When conditions are @#$%, what film?

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mw_uio

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When conditions are not great (crap), cloudy, foggy, dull out, visibility is limited, what slide film would you recommend for landscape/cityscape for the afternoon?
Fujichrome Provia 400F/X, Velvia 100, go with both, or just the 400? 64? What are your thoughts?

thanks

MArk
Quito, EC
 
More saturation = less range of renderable colors and tones. Slide film is pretty contrasty and saturated no matter what, so if you have shadows to deal with, white things you'd like to look white, or bright colors you'd like not to lose detail in ("bleeding reds") avoid high saturation films.
Low saturation E-6 films: Kodachrome, Astia, Sensia, Elite Chrome.
Higher saturation films: "E" films, Velvia, and to a lesser extent Provia films.
Just my $.02; haven't shot any chrome film for a couple of years.
 
I have used days like that to test manipulating the film, ie underexposing the film and extending the development time to increase contrast. I figured if the day in dull, might as well use it to practise my technique...


Nancy
 
No slide film. B&W. Emphasis on the moodiness of the city, etc. Low dark clouds make it even better. Work with what you have.
 
I think the Provia 400F has a pretty realistic rendering of that kind of day- When shooting stock I reached for this on grey days pretty often- can get sometimes a bit blue-ish in the shade on cloudy days (I'm in VT, USA- and it almost always happened when there was a stream or river in the shots?), but an 81B usually is enough. Should handle the greys of buildings wonderfully.
 
kodachrome, pffffffffffft! Tri-X is your friend, no matter the conditions. If color is a must then go with print film (more latitude).

Todd
 
Right now I have some Neopan 400 loaded in my F3hp have way into the roll, so tomorrow, I will go to a location that has excellent vista that I have not spent much time at and finish it off, plus I will bring my little guy(s) (Panasonic FX9) + (Stylus Epic) will post some photos shortly. I send my B&W film to Canada every so often, thus it takes a while for me to get to see it. I have 4 rolls of Neopan 400 that are developed, and scanned, just waiting for a family member to upload them to me. No one here in Quito, does a great job on B&W, so I just send it back to T.O. for processing, thus it just takes time.

565645540_c5d95a3997_m.jpg

Neopan400 March 9/07. F3HP/24,2.8
Aperture Priority, f stop not recorded,
Filter, UV,

I guess I wanted to burn some slide film as I have some stock in the fridge and want to use it up!

Neopan it is!

Cheers
MArk
Quito, EC
 
Color: Fuji Superia
B&W: Fomapan

ISO dependant upon just how icky the weather is.

Of course those are my good weather film choices too. Nice when it works that way, hey?

William
 
Todd.Hanz said:
kodachrome, pffffffffffft! Tri-X is your friend, no matter the conditions. If color is a must then go with print film (more latitude).

Todd
Click to expand...
LOL! I know you're tongue is in your cheek, Todd ... at least a bit. I agree on the Tri-X, of course, though when it's really foggy and misty I prefer something like Pan F+. As beautiful and tight as Tri-X grain is (or can be), something like Pan F+ is, for me, a better choice when misty/foggy conditions are a dominant pictorial theme. If the goal is "street" shooting involving people, then yeah, Tri-X it is.

As for colour, in those conditions who really needs latitude? My case for Kodachrome is that my experience is that under those conditions the colours, sharpness and 3-dimensional characteristics of Kodachrome are at their best. Colours "pop" but are not over-saturated, and are rendered in a way I really like. I admit that my style in such conditions is to simplify the composition and isolate objects of interests.

One big proviso though, is that Mark is in Quito, so getting Kodachrome processed is a major PITA. If that is a determining factor, then yeah, another chrome film or a higher contrast C41 film is a good choice.

Earl
 
This is where I a was today in the afternoon, shooting Neopan 400, and these are the conditions I was trying to describe. Below a digital shot in color, clouds rolling in, and raining off in the distance.

Cheers
MArk
Quito, EC
 

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I get it

I get it

Why didn't you say so! :D

4x5 Tri-X, Orange or Red filter, D76 1:1. Piece of cake!

On the other hand, shoot up your slide film. It can't make pictures in the ice box!
 
Bravo!

Bravo!

mw_uio said:
...I send my B&W film to Canada every so often, thus it takes a while for me to get to see it. I have 4 rolls of Neopan 400 that are developed, and scanned, just waiting for a family member to upload them to me. No one here in Quito, does a great job on B&W, so I just send it back to T.O. for processing, thus it just takes time.

Cheers
MArk
Quito, EC
Click to expand...

I admire your efforts to shoot film under such conditions! Earl thought Kodachrome would be a PITA. You seem to have things covered well. Good luck!
 
Trius said:
Kodachrome Kodachrome Kodachrome
Click to expand...

I might suggest saving the Kodachrome for a sunny day. :)

Some photogs suggest something like Velvia 100 for a yucky day. Brings out what color there is, warms up things from the cool blue grey a bit.

Personally, I prefer a good 200 speed color print film for outdoors, cloudy or shine.
 
Take this forum and the wide array of films available, shake vigorously, and you get a lot of good suggestions! That's why I love it here ... I get to pontificate, no one calls me out, and I get all sorts of great/new (to me) ideas in the process. Throw in a wee dram or two, and life is good!
 
I can't give any firm film recommendations - I'm intrigued by Bryce's post about saturation - but perhaps a review of shot selection is in order. On a day like the one in Mark's Ecuador sample I would avoid taking shots that showed the sky and instead focus on people's faces, colors, and patterns on buildings. With the overcast day as a giant lightbox this seems to work well. Then shoot your postcard shot with sky when the nicer weather comes back around.
 
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