Lowering contrast on Velvia 50

[keithwms]

Well yeah any technique will yield crummy results if overdone. People just need to experiment and see what works for them.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Agreed. I own polarizers but haven't used one in the field for decades. ND filters are inevitably going
to get overdone when someone is marketing them, and get kitchy results. Less is generally more.
Take time to actually see things, study the light, appreciate it, learn how to capture it. I personally
have little patience with those who have to smear honey and jam on everything to make it look like
a postcard on a rack opposite a shelf of ceramic chipmnunks.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Velvia pulls poorly. Flashing will muddy the shadows. If you use neutral grads they it will probably look just as
corny and phony as when Galen did it, but whatever. I'd carry more than one film so you can match the lighting
of the specific scene. If I had to use it in bright sunlight (and have), you often just have to let the shadows go
black and compose accordingly. Generally a lesser evil than blocking up the highlights. I prefer Velvia in diffuse
lighting where its higher contrast and saturation is warranted. Can't imagine using it without a spotmeter, however.

A spot meter isn't necessary for RVP 50 in diffuse light; incident or reflective is fine. In ideal diffuse illumination conditions spectrals are relatively flat and the tone is even. A SPM Would be very necessary in contrasty light though, but that would be maxing out the film and begging for ginormous swathes of black nothingness or blown highs.

I never found Gaelen Rowell's photography appealing chiefly for the conditions in which he shot that were unsuitable for the film, but appealed to his taste for "Disneychrome" saturation.

 

[benjiboy]

I suggest if you need less contrast you use a less contrasty film like Fuji Provia 100 F for instance.