There are a myriad of experimental film stocks just begging to be loaded into your vintage camera. They are a fun way to up your creativity game. These stocks are companies that use normal film like Ultramax, Colorplus, Kodak Gold, etc., and manipulate them (usually by hand) to “pre-expose” them to elements of light or chemicals so that when the film hits your camera the creative element is already baked in.

As much as I’d like to review them all (No, that’s a lie. Ain’t nobody got time for that, especially me!) I will be comparing two stocks that produce similar effects. Psych Blues, #4 and Dubblefilm, Jelly.

Experimental Film Stocks Review, Comparison of Psych Blues #4 & DubbleFilm Jelly | AlisoN hatch Photo — Psych Blues #4

Background of the Two Film Stocks

Psych Blues is made by Dustin Adams. His film will make you want to rush to buy time and time again. Psychedelic Blues Film sells hand-fogged C41 film, primarily in 35 mm format, and they recently released their first modified version of 120 film. There are many different types of stocks produced by this company.

Psychedelic Blues #4. is entirely exposed to holographic paper resulting in multiple spectrums of color throughout the roll. These colors will come from all directions, and fade in and out between frames. Almost every tool used to make this film had to be built by hand, or adapted in some way, resulting in a unique experimental film stock.

Dubblefilm Jelly is produced by the European analog photo company Kono! They joined forces with the mobile app Dubble to produce a new range of 35mm film, created as a response to the “global resurgence of film photography.” Kono! is already known for being rather creative with film, having developed an ISO 6 film back in 2015.

The film stock Jelly is a gorgeous colorful emulsion that will sweep your images in hues from across the rainbow. Jelly is a Colour 35mm film tinted with a multicolored gradient. Sometimes red, others orange or blue, and sometimes all in one frame. The 400-speed Jelly film uses the incredible Kodak Ultramax as its base layer.

Visual Characteristics

Psych Blues #4 lends to radiant flares of rainbow colors that span the entire frame. They are bright and prominent enough that a lot of the time the subjects in the image become completely lost. This is important to keep in mind when choosing how to compose the image.

This stock produces a lot of grain. So if you love grain, yay! If grain isn’t your jam, boo! Also, the shadows become darker and muddied. I am and over-exposer type of shooter (lol, that kinda rhymed). I like my images to be colorful without going too light. So these images I shot on my Nikon F100 with a 50mm 1.4 lens mostly in full sun and over-exposed half a stop. I don’t love how the images turned out at all. There was only one from the roll that was appealing to me because of the dark, graininess.

Dubblefilm Jelly, like Psych Blues #4, has bright color shifts across the entire frame of the image. The colors are similar rainbow-like as well, but less prominent. Even though shifts of pink, blue, and yellow are over the image the subjects easily show through. I feel like this difference adds to the creativity of the image enhancing it, instead of dominating it.

With Jelly the grain definitely shows but without the darkening shadows and blacks, it is less noticeable. These images were also shot on my Nikon F100 and 50mm 1.4 lens in the same lighting conditions. With the softer color layers and the ability to see the subject more clearly, I like these images much more.

Shooting Tips

Psychedelic Blues 4: My suggestion is to shoot in full sun. This stock wants to drink in light. If you like the look of those colors deep and dark, expose for the highlights. Want a lighter and softer look, definitely over-expose at least a full stop.

Dubblefilm Jelly: This film also likes light, but I think it has a bit more latitude than the Blues #4 so it could handle some open shade for sure. Shooting at box speed and exposing for highlights will give those colors a bit more saturation. Exposing for the shadows will make those colors light and bright. Something that I noticed when shooting is that the color shifts were stronger at the beginning and end of the roll. The center images only had small spots of color.

Cost and Availability

Psychedelic Blues #4

- Pricing: $20 per roll.

Dubble Film Jelly

- Pricing: $17 per roll.

Both stocks are available through many online film stores, including their manufacturers, B&H, Reformed Film Lab, and Ebay.

In conclusion, when comparing similar experimental film stocks Psychedelic Blues #4 and Dubblefilm Jelly I found that even though both add that rainbowy color splashes across each image of their 36 image 35mm analog film roll, Blues #4 darkens the subject and has a more saturated color shift and Jelly adds those colors in a softer and lighter way.

Both are super fun and add a creative flare to your film photos, but which one do you choose? My friend, it is totally up to your artistic preference.

Have you tried either of these film stocks? If so, I’d love to hear your experience and opinions in the comments. The film community is very supportive, learning from each other is one of the perks of shooting film.

Disclaimer: Experimental film stocks vary from roll to roll and can’t be fully predictable in the image outcome.

Hi there!

I’m Alison Hatch an analog film photographer, educator, podcast host, and artist. I offer my Albuquerque and San Diego clients a stress-free and memorable experience getting family, photos taken. I have been featured in Shoot It With Film, 35mmc, Heartful Magazine, and published in the Front Steps Project Book. I split my time between New Mexico and Southern California with my husband and three boys.

Follow my blog for more film photography tips and reviews.

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