Exploring Madrid with Lomochrome Metropolis

Madrid is known for its rich history and cultural heritage, which is reflected in its diverse neighborhoods and architecture. The city is home to a wide range of architectural styles, from the grand neoclassical buildings of the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor to the modern skyscrapers of the financial district.

Puerta del Sol, a popular gathering place for locals and tourists alike, is known for its vibrant nightlife, restaurants, and cafes, along with a variety of shops. It is also a popular spot for street performers and musicians who entertain the crowds around the square.

I was excited to try out Lomochrome Metropolis from Lomography so I loaded a roll into my Leica M4 and headed over to the Puerta del Sol. Unfortunately, most of the square was under construction, which made it impossible to photograph from several vantage points, but the glass Metro station caught my eye. Located on the far end of the Puerta del Sol it’s a modern, curved design in stark contrast to the surrounding buildings.

Lomochrome Metropolis is a color-negative film known for its muted desaturated color and high level of contrast. Perfect for the streets of Madrid. Lomography recommends ISO ranging between 100-400 for this film stock. Since this was the first time I was shooting this film and I was in a new city, I wanted to play it safe and went with 400 ISO. I figured this would give me enough latitude when the light changed later in the day.

Unlike my Redscale experiment with Kodak UltraMax 400, Lomochrome Metropolis doesn’t require any extra steps, like re-spooling your film into another canister. You load your film and take photos. It can be developed with the standard C-41 process by any lab.

Below are some of my images from my first roll of Lomochrome Metropolis in Madrid. It’s a film stock that I will definitely use again. I enjoy the muted tones and contrast which adds just enough drama to make the images really stand out.