How to get Alex Webb-esque shadows with colour negative film.

Javert

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May 15, 2019
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Sweden
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35mm
Is there a way to get the Alex Webb look with any colour negative film avaliable today? My understanding is that Webb used to shoot Kodachrome in high contrast scenes, meter for the lighter parts and then underexpose a bit to darken the shadows and get intense/slightly weird colorus. My lab won't precess slide film so I'm stuck with c41 at the moment.

What film stock should you choose and how would yo rate/meter it to approximate that look?
 

bdial

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Jan 2, 2005
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I'd first try Kodak Ektar which will approximate the color saturation, then tweak the exposure.
 

Ste_S

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Nov 10, 2017
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Birmingham, UK
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I think it's more about the light than a specific film stock. Shooting in strong sunlight heightens colours naturally.
Pick a sunlit scene with strong colours and hard shadows and compose away.
 

Lachlan Young

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Dec 2, 2005
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Ektar, underexpose it a bit & push it a bit in process - by how much is up to you & you'll need to test for what looks good to you. As others have said, hard lighting helps too.
 
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