Snow and Ice - what films to choose?

DavidClapp · Nov 24, 2016

Im thinking about going colour neg entirely for a trip to the frozen north of Iceland, but I thought I would ask what films work on snow scenes? I am leaning away from Portra as it seems to have this strange warmth about it. What do you shoot in the snow?

MattKing · Nov 24, 2016

Portra
But if you want something with more saturation, Ektar.

adelorenzo · Nov 24, 2016

I shoot mostly Portra 400 when it comes to color neg, I'm pretty happy with the results in the winter.

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I used to shoot Provia 400 slide film which also gave good results. It tends to come up a bit blue which I kind of like.

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Sirius Glass · Nov 25, 2016

Kodak Portra 400 will do a great job in snow and ice. Just remember to compensate the exposure is everything in the frame is almost all black or almost all white.

silveror0 · Nov 26, 2016

Have you considered using appropriate CC (color compensating) filters in front of the camera lens to correct the undesirable color casts?

Jarin Blaschke · Nov 26, 2016

I too would advocate a negative film of moderate contrast like portra to maintain detail in the snow, unless it's a low contrast scene nearly filled with snow alone and/or in overcast light, in which case chrome or a higher contrast film will help create texture. General color can readily be adjusted in "printing."

LAG · Nov 26, 2016

DavidClapp said:
...what films ... do you shoot in the snow?

Slow film

Sirius Glass · Nov 26, 2016

DavidClapp said:
What do you shoot in the snow?

Photographs

FujiLove · Nov 27, 2016

I took mostly Ektar (and Ektachrome 100VS) to Iceland earlier this year and was very happy with it. Having said that, it was lovely and warm so the only snow and ice was a few spots up in the mountains and of course the glacier lakes.

Have a wonderful trip. I love Iceland

derelict · Nov 28, 2016

Love this thread. I am planning an Iceland trip as well.

How will you meter?

adelorenzo · Nov 28, 2016

All the photos I posted above were take on meterless cameras using Sunny 16 rule. Just looking at the scenes I am 99% certain three of those are all f/11 at 1/500, the second from top was probably 1/250.

Sirius Glass · Nov 28, 2016

Regardless of the film choice, use an incident meter.

FujiLove · Nov 29, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Regardless of the film choice, use an incident meter.

+1

locutus · Nov 29, 2016

Portra 160 for the Finnish winter, either incident meter if available or i will spotmeter off some exposed tree bark or soil and start from there.

For black and white i like Tri-X through a red filter and go with the harsh contrast.

Poisson Du Jour · Nov 29, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Regardless of the film choice, use an incident meter.

Or a spot meter...

Poisson Du Jour · Nov 29, 2016

DavidClapp said:
Im thinking about going colour neg entirely for a trip to the frozen north of Iceland,

Yesssss! My destination next May (I retire in March, and wing it from late April).

LAG · Dec 2, 2016

derelict said:
How will you meter?

With blue sky above (meter the sky - the blue part -), surrounded by nature (meter the nature - the green part, if any -), with near subjects you can rely on the palm of your hand (though you must calibrate/compensate, you hand may vay) with two or three readings. You can also wear (and use as) a gray hat, or a handkechief, or gloves (even black ones) some "coloured" film box could help too! ... Another thing that can help in the very fieldwork to "speed up, is to lower the film speed" (x) stops/steps previously, knowing beforehand that you're going to need "certain (x)" compensation for certain scenes ... And finally, bracket exposures! waste film, that's the way!

DREW WILEY · Dec 2, 2016

What is an incident meter; something that caused an exposure error incident?

TSSPro · Dec 2, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Photographs

Hares?

I say Ektar, offset any cool tones from open shade or blue cast with filtration, otherwise just meter correctly and when in doubt overexpose Ektar
I enjoy the punchier color of the ektar and the benefit of finer grain is a plus too for enlargements. You loose some speed vs the Porta 400, but I always work with a tripod so, normally, it wouldn't be an issue for me.

Hope that you get some great stuff from playing in the snow- I'm headed out to get into some myself tomorrow!

All the best!

Sirius Glass · Dec 2, 2016

LAG said:
With blue sky above (meter the sky - the blue part -), surrounded by nature (meter the nature - the green part, if any -), with near subjects you can rely on the palm of your hand (though you must calibrate/compensate, you hand may vay) with two or three readings. You can also wear (and use as) a gray hat, or a handkechief, or gloves (even black ones) some "coloured" film box could help too! ... Another thing that can help in the very fieldwork to "speed up, is to lower the film speed" (x) stops/steps previously, knowing beforehand that you're going to need "certain (x)" compensation for certain scenes ... And finally, bracket exposures! waste film, that's the way!

Do not meter the sky. That is a truly great way to get a bad exposure. Normally meter everything with box speed but the sky and the sky will take care of itself. Snow is a special case:

Meter the subjects [get close, or use a spot meter, meter the hand and adjust the exposure]
Meter with the snow and open the lens up at least one to one and a half stops
Use an incident meter

But do not meter the sky!

LAG · Dec 3, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Do not meter the sky. That is a truly great way to get a bad exposure. Normally meter everything with box speed but the sky and the sky will take care of itself.

"Everything" ... but the sky!? (If it is not one thing it's another, right?) What fun!

Sirius Glass said:
Snow is a special case:

Do not think about the snow, think about the light

Sirius Glass said:
Meter the subjects [get close, or use a spot meter, meter the hand and adjust the exposure

Taking different readings, with different "angles"

Sirius Glass said:
Meter with the snow /// and open the lens up at least one to one and a half stops

If the snow texture is flat (and white) and if it's what you need ... /// or the shutter, or a half, or two ...

Sirius Glass said:
Use an incident meter

Remembering that a incident meter is not able to "see" the tonal range, only the amount of light

Sirius Glass said:
But do not meter the sky!

... if you do not know how!

RattyMouse · Dec 3, 2016

DavidClapp said:
Im thinking about going colour neg entirely for a trip to the frozen north of Iceland, but I thought I would ask what films work on snow scenes? I am leaning away from Portra as it seems to have this strange warmth about it. What do you shoot in the snow?

Fuji 400H, color that IMO beats Portra in every possibly way.

Sirius Glass · Dec 3, 2016

RattyMouse said:
Fuji 400H, color that IMO beats Portra in every possibly way.

Even Kodak Portra Vivid Color and Kodak Portra Ultra Color? I do not think so IMNSHO.

RattyMouse · Dec 3, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Even Kodak Portra Vivid Color and Kodak Portra Ultra Color? I do not think so IMNSHO.

I am not counting expired films.

Sirius Glass · Dec 3, 2016

RattyMouse said:
Fuji 400H, color that IMO beats Portra in every possibly way.

Sirius Glass said:
Even Kodak Portra Vivid Color and Kodak Portra Ultra Color? I do not think so IMNSHO.

RattyMouse said:
I am not counting expired films.

They are not expired. They are in a cryogenic suspended state.

Snow and Ice - what films to choose?

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