{Portra 400 film - Nikon N70; all images overexposed 1 stop}
Life has been all sorts of crazy so I haven't played with film in awhile, but I was able to make time to do just that a few weeks ago and, thankfully, sweet Brenda was up for humoring me. Here are some of my observations:
1. Manual focusing is hard ... aaaand awkward. Choose a kind and patient subject like Brenda for your practicing efforts. It doesn't hurt if your kind and patient subject also happens to have amazing red hair and to-die-for cheekbones.
2. Waiting for film to be developed requires a great deal of patience {apparently something I have in short supply ... shocker!} I used an out-of-state lab and it was 13 days before I was able to see the images online {gasp! choke!}.
3. Jonathan Canlas was right ... overexposing Portra 400 by one stop makes for gorgeous skin tones. Like buttah.
4. Film processing done by a reputable lab can be seriously expensive. In this case, the film + processing + scans + packaging/shipping = about $80 when all was said and done. Woah, baby. Excuse me while I go get another part-time job to pay for my photography habit.
5. Shooting film definitely slows me down and requires me to really think. This has it's finer points, to be sure, but not without it's downsides as well. I feel like I put more thought and energy into the 'math' of it all which ends up simplifying my compositional approach. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. Just feels completely different.
6. Richard Photo Lab delivered BEAUTIFUL scans, as promised. It cost a pretty penny, but they are obviously very good at what they do.
7. I like the look of film 100 x's more than the look of digital {sigh}. Dreamy, right? Yes, dreamy.
What say you?
Holly, oh my goodness!! I really don't know what to say so I'll start with the photography side of things. Ha! These images are gorgeous with the colors, softness, and as we like to say "they look like buttah!" I honestly don't know who that woman is in these images...it just can't be me. Thank you for showing me...ME!
ReplyDeleteI have so many things to say that I want to call you right now and talk your ear off for an hour! I may do that still but here on the blog let me just say this, You are incredible. I appreciate your observations particularly your compositional ones. I completely understand. I am dying to shoot film with you and of you. When can we? Im getting antsy. Maybe I need to take a trip to Ft Collins...:)
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...$80 bucks!! That is criminal.
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