My name is Mil Donila, and I’m a film photographer based in Manila, Philippines. A few years ago, I had the rare opportunity to shoot with three rolls of Kodak Aerochrome—an infrared 35mm film originally created by Kodak for military use, especially for detecting camouflage. Its unique sensitivity makes it famous for transforming greens, such as forests and mountains, into striking shades of red and pink.
But growing up in the Philippines, surrounded by coastlines and water, I wanted to approach the film differently. Instead of shooting landscapes rich in foliage, I used all three rolls on beaches across different provinces. Through these images, I hoped to explore and highlight the deep connection Filipinos have with the sea and how water shapes our daily lives, culture, and sense of place.
Because Kodak Aerochrome is incredibly rare, I only had the chance to shoot it three times, and that limitation deeply shaped my approach to the project. I normally shoot with expired film, both in my personal work and as a wedding film photographer. I’m drawn to the unpredictability of expired film: the shifts in color, the subtle decay, and the beautiful imperfections that feel like time embedded into the frame. Those flaws and surprises are something I cherish, because they mirror how memory actually works - never perfect, always layered.
With Aerochrome, I wanted to push that idea further by using the film in a way it wasn’t traditionally intended. Instead of photographing forests and foliage, I brought it to Philippine coastlines. Growing up surrounded by water, the sea feels deeply tied to identity, memory, livelihood, childhood, and belonging. Using a film originally designed to reveal what is hidden in landscapes, I wanted to see what meaning might surface when turned toward beaches - spaces that are familiar yet constantly shifting. The resulting images feel both surreal and deeply Filipino, like rediscovering memory through another spectrum.
This project fits into my broader practice of using film not only as a documentary tool, but as an emotional and interpretive medium—one that allows place, memory, and unpredictability to coexist in a single frame.
By Mil Donila - you can find their personal instagram here and their infrared film account here .
