And yet ANOTHER film question.....*sigh*

[Soujrnr]

Hi Lynn,

I FINALLY got my scanner working after about 3 hours of fighting with the software and upgrading to the new Nikon Scan and checking on my firmware version as well. Is there any way to post an image in the forum other than posting a website link? I have a website but since I had to reformat my system last week, I haven't reinstalled Dreamweaver so that I can update my web site. I was on my back for six months after major neck surgery about a year ago and haven't been able to update my web site since then. (Yes, I've been a slug; no excuses). I can email you a .jpeg image just as easily but I'd love to put up a few in the forum to get opinions on as well.

Thanks and I'll talk to you soon.

Mike

[Lynn_in_VA]

Mike, No problem, just email me the jpeg's, one per message if they're real big, and I'll hang them on a server and give you a url so you can post.

~L

[Soujrnr]

Hi Lynn,

I haven't forgotten about you and sending some images. My computer bought the farm real hard and so I had to upgrade. In the mean time, my scanner has been collecting dust on the shelf because when I was troubleshooting it, the SCSI devices were the first thing to get disconnected. And they stayed disconnected until I get all the bugs worked out in the new system as well. I'm having some compatibility problems with some software and my new processor. It's always something.

I'll talk to you soon. Take care.

Mike

[JaysonFromMaine]

with the digital age a few pros are starting to use film more...one is Peter Freed who teaches at Maine workshops..I saw him down at photo east last year...

[Marko]

Except for the very brief period when I was shooting a lot of cross-processed work (a phase which has long-since passed), I have never been enamoured of E100SW, or any of that family except the VS on certain occasions, and that more for street/architectural work (the film of choice when shooting LA or any other town with an air pollution problem). Doesn't look natural, a very obvious glamourish look that seems instantly genre-ized and almost dated, doesn't look like anything that I would want my pictures to look like, skin tones too reddish, etc. (That being said, I have seen some good work shot on SW, but nothing that I would want to emulate.)

My favorites are Astia and Provia 100F, especially Astia. A very neutrally-balanced film, a more natural saturation, can saturate a bit more with slight underexposure and plus development, or desaturate with slight overexposure and minus development, very flexible development-wise, etc. Provia's a bit more saturated and a bit more obvious, but very, very sharp, and also extremely flexible. Both are well-suited for shooting people.

I personally don't like the gold reflector on the beach look very much, but if you do, E100SW might suit you well. It's not quite as flexible as either of the two emulsions I have told you about, and not quite as sharp as Provia, but is as sharp as Astia. If you are into the cross-process thing, and most people aren't anymore, it's essential, simply the best film on the market for that approach. But then again, who still does that?

[Marko]

I for one, as a film photographer, will answer as many as I am competant to answer. I still like film a lot better than digital, as far as the look of it...

[Soujrnr]

Hi Marko,

Thanks for your input. It's really valuable because I have never shot E100SW or even E100S. For my stock photography, I used to shoot Kodachrome but hate having to send it to New Jersey for processing. I use Provia and Velvia now and I use Ilford FP4 Plus for B&W, as well as Tri-X and Pan-X. I haven't used the Velvia yet for "people" shots and so I don't know how it will do for skin tones.

In any event, I bought some E100SW based upon recommendations from a book about glamour photography because I'm so very new to this genre'. It said in the book that the skin tones were very pleasing and took on a golden glow. I tried shooting some Provia in the evening and the skin tones were horrible. They were almost orange and really gawdy. I didn't like it at all. I'll try some of the Astia and see how that works out. I shot some Kodak Portra 160 NC and loved it. Very pleased with it. Even the 400 NC was great! I may just use that for my benchmark and then try the Astia and I'll also shoot some more Provia 100F but not in late evening. I'll try it during daylight and see how that pans out. I'll also try it in my studio and see how it fares under studio lighting.

Thanks again for your valuable input. I'm anxious to try some new films but just haven't worked up the gumption to do it. Now I need to because I'll be able to get outside now that spring is finally here in Maine.

Good day!

Mike

Still use Kodachrome when I can, but in this "need it last year" world we have today, having to overnight Kodachrome to Miami, and get it back a day later, just isn't fast enough, anymore. (Dallas no longer has any source for Kodachrome processing. Talk about Kodak blunders!)

So, for much of my medium and large format work, I shoot EPP or T100. For small format, I use EPP, E100S, and E100SW, based on the content of what I'm shooting. I have tried Fuji films, but have always found them just not to my personal liking. Often, I shoot, put it on the processor, and deliver it within 4 hrs.

Lots of my work in candid environments.....PR etc., I now shoot in color neg, on either Portra 800, or Portra 400NC, and simply process and contact, then scan the selected images to digital files for publication. That is now a lot of what I do, and it really makes life a little simpler. Now when they say, can I have a color transparency, a color print, and a B&W print, as well as a digital file for Powerpoint, I can generate all of those off the one color neg original, with minimal loss of quality, through scanning. I just image the file back to a film recorder, or print from the original neg, or desaturate for B&W, or resize the image file for Powerpoint presentations.

Of course, digital is even easier and faster, when the type of job fits within the limitations of digital. This morning, I shot a job between 9 and 10 am, downloaded the images, resized them for Powerpoint, and delivered the job by 11 am. That's life in photography today. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Soujrnr]

Hi Rick,

You know, to this day I LOVE Kodachrome. Both the 64 and 25 are wonderful! I've been faced with the "time" issue as well and I hate having to wait 10 days to get my slides back. I've switched to using Provia to replace the Kodachrome and actually I think that Provia took the lead that Kodachrome used to have for resolution and saturation, plus an extra stop of speed (well, maybe a tad less than a stop).

I also shoot Portra 160NC and 400NC almost exclusively when I shoot portraiture. I really like the skin tones with both emulsions. I have a Nikon LS2000 but I'm not having the best luck in getting quality scans. I'm still behind the learning curve. Too many damn settings in the software. Not only that but it takes forever to scan even just 36 images from one roll of film. I have better luck getting 4x6 proofs and scanning the proofs on my flatbed scanner. Much, much faster.

I just dumped my life savings into a Nikon F100 and a bag full of lenses as well as a nice new Bogen tripod and a Tamrac camera bag. Now I'm stone broke. At this point, I'd love to have a D100 so I could shoot all day long and not have to worry about paying for film developing because then I could examine my photos daily and learn from my mistakes. I wonder if I'm related to Bill Gates? Maybe he'll float me a loan. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Be that as it may, if I can schedule a few weddings this year I can get that D100. I wanted to have one for Rolando's workshop in NY next month but now I'm resigned to bringing film. I bought some E100SW but now I'm thinking I should get some other slide film as well. Perhaps I should try some of the E100S. I want to shoot chrome though because I don't want the lab to dork up the prints by "correcting" the colors and/or contrast and lighting of the images. It's hard to learn when they do that.

Ok. Enough said. I've rambled on endlessly and so I'll stop now. Thanks for your input.

Good day!

Mike

Go with the E100SW. It is what Rolando uses, most of the time, and he can help you get it right. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]