Sep 225 min read

Deep Dive into Film Soup (with recipes)

with HANALOGITAL

At some point, we’ve all wondered, “What if I take this photosensitive thing and pour X on it?” This curiosity forms the essence of alternative photography processes. It's about being fascinated by potential chemical reactions and exploring what unique images can be created. One such process, beloved by experimental photographers, is known as film soup.

To better understand this intriguing technique,spoke with Hanna from HANALOGITAL, film soup expert., to delve into the process, explore different variations, and share some tried-and-true recipes.

film soup recipe — Boiled in Cranberries | Kodak Max 400 | Image Credit: @everydayinfilm

What is Film Soup?

Film soup involves soaking 35mm film in various liquids and substances, creating a reaction that transforms ordinary photos into abstract masterpieces. This technique involves deliberately attacking the film strip inside the film canister with the aim of generating abstract effects, resulting in vibrant shapes and colors on the finished photograph. The art of film soup allows photographers to embrace unpredictability and add an element of surprise to their images.

When 35mm film is placed in various liquids and substances, the negative inside the film canister is attacked. The aim is to deliberately destroy the film strip in order to create abstract effects in the form of shapes and colours on the finished photograph.

The Process of Film Soup

Selecting Your Film and Ingredients: Choose the type of film you want to experiment with. Film soup can be done with both color and black-and-white films, each offering unique results. The ingredients you choose to soak your film in will dictate the kind of effects you’ll achieve.
Soaking the Film (Before Shooting): For a more unpredictable and varied outcome, you can choose to soak the film before shooting. This method can create abstract patterns that affect the composition of your images as you capture them. Remove the film from the canister, place it in a jar or pot with your chosen ingredients, and cover it with water. Allow the film to soak for a few hours to several days, depending on the intensity of effects you desire.
Preparing the Soup: Alternatively, some photographers prefer soaking the film after shooting. This approach allows you to capture images with the intention of modifying them through film soup, knowing the compositions beforehand. Follow the same process: remove the film, place it in a jar with ingredients, and cover with water.
Rinsing and Drying: After soaking, rinse the film thoroughly with cold water to remove any residual substances. Let the film dry completely before using it again or before developing. This drying process can take a few weeks, so patience is essential.
Shooting and Developing: If you soaked the film before shooting, it is now ready to be loaded back into your camera and used. For those who chose to soak after shooting, inform your film lab about your experiment as the chemicals can affect their processing equipment. Alternatively, consider developing the negatives yourself, especially if you're using black-and-white film.

What are the key substances that affect the film?

Various substances can dramatically alter film negatives, each interacting with the film's emulsion in unique ways. Alkaline substances, such as baking soda solutions, tend to soften the film emulsion, potentially leading to interesting distortions or fading effects. Acidic substances, like vinegar or lemon juice, can create vivid, colorful streaks and enhance contrast by aggressively reacting with the film's chemical layers. Pigments, such as those found in acrylic paints or natural dyes, impart additional colors and textures, embedding themselves into the emulsion and creating complex, abstract patterns. Other substances, like salt, can cause crystallization on the film surface, adding a granular, textured effect. Each of these substances interacts differently based on concentration, temperature, and exposure time, allowing photographers to experiment and discover a wide array of artistic effects in their film soup creations.

Here's Two of Hanna's favourite film soup recipes (with how-to):

Acrylic paints

STEP BY STEP GUIDE:

Take the film out of the film canister and place the film in the jar or pot.
Mix the acrylic paints in some water in a separate glass. You can use hot or cold water, they give different results. Pour the paint water over the film until it is completely covered.
Leave the film in the film soup for at least 1 hour but can be as long as you like.
Stir the film with a wooden spoon or just shake your film well after screwing the jar shut.
Pour out the soup with the film through a sieve in the sink.
Put the film back into the glass and pour cold water over the film. Shake or stir the film vigorously again. Pour the water and film through the sieve in the sink.
Tap dry the film roll
Leave the film to dry in a warm place. Do not be too impatient. It may take 2-3 weeks for your film to dry completely in the film canister.
Check the drying process by gently pulling the beginning of the film in a completely darkened room. If the film is very easy to pull out of the film cartridge, chances are good that the film is ready to use in the camera. If the beginning of the film does not pull out easily, it is better to wait a little longer and let the film dry for a while longer.
Once dry, shoot!

Natural Ingredients

STEP BY STEP GUIDE:

Take the film out of the film canister and place the film in the jar or pot.
Add the freshly collected almond blossoms or any other natural elements. Pour water at your preferred temperature over everything.
Leave the film in the film soup for 24 hours or as long as you like
Stir the film with the wooden spoon or just shake your film well after screwing the jar shut.
Pour out the soup with the film through a sieve in the sink.
Put the film back into the glass and pour cold water over the film. Shake or stir the film vigorously again. Pour the water and film through the sieve in the sink.
Tap dry the film roll
Leave the film to dry in a warm place. Do not be too impatient. It may take 2-3 weeks for your film to dry completely in the film canister.
Check the drying process by gently pulling the beginning of the film in a completely darkened room. If the film is very easy to pull out of the film cartridge, chances are good that the film is ready to use in the camera. If the beginning of the film does not pull out easily, it is better to wait a little longer and let the film dry for a while longer.
- Once dry, shoot!

But, how do you develop film soup negatives? 🎞️

First of all, it's essential that the film lab is informed because if you don't, it may cause troubles with the lab chemicals and ruin other people's negatives. That wouldn't be nice. Reach out to the film lab and explain the process. Over the years I found many labs that were happy to accomodate my film soup rolls by charging a bit more (they have to use a separate chemical batches from other people's rolls, so it may be a good idea to bring more than one roll!). You may encounter many film labs that will decline but don't loose hope!

Another option can be developing your own negatives! If you have a BW film, developing it yourself is best, cheapest way to go! If it's a colour, requires more patience and tools, but it's totally doable!

and YES, film soups can be done with BW films too! It's a great way to start and you can develop it yourself. These are also by Hannah: