As part of their recent promotions for the new Harman Phoenix 35mm colour film, the good folks over at Harman Photo have been organising a series of photo walks called Summer of Phoenix. Their latest one took place in Nottingham, and given our proximity, I decided to head over with my Olympus XA to explore the possibilities of this exciting and hotly debated new film.

For anyone with even a passing interest in film photography, the buzz around this new film is impossible to ignore. In an era where the launch of a brand new colour emulsion is a rare occurrence, the news that Harman Photo, a branch of the esteemed Harman Technology, was venturing into the world of colour film was a momentous event that set the community abuzz.

Since its launch late last year, it's been the subject of hotly debated online discussion. Where does this film fit in terms of look, colours, latitude, development, etc? Will there be more from Harman Photo? Is the demand for more colour films high enough for them to continue to invest in more emulsions? I suspect the answers to these questions won't be set in concrete just yet, but I can confirm that the film is not a gimmick.

Sure, it's not the most forgiving film stock, and it definitely has a look to it. But I, for one, love that look! The harsh summer sun and blue skies are a perfect canvas for this film - the deep colours in the sky are captured beautifully by this film, and the halation is akin to the range of Cinestill films. It gives me the same feeling you got from golden holiday snaps from childhood, soaked in nostalgia.

The walk was co-organised by Nottingham-based film lab and photography education hub Make It Easy Lab. 

An impressive group of around 30 passionate analogue enthusiasts gathered for a quick introduction from lab manager Dan Wheeler. He discussed the idea of finding beauty in the mundane and 'making images, not just taking them'.  Then we were off, eagerly loading rolls of Harman Phoenix Colour into our cameras.

Some of us had shot Phoenix before; it was the first time for others. Despite the varying levels of experience, there was a general feeling of excitement amongst the group, with plenty of compliments to Harman for their bold move into the world of colour film.

The results speak for themselves, and I'm thoroughly impressed with this first emulsion.

Manufacturing a new film is a costly endeavour, and it's clear that Harman are invested in the future of analogue photography. This move is refreshing in an industry flooded by spooled and rebranded motion picture films. 

Harman's future investment in colour film largely depends on Phoenix's sales and interest. So it's important to remember that even if this particular emulsion isn't for you, buying and using the film is the best way to show them that we want more (I know for sure that I do!).

You can secure your own stock of Harman Phoenix Film in our webstore, or by contacting the sales team on sales@dupli.co.uk or by calling 0116 289 3644 (option 2).