The First Photograph Developed Using Weed Is Here

Image generated on AI

It’s high time for a new technique for developing film. Dmitri Tcherbadji, a Canadian web developer with a penchant for quirky photography projects—including a gingerbread camera with a sugar lens—might have just blazed a new trail in alternative film processing.

On 4/20, Tcherbadji unveiled his latest experiment: a photograph developed using a cannabis-based concoction he calls ‘Sativa Cannanol’.  Living in weed-friendly Canada certainly helped with resource acquisition for this unusual project, which he believes is a world-first.

But why cannabis? Tcherbadji, along with collaborators Daren of Learn Film Photography and Yvonne Hanson, were on a mission to explore unconventional film development methods, ranging from blood, pond water, and wood to flowers, and even pee.

Lighting up the pack, however, is a portrait of model Lily Li Hua, developed using cannabinoids, presumably extracted from marijuana, instead of traditional chemicals.  According to Tcherbadji’s blog, Analog Cafe, cannabis sativa’s rich phenol content makes it a surprisingly viable candidate for the job.

Last Saturday marked 4/20, an international celebration of all things weed, and to mark it a photographer processed a roll of film using cannabis flower. https://t.co/mec1r0XQkF

— PetaPixel (@petapixel) April 22, 2024

While Tcherbadji acknowledges the novelty of the process, he also admits its limitations. “Weed isn’t very practical,” he writes, revealing the hefty US$7 price tag for a single developed roll. On top of that, the cannabis developer’s potency necessitates using high-sensitivity film at a lower setting for decent results.

Despite the drawbacks, Tcherbadji highlights a potential silver lining: homemade developers, like his cannabis concoction, can be gentler on the environment compared to commercially available options.  With cannabis being a renewable resource, this experiment could spark a conversation about more sustainable film development practices.

[via PetaPixel and Interesting Engineering, images via various sources]