What happens when someone else shoots half your film and then you layer your world on top of theirs? Pure serendipity.
The postman knocked the other morning with a mystery box I wasn’t expecting. Inside, wrapped up safe and sound, was a little surprise: an APS camera, a roll of film, and a lovely note from my friend Peggy (cameragocamera.com). She’d already shot the film, rewound it, and now it was my turn to layer my images over hers for a double exposure film swap.
The Mystery Box & the Plan
Peggy and I had done a film swap earlier in the year with great results, so I was game for another round. She told me she’d taken “random things—background stuff like before.”
That got me thinking: if she’d done scenery and foliage, I’d go for the opposite—a gritty urban environment. Graffiti, buildings, docked Santander bikes. I had no idea how our worlds would collide on the same frame, and that’s the magic of it.
The Joy of Serendipity
Results in! It never ceases to amaze me the serendipity of it all. I mean who could have known how well the docked Santander bikes would line up with the sand ripples, or how the Pac-Man sign would align with the Holy Cross.
It’s like those 3D Magic Eye puzzles—you have to really look. At first, you see one image. Then another emerges. The longer you study, the more your brain stitches the two worlds together.
First Time with APS Cameras
The other surprise? APS cameras. I’d never used one before this year. Back in the day, I dismissed them—why settle for 25 smaller frames when I already had 36 on 35mm?
But I’ve got to admit: this Chinon AP700s is a lovely little point-and-shoot. Plastic, yes, but solid in hand. I love how the lens and flash pop into action with a single click. Controls are minimal—just a few flash modes, a self-timer, and the ability to switch picture formats, including panoramic.
The film was Fujifilm Nexia A200, long expired. Development and scanning were done by the Burnley based Photo Hippo Lab. First time using this lab and I’m very pleased with the results. Thanks guys.
Why You Should Try a Film Swap
If you’ve never tried a film swap before, I can’t recommend it enough. Double exposure photography is fun when you do it yourself, but letting someone else shoot half the roll takes the surprise to another level.
Even better, swapping with someone from a different part of the country makes the results fascinating—two environments, two perspectives, colliding in unexpected ways.
So grab a roll, find a friend, and try it. Who knows what masterpiece you’ll create?
Thanks again to Peggy for inspiring this swap. I’m already looking forward to the next one.
Here’s a few more examples why it’s worth it—unexpected masterpieces await. Results from our first swap. These were taken on a Canon ixus L1 on long expired Truprint APS film and again developed by Photo Hippo Lab.
Wise words. Thanks for reading.
