works

The process is actually pretty simple if you do a little bit of prep work
ahead of time. I created this original trichromatic photo by taking three
identical exposures. Each one with its own colored filter, using a tripod to
keep the frames identical. I tend to try to keep an order of R - G - B so
that later on organizing the images will be much quicker.

Rediscovering the Art of Capturing Vibrant Color Images with Black and White Film_ An intr

1st Exposure

2nd Exposure

3rd Exposure

Final Result

Quick Process

Once the images are shot and developed. They need to be converted to
digital scans. The process is as follows:
- Expose
- Develop
- Scan
- Organize
- Create a new Photoshop Document

1. Drop in the scans one at a time and rename them to R - G - B.
(note: do not resize/adjust unless done to all three layers at once)

2. Rasterize the layers

3. Edit > Auto Align

4. Scale all the layers up if you dislike the borders
5. Double-click the Red layer. In blending options deselect the check
boxes for G, B

6. Repeat step 5 for the Green and Blue layers. (each layer should only
have its own color checked). That should immediately yield a base-level
trichrome and from there the creative direction is endless with color
balancing and hue/saturation adjustments. Moving layers around
individually will enhance the Harris Shutter effect resulting in amazing
rainbow effects. Anything that changes between the three frames will
have channel separation resulting in the same effect.

Detailed Shooting Methodology

When it comes to shooting trichrome photography, exposing can be the
most challenging step in the process. The filters themselves block certain
wavelengths of light, which can make exposing a bit tricky. The red filter
loses 3 stops of light, while the green and blue filters lose 2. To calculate
the exact loss of light for your specific filter, simply meter through the filter
and do some quick math. I typically use a spot meter from Minolta and
set the aperture to f/16 for my initial reading. Then, I open up to f/8 and
take my first image. For the next two images, I adjust the shutter speed to
be 1 stop faster each time, while keeping my aperture at f/8 and my
shutter speed around 1/60-1/125.

The old Zeiss post-war folding camera that I use is a dream for this type
of photography. With its fully mechanical shutter and the ability to
advance the film without causing camera vibration, it's the perfect tool for
the job. The Tessar lens is wonderfully sharp, especially when stopped
down to around f/8 and smaller. Plus, since it's a rangefinder, the filters
don't affect the color of the viewfinder.

To ensure that my shots are in focus, I usually focus on an object or zone
in the foreground. However, if the background of the shot is more
interesting, I'll focus on that instead. Planning out each shot and allowing
a few minutes between exposures helps me stay organized and get the
shots I want.

While developing and scanning trichrome images can be a nuanced
process, I've found that doing it myself allows me to turn around and
learn much faster. It also establishes a sense of pride in the fact my work
is now solely produced.

Hues of the Sea: A Kaleidoscope of Colors

Final Thoughts and Insights

Since discovering the original pieces on Andrew and trichroming, I have
embarked on my own artistic and creative journey to lean into developing
the work that most inspires me. The process of creating these magical
colorful illusions is both creative and technical. It scratches the itch I have
to express a unique vision while also presenting a challenge that keeps it
fun and exciting.

The images come to life in the final stage when color grading. With the
right amount of tweaking the image can be made to look natural and
much like a true-to-life color image, other than in the channel-separated
areas.

Once I became comfortable working with medium format, I experimented
with a simulated panoramic format using a crop frame 35MM.
I hot-glued a filter ring to the front of an Ansco Pix Panorama and pushed
the film in development since it has no controls and is simply a
point-and-click, fixed aperture and shutter toy camera.

Chromatic Coastline: A Stunning Display of Ocean Colors

This set was definitely more challenging to bring to completion. It took
about three rounds of shooting and developing to get the results I was
after. I messed up the framing in the first go and then overdeveloped the
second roll. So I was floored when I finally nailed it and got some stellar
results.