|
Though a photographer may not be consciously thinking about them when (s)he is looking at an image, grain, color bias, speed, contrast and
saturation are the most common criteria used to discriminate one film from another.
Sitting on dichotomous ends of the spectrum are color landscape and color portrait photography. Indeed, when we look at a wedding portrait and
a nature photo we immediately notice the differences.
Portrait
Portrait photography is not limited to little storefront shops. Corporate photography, travel/destination photography, wedding/special event
photography and fashion all use people prominently as their subject matter.
The key to a color portrait is the person, who, from a visual perspective, is made up of their skin. In every major culture, someone with a
warm, soft skin tone is considered more approachable, friendlier and healthier. So a film that accentuates these features is preferred. By the
same token, a person shouldn't look ruddy from over saturation, green or off-color.
Another important feature is contrast. Facial highlights that are blown-out can make the subject look distant or even a bit sweaty. On the other
hand, someone bathed in heavy shadow looks dangerous, hard and older.
For speed, a very slow film may benefit from small grain, but it has trouble stopping the regular movements of a person and forces the subject to
be very still for long periods -- besides being difficult, it also works against having a relaxed subject. At best, a slow film means that you have
to have a strobe system with lots of juice -- an expensive prospect.
After making a survey of our sales and service staff -- most of whom are active photographers themselves -- and of customers, preferences for
portraits become clear. We have outlined them below using direct quotes from the people we spoke with.
(Note that all these emulsions are C-41 process. Negative films tend to have lower contrast and greater range than slide films)
Fuji Pro 160S, PRO 400 and PRO 8002
These venerable emulsions have been stalwart performers in the portrait genre for many years not only for their color balance and fidelity, but for
its "gray balance stability." Especially Fuji's flagship portrait film, PRO 160S. Described as "Soft" and "neutral" these low contrast emulsions are
considered very balanced and deliver smooth skin tones. Some report "no color bias" at all. This line was recently augmented with the PRO 160C film
featuring a little greater color saturation while maintaining its neutral balance.
Also from Fuji is the Reala film. With greater saturation and good contrast range, it has its own sizeable following & should not be overlooked..
Kodak
Long known for the warmth they lend to their subjects, Kodak films have been a popular choice for several members of our staff and many of our
customers. Detractors described Kodak's emulsions as "too warm" resulting in "Martian skin-tones" and "brown foliage." But with Portra NC 160 & 400,
Portra VC 160 & 400 and Portra 800 Kodak's newest line of portrait films, many of the critics have become fans. Maintaining some of their
predecessors skin-tone warmth, these next generation films have excellent color balance overall and a good contrast range. The NC is considered
"softer in feel and color" while the VC has more "Punch."
Landscape
Without a doubt, black and white emulsions are the hands down favorite for this kind of photography. Still, color landscapes have been growing in
popularity every since the National Geographic Society started publishing work in full color.
The favorite of these photographers is high contrast, super saturated, ultra fine grained slide films. It makes places seem foreign yet close at
hand, and viewers feel intrepid and adventuresome.
Landscapes
In our survey, preferences for landscapes become clear as well.
Fuji
RVP Velvia 50, Velvia 100 and RHP Provia II 100 are celebrated as "deep" and "gorgeous" by nearly everyone. Tried and true emulsions, they have been the natural
choice for most landscape shooters since their introduction in the mid 1990s. Some even proclaim that they would "never shoot anything else." Known
for their emerald greens and sapphire blues, they reproduce even a remote patch of grass beautifully. Recently, Fuji has updated their Velvia and
Provia lines with updated emulsions.
Kodak
Ektachrome 100VS is Kodak's most popular slide film for landscape photography. Described by its fans as "rich," "golden" and "dramatic" this warm
emulsion is seen as "fantastic for desert scenes," and is the clear favorite for beach and urban sunsets. "It works magic with sunsets," is a common
comment. Kodak also makes an excellent C-41 film called Ultracolor.
|
