Cross Processing E6 for best Skin Tones

Hi everyone

I'm interested in trying out some cross-processing (portraits).

1) I don't develop my own
2) I'm looking for some helpful hints on how best to shoot with E6 for X-processing
3) And how to communicate with a lab to try and get the best skin tones possible

Any tips/suggestions/warnings are most welcome.

Thanks everyone!
Kind regards
Nicole

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I shoot with a
Nikon F90X 35mm &
Hasselblad 501c/m
if that's relevant to anyone...

Crossprocessing to achieve skin tones is a bit like swimming up a waterfall. The nature of crossprocessing is that it reduces latitude, blocks up quickly and returns moderate to strong colour cross over.

If you're happy with everything else in the frame going off the charts then it is possible. You will need flat lighting. I can tell you which film I would think is best for this (kodak ept/160t or e200 or in 35mm only kodaks 1600), but I think you'd be better off running some tests. Shooting chromes is pretty exacting, crossing chromes requires even more precision. If I tell you that I have had luck w/ x film at x exposure in x conditions that would be a start, but not much better than you running some tests your self.

Kodak films will be slightly better than Fuji (fuji's films turn way green/yellow). Older kodak films (EPP, EPN, EPR) suffer from blue yellow cross over. Newer kodak films go green. When you filter out the green you'll get nice pink skin add (read subtract from the filter pack) some yellow and you'll have really really warm skin tones.

You can forego the attempt to reproduce proper skin tones, meter normally and get blown out skin and warm shadows.

You can get as close as possible and ask your lab to the get as close as possible.

You can mitigate some of the contrast by slightly over exposing (.25 - .5 stop) and pulling the film a full stop. First you have to test the film and know how to expose it normally.

After you've tested some film you may wish to use some filtering when shooting (adding a mag cc filter to fuji and new kodak films) to eas the pain of printing.

I find a world of difference between MF and 35mm crossed negs. I would recommend using MF.

Nicole,

Check out this link for some samples... (remember that negs can be corrected to alter the bias of the film...)

When I worked at a lab, we had some customers that routinely cross processed film with different results. Agfa pro films came out with green casts.

One customer shot a Kodak amateur slide film (Elite 2 100) that cross processed so cleanly it was spectacular. It was grainy, snappy, but the colours were in the normal ballpark. It was great for portraits, which I believe you do most... Hope that gets you closer to your goal,

joe

this is a question I'm interested in for the future.

Nicole, can I ask you, have you contacted some labs to ask them what you need to do and what they need to do. I'm sure the pro labs have done this several times.

Along that same line... Talk to the technicians where you're getting the work done. They've seen everyone's work, they know what the different combos look like.

joe

mrcallow said:

If you're happy with everything else in the frame going off the charts then it is possible. You will need flat lighting. I can tell you which film I would think is best for this (kodak ept/160t or e200 or in 35mm only kodaks 1600), but I think you'd be better off running some tests. Shooting chromes is pretty exacting, crossing chromes requires even more precision.
Kodak films will be slightly better than Fuji (fuji's films turn way green/yellow). Newer kodak films go green. When you filter out the green you'll get nice pink skin add (read subtract from the filter pack) some yellow and you'll have really really warm skin tones.
You can mitigate some of the contrast by slightly over exposing (.25 - .5 stop) and pulling the film a full stop. First you have to test the film and know how to expose it normally.

Click to expand...

Thanks Mr Callow!
What's considered 'flat lighting'?
What filters are best used to filter Kodak's green for warm skin tones?
Kind regards
Nicole

give it a try
I usually overespose Ektachrome 200 by 1 stop and have it processed as c41.
I'd reccomend bracketing a roll of film and test it....

The results are interesting and the tones may or not please you. I'm a frim believer that you have to try it yoursefl

Joe & Fintan, thanks for your input. I have only spoken to one lab so far and they are not keen on processing x-processing.... ) Thanks for the link Joe! I'm looking for more subtle effects than 'high-strung' if that makes any sense.

Nicole McGrade said:

Thanks Mr Callow!
What's considered 'flat lighting'?
What filters are best used to filter Kodak's green for warm skin tones?
Kind regards
Nicole

Click to expand...

I use a 40cc Magenta filter for e100s/sv

Most any lab will process e6 for the same price as c41. There is nothing special about it.

Here a two links to demo pages for a client. The model was shot w/ e100s, rated at iso 25 - 32 (which includes the filter factor for the 40cc mag filter).
http://69.20.54.220/~visions/base_02.html
http://69.20.54.220/~visions/base_03.html

Flat lighting means no strong highlights or shadows and smooth transitions between the two.

mrcallow said:

I use a 40cc Magenta filter for e100s/sv
Most any lab will process e6 for the same price as c41. There is nothing special about it.
Here a two links to demo pages for a client. The model was shot w/ e100s, rated at iso 25 - 32 (which includes the filter factor for the 40cc mag filter).
http://69.20.54.220/~visions/base_02.html
http://69.20.54.220/~visions/base_03.html
Flat lighting means no strong highlights or shadows and smooth transitions between the two.

Click to expand...

Thanks again! The images on those links look extremely natural for x-processing! Well done. I look forward to giving it a go.

titrisol said:

give it a try
I usually overespose Ektachrome 200 by 1 stop and have it processed as c41.
I'd reccomend bracketing a roll of film and test it....
The results are interesting and the tones may or not please you. I'm a frim believer that you have to try it yoursefl

Click to expand...

Thanks very much T! I'll give it a good run later this week, can't wait to see the results (I think) )

Hi Nicole,

I asked the same question a while back. Here's a link to the responses I got, some really good info: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I've experimented with Fuiji Provia and Velvia in C-41 and I have to say, I love the saturation and contrasty appearance. I haven't tried Ektachrome yet.

I don't know about the pro-labs in Australia, but the labs I have used in the states have been OK, except for one - Gamma in Chicago - where the owner tried to tell me that cross processing 'screws up' his chemistry and I would have to pay 10 times the C-41 list price! Afterwards, I went back, where the 'regular' counter people took it in and processed it for me at the C-41 listed price without blinking an eye. It's like any beaurocracy - hit and miss, depending on who you get, and how much they know to be dangerous.

Good luck!

Regards, Art.

Cross processing does nothing to the chemistry in the machine one iota....me thinks a ruse to make money on the un-suspecting customers.

Dave Parker
Ground Glass Sepcialties.

Hi Nicole
Erh, best skintones you say ? Hmm I did some Agfa RSX 50 some years ago and to me that was the best film for X'ing. As mentioned the Fuji and Kodak have some nasty green and yellow colorcast. I didn't experience that with the Agfa.
When overexposed it does make an in my oppinion nice effect on the skintones. That is if you want the almost white. For sure it is fun.
BTW I never filtered any of my shoots.
Regards Søren

Found this link a few years ago before I 'dove' into cross processing. See if any of it helps you:

Cross Processing Information Page