We are pretty insular too. American photographers don't readily take up British or German films en masse. Not many British photographers tried Kodak Plus-X in comparison to FP4. As I wrote once before, the fine Verichrome Pan emulsion disappeared from Kodak's British catalogue - no demand here, though sales continue in the States.

And yet, and yet. Don't we miss out by not exploring and enjoying the different characteristics of varying film emulsions from different parts of the world? There is no need to drop our favourite standard film/developer combination. Indeed chopping and changing in search of the 'perfect' film and developer is silly. But a degree of experimentation using our old favourite as a comparative standard will actually make us more sensitive and productive image makers as we appreciate the different 'look' that an alternative recording material and processing solution can provide.

Naturally, the products of the western world are easiest to find and try. Back in Cold War days, I greatly enjoyed trying the films that escaped across the Iron Curtain. Finely finished they weren't. The backing paper of Orwo 120 films reminded me of the reclaimed paper backs of school exercise books in the years of post war austerity. Yet the films had interesting and useful character - mainly a throw back to pre-war and early post-war emulsion coating technology I guess. Probably environmental pollution was on a par.

But there's one part of the world that can match anything in the west in manufacturing skills and consistent quality - the far east. Peculiarly, in the mono field, we haven't seen the giants battle it out across the world as they have in colour. I think we have been the losers from that. Up to 1990, there was only one choice for ultimate colour transparency quality - Kodachrome. Then came Velvia from Fuji in 1990. The tranny battle has nothing on the scale of the colour negative conflict, though, with huge consumer markets for the millions, billions, of users across the planet at stake. Just look at the variety of choice, the advances in quality, and the frequency of those changes in emulsion that have been made. And are still being made regardless of the advance of digital imaging.

Makes mono look sick doesn't it?

Yet back in the 70s when the upstart Fujichrome 100 was just sending its first warning shots across the Kodak bows in the west, there were mono emulsions to yearn for in the Fuji arsenal. Yet, they were never wheeled into battle. At the time the Japanese photographer, Eikoh Hosoe, working in Tokyo produced stunning and original images in fine monochrome prints. His prints were widely exhibited across the US, and his book, 'Killed by Roses', made a big impact - quite literally with high contrast images. His powerful portrait of cult novelist, Yukio Mishima, who later committed suicide, particularly illustrated this approach.

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