Film Showcase Kodak Portra 400

Oh how I love this film.. Get use to it.. I love all film!!!

Back in August I shot my first roll of Portra 400 (new stuff) and shot the roll at different ISO levels but processing at box speed… Here are a few examples of that roll..

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@800

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@400

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@200

All processed at box speed.. I used my Yashica Electro 35 GS for these… I did a little write up about my experience with this film.. As this was my first time shooting film only on a trip. Check it out at my film blog http://thedirtynegative.tumblr.com
 
I'm really impressed with the colours you and Amin are getting out of these films.

Do you do much processing in digital or are these straight from the developer film-scan ?

These were scanned by the lab… and I just adjusted contrast/brightness.. Except for the first shot, that I did a little more.. but that was about pushing the film to see what I could get. These days I scan myself… and do my best to keep the PP minimal. What I have found lately is I like to pull back the mid tones using the curve tool and I get the colors I was expecting in my head. :)
 
So far I have taken the 100% lazy approach to film - send it out for processing and scan, no adjustments by me afterwards. I don't mind when the colors are wrong, as long as they are pleasing :).

Here's one with Portra 400 taken with my new Olympus OM 90mm macro:

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by Amin Sabet, on Flickr

Nice ! How'd the rest of the roll come out ?

Are you pleased overall with your return to film or disappointed ?
 
Nice ! How'd the rest of the roll come out ?

Are you pleased overall with your return to film or disappointed ?

Thanks! I'm mostly pleased, but at this moment I'm disappointed. Just finished shooting a roll and thought I got some special family pics, only to realize that I hadn't properly fed the film and therefore captured nothing at all! Those are moments I would have preserved with digital. Oh well, live and learn!
 
Thanks! I'm mostly pleased, but at this moment I'm disappointed. Just finished shooting a roll and thought I got some special family pics, only to realize that I hadn't properly fed the film and therefore captured nothing at all! Those are moments I would have preserved with digital. Oh well, live and learn!

Argh. I know that feeling.

One thing I did wonder about (although it would be unwieldy) - putting a Go-Pro in your hotshoe - combine analogue with digital. Not quite the same as a full blown digital camera but its a step up on nothing.

I find that when you wind-on the film for the first few shots it pays to put a light-finger-touch on the rewind knob just to see if you get a sensation of movement/tension which indicates the film is feeding through.
 
Thanks! I'm mostly pleased, but at this moment I'm disappointed. Just finished shooting a roll and thought I got some special family pics, only to realize that I hadn't properly fed the film and therefore captured nothing at all! Those are moments I would have preserved with digital. Oh well, live and learn!

Amin, if it helps any... I just got my second roll of blank film back from the lab. Two rolls in a row I shot on the M6 I did exactly the same thing :dash2:

Good thing they weren't anything important, just first shots of my daughter from the hospital, lol. (Don't worry, I shot some on digital too).

Now hopefully none of the other previously-shot rolls I have sitting waiting to be developed are also blank... :blush:
 
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Try running through 48 shots in a Half-frame Olympus Pen only to get back a blank roll because the film didn't take...that was painful. Glad it wasn't a standard 36 shot roll!
 
Just received my first shot roll of Kodak Portra 400asa taken with the newly purchased Mamiya RZ67, I sent the film to 'Peak Imaging' (Sheffield - UK) last week for developing/print and ten 5"x4" satin matt prints, the film turned out really well, exposed nicely.
I used both a Sekonic handheld meter and a dedicated Mamiya AE Prism Finder (and waist level finder also) which were both very accurate exposure wise. Over the moon, no light leaks, excellent.

I've no way (at the minute) of scanning my 6x7 negatives to show the film results here, but hoping to work something out in the near future.

I'm one happy man!


:yahoo:
 
Gotta love portra!

I started getting my color film developed locally but without the scanning to save money (I develop B&W at home). I use a cheap HP G4050 scanner (I rate it a meh+) along with VueScan and the ColorPerfect plugin for Photoshop (I haven't played with the settings much just yet).

I'm satisfied, considering 100% of my shooting is non-critical/just for fun.

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Now there's a surprise... last thing I expected to see pop up in here was a familiar site like the old mill in Clinton :)

If that's local to you then we might be neighbors, relatively speaking. If you're in NJ, where are you getting your film developed locally? I only just recently discovered a nearby lab (Black Lab Studio & Imaging in Flemington) but haven't had a chance to try them yet. Would love to find more options nearby!

Gotta love portra!

I started getting my color film developed locally but without the scanning to save money (I develop B&W at home). I use a cheap HP G4050 scanner (I rate it a meh+) along with VueScan and the ColorPerfect plugin for Photoshop (I haven't played with the settings much just yet).

I'm satisfied, considering 100% of my shooting is non-critical/just for fun.

17204300342_765e531266_c.jpg
 
Now there's a surprise... last thing I expected to see pop up in here was a familiar site like the old mill in Clinton :)

If that's local to you then we might be neighbors, relatively speaking. If you're in NJ, where are you getting your film developed locally? I only just recently discovered a nearby lab (Black Lab Studio & Imaging in Flemington) but haven't had a chance to try them yet. Would love to find more options nearby!

Black Lab, that's the one! They're really nice there, but they may take some time to develop color. They do it in-house but wait until they have enough rolls to do a batch. It's never been longer than a week. They also have a complete darkroom you can rent and stock film and dev chemicals. They recently put up a bunch of cameras on display which I believe are for sale. Film is a big deal to the owner; he runs a summer camp for kids where he teaches them B&W film photography!
 
Black Lab, that's the one! They're really nice there, but they may take some time to develop color. They do it in-house but wait until they have enough rolls to do a batch. It's never been longer than a week. They also have a complete darkroom you can rent and stock film and dev chemicals. They recently put up a bunch of cameras on display which I believe are for sale. Film is a big deal to the owner; he runs a summer camp for kids where he teaches them B&W film photography!

Awesome, thanks for the info! I saw an article about that summer camp, that's how I found them. I'll have to try them out next time I have a roll or two of color to develop.
 
Thanks, @phigmov, I like it! Not sure I want to give up on digital just yet, but I love shooting film. I never feel the need to do any processing on my film shots, and the delayed gratification is strangely rewarding. Somehow it all feels more special.

Just dropped a more roll of Portra and two of Tri-X in the mail, and the waiting begins again...
 
Thanks, @phigmov, I like it! Not sure I want to give up on digital just yet, but I love shooting film. I never feel the need to do any processing on my film shots, and the delayed gratification is strangely rewarding. Somehow it all feels more special.

Just dropped a more roll of Portra and two of Tri-X in the mail, and the waiting begins again...

I know exactly what you mean Amin. I've been finding myself shooting progressively more film for the same reasons, though I definitely don't see myself dropping digital any time soon. I just shipped out 10+ rolls of 120 and 35mm out to RPL last week, and I've got 5 more sitting here ready for developing. Practicing delayed gratification courtesy of USPS shipping across the country + not having time to get around to developing at home... hahah.

Personally I think the process is also making me a better photographer by forcing me to be more intentional especially about my exposure settings and framing.
 
Excellent - nice to hear @Jloden & @Amin Sabet !

I like the delayed gratification angle - its almost like you need to shoot enough to keep a pipeline film going out for processing regularly, then when you get the developed rolls back its like X-mas all year round ;-)

Keeps the postman and film-developer gainfully employed too - you're practically performing a social service by shooting film :)
 
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