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Rangefinder Magazine
November 2002

The Rf Cookbook: Cross-Processing Artistry by Jen Bidner
Bambi Cantrell Achieves This Effect with Film and Digital

For the past few years, Bambi Cantrell of Walnut Creek, California, has offered her wedding and portraiture clients fresh, spirited portraits using the cross-processing technique. One or two of these unusual shots add an artistic flair to any album.

Cross-processing is a technique in which color transparency film is processed in C-41 negative chemistry to produce a negative with altered tones and contrast—or vice versa, and color negative film is developed in E-6 transparency chemicals to produce a positive image.

TRADITIONAL Cross-Processing: Bambi Cantrell shot this image on Kodak Ektachrome 100SW and processed it in C-41 negative chemicals.

“Starting with color negative film produces a softer result, but I prefer starting with slide film because I shoot most of my other work on negative films, and I can keep my printing consistent,” explains Cantrell.

“This technique works great if you have strong red, green or blue tones in the picture. I usually ask my clients to wear vivid colors if they want that look,” she adds.

Usually, Cantrell uses Kodak Ektachrome 100VS film because its saturation yields even more exaggerated colors. However, in the cable car photo shown here, she used Ektachrome 100SW, but laments that this warmer film tends to make the flesh tones greener."

Not every lab will do cross-processing, and the best labs are careful to monitor its chemicals, so there is no bad effect on other films processed at the same time or afterwards. Cantrell highly recommends two labs for the process: Image Experts in Hollywood, California (888) 846-2439 and Pictage in Huntington Beach, California (310) 318-3885.

“Cross-processing is exciting to shoot, because it is unpredictable—and I love that,” says Cantrell. Even so, she has recently begun doing more digital imitations of the technique.

Digital Cross-Processing: Through experimentation, Bambi Cantrell has found that she can digitally manipulate images to quickly imitate the cross-processing effect. She begins by scanning an image, or shooting an original digital photo with her Canon EOS 1D digital camera. She then uses the brightness/contrast controls in Adobe Photoshop to bump up the contrast about 50%, and then makes minor color adjustments.

DIGITAL Cross-Processing: For this image, Bambi Cantrell imitated the cross-processing technique digitally with Adobe Photoshop.

Be forewarned, however, that this causes all the shadows to go very black. Faces therefore must be relatively shadowless (turned toward the sun or filled with flash), or the eye sockets and other shadowed areas will become ugly black slashes.

For more examples of her images, visit Bambi Cantrell’s website at www.cantrellportrait.com.

Bambi Cantrell will be a featured speaker at WPPI 2003 to be held at BALLY’S Las Vegas. Her program is entitled, “The Wedding Ritual: Creating a Photographic Essay.”