Harman’s New Switch Azure Film

credits: Harman Technology

Harman Technology has introduced a new experimental colour film called Switch Azure, and it does something a little unusual with how colours appear in the final photo. Instead of reproducing colours in the typical way, the film deliberately shifts them around. Blues can show up as orange, yellows may turn into bright azure tones, and reds can shift toward purple or blue. The idea is to create a very distinctive look straight from the film itself, without relying on filters or digital editing afterward.

Switch Azure is rated at ISO 125 and will be available in both 35mm and 120 medium format. It is the latest entry in Harman’s growing line of experimental films, following releases like Harman Red and Harman Phoenix 200. At the same time, the company continues to produce more traditional emulsions as well, including Kentmere Pan 200 and the updated Harman Phoenix II. In the case of Switch Azure, the unusual color shifts come from changes inside the film’s chemistry. Harman says two of the three colour couplers in the emulsion have been swapped, which alters how the red, green, and blue channels respond during exposure and development.

According to Harman’s Sales and Marketing Director Giles Branthwaite, that change in the colour couplers alters the contrast response of each channel, which is what produces the unusual colour shifts. Interestingly, the final look can also vary depending on how the film is scanned after development. Harman notes that Fuji lab scanners tend to produce stronger, more saturated shifts, while Noritsu scanners usually give a slightly more subdued result. Despite the unconventional colour palette, the film still uses the standard C-41 colour negative process, so it can be developed at most labs without any special treatment.