Making Film Soup

Film soup is an alternative analog photography technique that involves submerging exposed 35mm film in a liquid mixture. The film is placed in a container, such as a mason jar, and “souped” using boiling water combined with various ingredients. For example, a typical mixture might include boiling water, lemon juice, and salt. More acidic ingredients tend to create stronger reactions with the film’s emulsion. These chemical interactions produce unpredictable color splashes, patterns, and distinctive imperfections across the final images. After the film dries, it can be developed either at home or by a lab that accepts souped film, then scanned and archived digitally.