Certain Blue for Tungsten Film

[Prime]

I almost always use daylight-balanced film in daylight, but once, just for fun, I used Fuji 64T tungsten film outdoors. I was hoping to get a saturated blue with a little cyan (I'd seen it in a book), but the chromes came back a rather muted blue - it was blue, but not very saturated and certainly without much cyan. The effect was like a strong color-cast from the sky.

I'd like to get a blue with a bit of cyan, and I'd like to avoid filters (hence the tungsten). Could somebody recommend a film that would give me this? Thanks.

 

[bmac]

Why are you opposed to using filters? The only other way I can think of is to use the 64T film early in the morning when the light outside is bluer. A lot of fashion photographers use trungsten film and gel their lights with warming gels to make the subject normail color, and the background overexposed and blue. Is this the look you are looking for?

 

[Prime]

I'm hoping to avoid using filters because I'd like to keep the shutter speeds as high as possible. I suppose I could push the film and use a weak filter or two. I'm not interested in the fashion effect, but thanks for the thought. Also, thanks for the suggestion about morning.

 

[bmac]

Don't mention it! I always wondered why tungsten film was rated at iso64. Do they think that people only take still life photos with this film???

 

[steve]

That's about the best look you will get without resorting to color compensating filters. I would guess a 10cc blue should give you the effect you are looking for using the tungsten film.

"I always wondered why tungsten film was rated at iso64"

I'ts not necessarily. Kodak makes both an ISO 160 and 320 tungsten balanced transparency film.

My advice is to use the filter with a high ISO speed film to get the results you want.

 

[steve]

I should have given you a bit more information. If you really want a cyan look, I would start with a 5cc cyan filter with the tungsten film. If that is not enough then go to a 10cc cyan. If that is not enough put the 5cc and 10cc together for a 15cc.

I would look at getting polyester filters to experiment with. You can get those from Calumet Photographic (they have a web site). You will have to hold or tape the filters in front of the lens as they are just sheets of polyester film. However, they are fairly rugged and inexpensive (as opposed to Wratten gelatin filters). Once you find the correction you like, then see if you can get a glass filter to use permanently on your lens.

Otherwise, you can buy filter holders to screw onto the front of your lens that will hold the polyester or Wratten sheet filters. Generally, if you want to do this, you will have to buy the cardboard filter holders that sandwich the polyester or Wratten filter between two pieces of cardboard to make it thick enough to slide into and be held in the sheet filter adapter's slot.