Iceland September - The Plan: 35mm lens, Velvia 50, no tripod

///alpinepower · Aug 29, 2009

I mainly use my nikon DSLR these days, but a recent project scanning to HDD storage every frame of film i have ever taken in my life put me on a different path....

I plan to take my "rediscovered" FT2, a single roll of velvia 50, and a 35mm lens on the trip to compose 5 frames of film per day. I don't want to go nuts with several rolls of film, as I actually prefer to leave those days behind (the final days of vacations were in some ways nerve-wracking, since the peaking bounty of undeveloped film coincided with the voyage home).

I have recently tested the meter and I ran a few B&W rolls through the camera to check it out. The DSLR will still be along for the ride, and I bet it will still generate a fair amount of garbage relative to the "great" shots. That's the way digital goes.

What say you? Could you limit yourself to one roll, one lens, and the other self-imposed caps? Do you recommend a different lens, a different film? I think this will be interesting.

Mike1234 · Aug 30, 2009

I couldn't... or at least wouldn't... but it's a good exercise in choosing the very best images.

Chris Nielsen · Aug 30, 2009

If it was me, I'd be bracketing quite a bit with Velvia, I tend to screw up exposures fairly often with slide film. So that cuts the frames down by 2/3rds. I would take a bag full of film personally. If you can't afford a bag of Velvia maybe some Ektar or similar?

david b · Aug 30, 2009

Yeah...don't go crazy with two or three rolls of film. That's just insane.

Of course, you'll go back to Iceland many times in the future so don't worry.

tony lockerbie · Aug 30, 2009

I personally don't have anything like that sort of discipline, if I was going to Iceland I would need a pack mule to carry the cameras and film!

Leighgion · Aug 30, 2009

Sure.

I've done variations of this more than once, but never with the idea that limiting my supply of film was going to help me produce better shots. I'm slow enough burning film by natural inclination.

For me, sticking to less hardware has always been about lightening the load of what I carry and saving time on gear decisions by reducing options. I've never found that just having one lens helped me with anything but practicing with that focal length and finding all the situations where that focal length wasn't going to work.

///alpinepower · Aug 30, 2009

Chris Nielsen said:
If it was me, I'd be bracketing quite a bit with Velvia, I tend to screw up exposures fairly often with slide film. So that cuts the frames down by 2/3rds. I would take a bag full of film personally. If you can't afford a bag of Velvia maybe some Ektar or similar?

Well, that's my fear too! But the whole point of this is to go on a trip without hauling a sack of film. That's why I quit and headed for digital. Most of my early work (mid 80s-90s) was done on Ilford HP5, but I guess in retrospect that was easier to work with.

///alpinepower · Aug 30, 2009

Leighgion said:
Sure.

I've done variations of this more than once, but never with the idea that limiting my supply of film was going to help me produce better shots. I'm slow enough burning film by natural inclination.

For me, sticking to less hardware has always been about lightening the load of what I carry and saving time on gear decisions by reducing options. I've never found that just having one lens helped me with anything but practicing with that focal length and finding all the situations where that focal length wasn't going to work.

I always fret about the lens that I left behind - and if it would have allowed me to make the spectacular shot that I could not get. But, that's part of the exercise.

Dan Henderson · Aug 30, 2009

There is a lot to be said for minimizing gear and exposing film like you were shooting a muzzle loader instead of a machine gun. But Iceland is a place with so many rich photographic possibilities that unless you are going to be in the country for an hour or so, 1 roll of film will just be too limiting. You will have to pass up too many scenes that should be photographed. As soon as that last frame is exposed, you will find the best photograph of the trip and will not be able to record it.

dainmcgowan · Aug 30, 2009

i would find an asa 50 rated film too slow to be without a tripod!!

bill schwab · Aug 30, 2009

This time I am traveling light to Iceland as well. I'm only taking 50 rolls of film!

calceman · Aug 30, 2009

As Dan said, Iceland is very photogenic. Just go to a book store and look at all the choice in landscape photography books. 35mm is small equipment, so I definitely would include a couple of lenses and a tripod. You will need a tripod for the northern lights, waterfalls...

Denis K · Aug 30, 2009

///alpinepower said:
... compose 5 frames of film per day.

... the peaking bounty of undeveloped film coincided with the voyage home.

Somebody once said that experienced photographers never-ever use the last two exposures on a roll of film, no matter what - something about never knowing when the second coming might take place unexpectedly.

Denis K

Mike1234 · Aug 30, 2009

May I suggest a different option? Allow yourself as much film/processing as you want but with as twist. Pretend it costs you $20-30 per shot as it would if you were shooting 8x10 inch film and make a donation to some nice charity for every shot you take. The donation should be fiscally painful for your particular pocketbook so the amount may change (+/-)... and no cheating!!

///alpinepower · Aug 30, 2009

calceman said:
As Dan said, Iceland is very photogenic. Just go to a book store and look at all the choice in landscape photography books. 35mm is small equipment, so I definitely would include a couple of lenses and a tripod. You will need a tripod for the northern lights, waterfalls...

yeah, i am actually rethinking the tripod scheme. if i can find a way to fit one, it goes too.

Leighgion · Aug 30, 2009

///alpinepower said:
I always fret about the lens that I left behind - and if it would have allowed me to make the spectacular shot that I could not get. But, that's part of the exercise.

Each to their own, but at a certain point you have to ask yourself, are you taking a camera along to take pictures, or to mess with yourself?

A certain level of messing with yourself can be educational, yes, but there's a limit if actually getting photos you like is still a major part of the goal.

david b · Aug 30, 2009

My first time to Iceland was with Bill and I took one Hasselblad body, two backs, three lenses, two light meters, one Hasselblad Xpan camera, 70 rolls of medium format APX 100 and 20 rolls of 35mm APX 100. I shot a total of 55 rolls of the medium format film and I think about 15 rolls of the 35mm film.

thefizz · Aug 31, 2009

///alpinepower said:
I plan to take my "rediscovered" FT2, a single roll of velvia 50, and a 35mm lens on the trip to compose 5 frames of film per day.

Could you limit yourself to one roll, one lens, and the other self-imposed caps?

You gotta be joking, I was more like 5 frames per minute. Do not limit yourself, Iceland presents so many photographic opportunities any time of the year.

Marcus S · Sep 1, 2009

One camera, one lens works well for me. However, I would take a small tripod and to be safe, a little more film.

ivan73 · Sep 1, 2009

One lens is OK, I guess. But the film can be really slow there to shoot without tripod.

Iceland September - The Plan: 35mm lens, Velvia 50, no tripod

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