Kodak film for Sedona?

ezwriter · Jun 12, 2012

I've only shot 120 B&W but going to Sedona, AZ soon and GOT TO shoot some color there. Whats best film for color prints? Like to shoot Kodak.
also gonna shoot 35mm.
thanks

DesertNate · Jun 12, 2012

Ektar since they've gotten rid of their slide films- slide films really do landscapes more justice and have more saturation and contrast. You can shoot landscapes with a tonally accurate film like Portra, it'll have the latitude to capture the whole scene, but it'll be dull. If you INSIST on C-41 film, and doubly insist on Kodak, you can't go wrong with Ektar... But if you were to bring a single roll of Provia 100f or Velvia 50, and shot it as an experiment, I'd bet you'd be hooked.

nworth · Jun 12, 2012

Ektar may work in this environment, but my choice would be Portra. Ektar is rather extreme in both contrast and saturation. It would work very well in many places in the southwest, but Portra gives a better balance. Sedona is not a stark place, and Portra would probably be better suited.

lxdude · Jun 12, 2012

You can still find Ektachrome E100G. For more pop, try E100VS. I only ever shot Kodachrome at Sedona, so maybe someone else will chime in with more information on what to expect from those films, especially what they will do with a polarizer. I can say that I used a polarizer a lot there with Kodachrome, and it brought out the color of the rock very well, without looking artificial.

thegman · Jun 12, 2012

Ektar is a great film, but if you don't want to worry too much about exposure and contrast, losing the shadows etc, I'd go for Portra.

Vonder · Jun 12, 2012

I'm surprised nobody recommends Kodak Gold films around here. Too proletarian I suppose, not elite enough. Anyhoo, Kodak's Gold 100 is my new (post-Reala reality) 35mm film. The colors are very natural and not overly saturated. But none of that matters unless you're printing them optically. If you're scanning or having a minilab process them, they're digitized, and can be as saturated or colorful as you want. Kodak Gold 100 is also very fine grained.

Fortunately, Reala is still available in 120. If you'll allow a non-Kodak suggestion, it's simply the best 100 speed film ever made. The only alternative from Kodak is Ektar.

Brian C. Miller · Jun 12, 2012

Wolfeye said:
I'm surprised nobody recommends Kodak Gold films around here.

In 120?

ezwriter, buy a roll each of Portra 160, 400, and Ektar 100. Test them yourself, and see what works for you. Photograph a series of shots around your yard or block in quick succession so any differences in light (time of day) will be minimized. Then make your choice.

mark · Jun 13, 2012

Why limit yourself to Kodak? No matter the film a warming polarizing filter is essential. When are you going?

Shoot early morning and late afternoon.

Klainmeister · Jun 13, 2012

Polarizing filter + negative film works well. But I have always shot Velvia in those types of locales with stunning results. Really makes the red and blue contrast of rocks and sky jump at ya.

ezwriter · Jun 14, 2012

Going in August. Hopefully be there on full moon nite. Guess i'll try Ektar and Portra.
Thanks for the tips!
Since i don't develop color, any good labs to send to in SoCal?

tnabbott · Jun 15, 2012

I would use chrome, which for Kodak is very limited. Is there any problem with Fuji? Velvia would be interesting, and Provia.

waynecrider · Jun 15, 2012

In AZ the only C41 film that gave me results that I liked shot normally was Reala. My best shots tho were always off slide film, E series Kodak and Provia. Portra is too de-saturated for me. Maybe overexpose by a little.

DREW WILEY · Jun 15, 2012

Velvia is not very versatile in the desert due to its high contrast. You should still be able to find
Astia or E100 chrome film, and of course, Provia is still being made. Ektar has a little more exposure
range than any chrome film so is a piece of cake to anyone who is experienced shooting slides, and
it does have unusually good earthtone capture for a neg film - however, it's very important to use the correct color-balancing filters if you're under a blue sky in the shade. I always include an 81A
for overcast and an 81C for deep blue shade (a common situation in redrock country - and don't expect to be able to correct a serious color imbalance afterwards!). Portra is more a fleshtone film
when it comes to warm neutrals. So if you like that washed-out Richard Misrach kind of look it would be OK, but not if you want something more realistic and saturated. I'm not up to date on amateur color neg films, but probably
wouldn't waste my time on them.

mhcfires · Jun 16, 2012

ezwriter said:
Going in August. Hopefully be there on full moon nite. Guess i'll try Ektar and Portra.
Thanks for the tips!
Since i don't develop color, any good labs to send to in SoCal?

North Coast Photography Services in Carlsbad, CA has served me well. I am quite pleased with their service and the quality of their work. this is for both E6 and C41.

Sirius Glass · Jun 17, 2012

With or without a polarizer, in order if you can find them any more: Kodak Portra Ultra Color, Kodak Portra Vivid Color, Kodak Portra Normal Color, then Ektacolor.

pukalo · Jun 19, 2012

Using a Portrait film for Landscapes makes about as much sense as using a Landscape film for Portraits. It doesnt. Use Kodal E100VS for Sedona. VS was designed for Sedona, and will give Fantastic results that will be jaw dropping. If you will be photographing a lot of people in your shots, use E100G. Portra was designed for, well, portraits, and will make that vibrant landscape look dull and desaturated. Ya, you can fool around in Photoshop to get it to look half decent, but it will never match E100VS or E100G.
There is a very good reason all the Pro landscape photographers used Slide film, and E100VS and Velvia in particular to capture all the great calendar, book, and gallery shots of classic landscapes like Sedona for many years, until they went dig**al. They had Portra and similar films available, but did not use them. Because they will give sub par results when pressed into landscape use, wheras slide is optimized for landscapes.

Sirius Glass · Jun 19, 2012

Then you never used Ultra Color. Very saturated for everything but skin tones.

DREW WILEY · Jun 20, 2012

Saturated is one thing. Fake is another. Most of the calendar types have gone to Fauxtoshop for a
reason. Discovering and photographing actual beauty is a discipline; turning nature into a cheap whore with a lot of tacky makeup, tatoos, and loud clothing is something else entirely. The red rock
country has plenty of real color without trying to exaggerate it.

Klainmeister · Jun 20, 2012

Which is funny, because I find Velvia 100 does a pretty damn good job mimicking the colors of the Red Rock Desert. The other films I tried don't come close to the same vibrancy those rocks and green cottonwoods and ocean blue sky produce on their own. Most my slides put me back there better than any digital photo or C41 scan I have seen.

pukalo · Jun 20, 2012

Yes, kodak UC100 and UC400 were fantastic films. IMO UC400 was one of the best negative films ever made, with low grain, vibrant saturation, yet fantastic skin tones. Unfortunately, no longer made. My frozen since fresh stock from 2009 is beginning to have grain issues in the 400 speed, and the blacks are no longer pure black (white dandruff).
But, Portra 400 and 160 of today are nothing like the UC emulsions. And even the UC emulsions do not equal slide film for landscape use.

pukalo · Jun 20, 2012

Examples of UC neg and EBX slide film for landscapes. The first 2 shots are on 400UC, which, being a portrait negative film with optimized skin tones (reduced red sensitivity at certain wavelengths), has bleached the red from the sunset, and shifed its color to yellow. In the Haceta Head lighthouse shot, you can see another attribute of these types of portrait films (400UC at least) - it reinforces the white of the waves, presuambly to give whiter, fairer looking complexions.
The other 3 shots were taken on slide film, showing the vibrant colors these films produce. This was EBX, a very enhanced cololr film, maybe too much for some people. But I like such results, and it is one of my great regrets that I did not have EBX loaded when I took the Haceta Head shot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pukalo/sets/72157622503125349/

DREW WILEY · Jun 21, 2012

Kleinmeister - Velvia might look nice as a projected slide, but just try printing it! I've got a LOT of
experience doing exactly that, including large format shots from SW canyon country. Something like
Provia, Astia, or E100G is much more cooperative. I like Velvia for boosting low-contrast lighting
conditions, not for general use. As far a color neg films go, I think Ektar gives hope. Haven't taken
it to the SW yet, but experiments with similar rich earthtones up on Haleakala in Maui turned out
remarkably well. Can't compare Ultracolor - the only roll I've got is long expired, and will be consigned
intact to my "museum" of unopened boxes, along with my last roll of 120 Kodachrome.

Klainmeister · Jun 21, 2012

Ah I see, never tried printing it analog...only scanning and inkjet unfortunately.

DREW WILEY · Jun 21, 2012

I know professional scan operators who curse Velvia too. It's just, well, Velvia ... and has its relevant place in the food chain just like sharks and alligators ... but not waters you want to swim in just any ole day. Certain things it does wonderfully, and I have personally used quite a bit of it,
though not necessarily for the stereotypical saturated applications.

Kodak film for Sedona?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency