Svema 125 is a strange film for strange times.
Svema is the trading name of the Shostka Chemical Plant in Ukraine, who manufactured a range of photographic films for the Soviet Union. For many years, Svema was the preeminent film manufacturer in the USSR., producing a range of b&w, colour and slide films. Svema products were known to be sturdy and reliable - well suited to beginner’s home developing.
Svema’s fortune’s changed in the late 90s, however, when it lost considerable market share to Fuji and Kodak; by 2000, Svema was out of business. Fortunately, Svema film did not go extinct that day. A company known as Astrum have continued to produce select Svema films, using the original formulas and factory equipment. Astrum manufacture the films in Ukraine and ship them to the Film Photography Project in the US, who hand roll them into 35mm canisters.
Svema 125 is billed as a low-speed C41 film with a unique colour palette - distinct from that of Kodak or Fuji. I discovered the film at the Photographer’s Gallery in London.
Colour Madness
Several frames from the roll, seemingly at random, had instense colour casts. Sometimes it would be blue, other times orange.
These two shots are unedited. [click photo to switch between the two examples]
These happy little accidents can yield some interesting results, however it is not good when you need consistency. It remains to be seen if all Svema 125s film does this. About a fifth of the images were affected.
The rest of the shots came out great.
Svema 125 is a very warm film, with calm, pastel colours. Its dusty browns and yellows sit with surreal greens and muted blues. The film has a soft look and visible grain structure, yet retains plenty of detail. From the shots I took, the film fared best in evening sunlight, where the warm colours glowed. The film’s otherworldly look makes it a good choice for dreamy portraits or landscapes. [click photo below to cycle through]
Part of the joy of film photography is experimenting with different looks. After shooting a lot of Kodak and Fuji, this roll of Svema 125 has been a breath of fresh air. The distinct look and pleasing colours are worth checking out if you come across a roll. I look forward to finding it again.
All images shot on a Bessaflex with a range of m42 lenses. Mostly 135mm and 40mm.