Blurring the Unknown
Shooting a limited film in 2025 is one thing. Shooting motion blur on film is something else entirely.
Walking around half blind, guessing exposures, and hoping something sticks, that’s part of the magic and the madness.
One of the rolls I used this time was Color Zealous 200. Never heard of it? Same.
In stock at stavangerfoto.no
I picked up this rare stock at Stavanger Foto’s Fotomesse. The retro packaging caught my eye first, metal cartridge, cardboard box, and a name I’d never seen before.
Alongside it, I grabbed an odd 400 speed film (Perutz Color 400) with equally obscure branding.
I didn’t know what to expect, but that’s exactly why I wanted to shoot it.
Thankfully, the internet had a few breadcrumbs. Color Zealous 200 is… a bit of a mystery. It’s hand spooled, and processes in standard C-41.
Dig a little deeper and it seems to share more than a passing resemblance to Ilfocolor 400 / ORWO NC500, something I’ve shot before and immediately recognized in the tones. Muted, cool, cinematic.
With that in mind, I stepped into the rain. And of course, I couldn’t have picked a worse day for a 200 speed film, grey, low contrast, wet, dim. But maybe that was the point.
This stock promises subtle colors and a moodier palette, so why not lean into the chaos? That’s when I decided: motion blur. Intentional motion blur.
This would’ve been `easier` with a flash. Or any real experience with shutter drag.
Instead, I was out in the city, learning on the fly, watching the rain flatten every frame. No rules, no plan, just experimenting and trusting muscle memory.
So my approach became simple: shoot in the dark, literally and figuratively. Spray and pray. Compose by instinct. Let the blur tell the story.
When I finished the first roll, I rushed home and developed it immediately. I honestly didn’t know if anything would show up.
Maybe I’d wasted the day. Maybe the blur was too extreme. But then the scans came through, grainy, yes, but atmospheric, intentional, alive.
Better than I’d imagined.
Sure, some frames were underexposed or burned out. But in between, once I found a rhythm, the keepers appeared.
One shot in particular, full of motion and energy, might end up as an alternative piece for a Photobreak show coming up(!). That was the moment it clicked: these experiments matter. They shake you loose.
Film forces you to surrender control. There’s no safety net like digital post production. But in return, it gives you surprises, beautiful ones.
ORWO NC500, sorry, Color Zealous 200, is exactly that kind of film: vintage, subdued, gentle. Not your typical punchy Kodak look, but a quiet, cinematic palette. A film that rewards the patient and the curious.
After all of this, I stepped back into my normal routine with something new in my pocket, a deeper understanding of how motion can shape a frame, and how limitations can push creativity in strange directions.
I went out unsure and came back with confidence. The experiment didn’t just work; it opened up a new way of shooting for me. Motion isn’t the enemy. It’s a character in the scene.
The value wasn’t in the frames alone. It was in the process, embracing uncertainty, trusting the film, and letting go of perfection.
Now I return to my everyday shooting a little different, more patient, more open, a bit more willing to blur the lines. And definitely more excited for the next strange film stock I stumble across.