Crossover to the Other Side

My friend, have you heard of cross processing? Are you ready to explode your images in color? Cast your photos in the warm colors of the Caribbean seas? Take your Lomography to the hills of chance and throw it off with nary a second thought? Look no further than this guide.
cross walk
red cross
cross gender
holy cross
Please note, do not confuse cross processing with any of the other famous "crosses" in the world.

Although, there is no argument that these crosses can be fun and interesting in their own right, they pale in comparison to the color-charged fun to be had should you decide to jump in and cross process your precious films.

Here's how it works

There are two different processes for processing common consumer film. Normal color negative film is processed via C41 chemicals. Slide film is finished through E6 chemicals. These respective chemical treatments interact with your film to bring out the correct image for your film composition.

[ Slide film for X-processing ]

If you cross over, and process your slide film in C41 chemicals, the results are shocking, as seen below. Steel your jaw and prepare to be vigorously slapped with intense washes of cyan, cream, and magenta. The entire color balance and contrast level of your images is thrown out of whack. Right on.
Alternately, you can also cross ordinary color negative film with E6 chemicals, yielding softer and grainier results. A little more art-house, a little more lo-fi, it's the intimate face of crossing over. Each particular film brand and emulsion will yield different shifts in color, alternate levels of contrast, and disparate proportions of sheer insanity. Browse through our dedicated film galleries for a small glimpse at the signature looks and grand possibilities by brand. You'll be glad that you did.
And, of course, this cross processing magic works with all lomographic cameras. Try it out in a Supersampler or Actionsampler! Dope on plastic.

The best thing about cross processing - THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE. Try as you may, it is nearly impossible to predict exactly what effect cross processing will have on your images.

But, within there lies the excitement - every roll of film you develop is like a box of rabid hamsters. You never know what you're gonna get.
One more thing - be sure to do your cross processing at a good professional photo lab. For best results, avoid the corner supermarket or drug store. Go for the real deal. When you ask for cross processing, they'll know exactly what to do. Big X - the Lomographic Society International.