Wedding: what film use?

Antigen · May 2, 2016

Hi,

i want to shot some photo during a wedding, i'm not the official photograph, it's only a test to improve my quality.

What do you suggest as film? And what is the most commonly used ISO for wedding?

Thanks

markbarendt · May 2, 2016

Portra 400

removed account4 · May 2, 2016

hi antigen

i'd use the highest iso film you can get your hands on.
and if you can get your hands on a flash i'd mount it on a "cold shoe"
have it pointed UP with a white envelope taped bahind it to bounce it.
if you don't have a cold shoe top mounted will work too. outdoors you can use your flash
as a "fill light" and indoors a "key" light. high iso will be versatile. inside churches and receptions can be dark.
have fun !

munz6869 · May 2, 2016

Portra 400!

Antigen · May 2, 2016

And for some B&W shot?

markbarendt · May 2, 2016

HP5, Delta 400, TMax 400, Delta 3200

Trask · May 2, 2016

Last December I shot a friends wedding just for the fun of it -- he'd already signed up a pro wedding team to do all the color and the set-pieces, so I was free to shoot as I wished. I used a Leica M2 with a 21mm Voigtlander lens, and a Hasselblad SWC. IIRC I had Fuji Neopan 400 in each, and pushed it to 640 in Tetenal Emofin (NLA). Faster might have been better, but I didn't want to push Neopan 400 further -- if available, I might have used Delta 3200 at around 1000. Or perhaps pushed a T-grain film like Delta 400. But I like the look I got, as did the happy couple. I've attached a couple of examples. I was glad to have the wide-angles as I was after the atmosphere -- the whole milieu of the event -- rather than head shots. (These are working scans, not final. Happily, the groom is having some printed properly.)

Thomas Bertilsson · May 2, 2016

Antigen said:
Hi,

i want to shot some photo during a wedding, i'm not the official photograph, it's only a test to improve my quality.

What do you suggest as film? And what is the most commonly used ISO for wedding?

Thanks

Are you shooting indoors or outdoors? That should help you decide.

We don't know what cameras you're using, how fast your lenses are, and so on. If you're on a tripod, or even if you use a monopod, you can get away with longer shutter speeds than hand held. Or will you use flash, or some other type of artificial lighting that we're not aware of? Sounds like you have more decisions to make other than just picking a film.

ISO 400 film like Portra 400 is amazingly flexible, and can be used at EI 800 with careful metering. It also works very well outdoors. You might want to have one camera for indoors, and one for outdoors, and not mix exposures from both.

HP5 or Tri-X are very good films for portraiture as well as group shots, but in 35mm you want to get as close as possible to avoid having the grain be too obtrusive in wider shots.

Gerald C Koch · May 2, 2016

Use a film that you are completely familiar with. A wedding would not be the time to try some untested film. So your question is answered.

pentaxuser · May 2, 2016

Is this 35mm film and B&W? If so I'd go with Tmax 400 which can be shot at 800 with the same development time so you have some flexibility when the light drops. OK you may lose a little shadow detail but not a lot. You also have probably the finest grain 400 B&W film which at 135 might be important if you intend to print at 8x10 or even slightly larger.

When night arrives and it is all shots indoors of the guests I'd use a decent flash with Tmax 400 rather than change to D3200. You might get one more stop with D3200 at EI 1600 compared to Tmax 400 at 800 but the grain with D3200 beyond 5x7 prints might be intrusive

pentaxuser

Slixtiesix · May 2, 2016

As Gerald said! If you do not develop B/W yourself, use Ilford XP2 Super. If you develop yourself, use what you already know.

Sirius Glass · May 2, 2016

Color: Kodak Portra 400 or 800
Black & white: Kodak Tri-X or Ilford HP5+

RobC · May 2, 2016

Gerald C Koch said:
Use a film that you are completely familiar with. A wedding would not be the time to try some untested film. So your question is answered.

+1

wiltw · May 2, 2016

When I shot weddings and receptions on medium format film, I would choose Fuji NPH (ISO 400) for its color palette and speed.
When I would shoot bridal portaits, I would use Fuji NPS (ISO 160) for its somewhat more pastel palette.

Malinku · May 2, 2016

Portra 800, 400, or fuji pro 400h for color. They are the best for skintones and natural colors.

I would go for delta 3200 for black and white. I like this personally at lot more than 400 speed film when it comes to indoor events.

NortheastPhotographic · May 3, 2016

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...cLyAmMBHm17G_jnpQ&sig2=2nx7eSTSLI4ov2WdSGAOMA

This is a great book about shooting film the way a very successful, 100% film, wedding photographer working today does it. It goes over lots of the available stocks and great ways to meter and expose them in a portrait environment.

Ko.Fe. · May 3, 2016

BW would be classy, color is nothing special these d(SLR)ays.
Since you are not in the business, but to improve yourself, flash is no-no to keep actual photographer working.
What kind of wedding? By the lake on open air, in old church or inside of modern hall?
You could have one good quality, low grain ISO 100 for outdoors, like TMAX and one 400 (Kodak, Ilford) for indoors.
If indoors, you better to go in advance and measure it. It might be necessary to push it at least to 1600, if not to 3200 to have no flash and avoid motion blur. HP5+ will handle it.
Delta 3200 is defunct where I'm.

Slixtiesix · May 3, 2016

Whatever film you use, bring a tripod just if necessity may arise! Talking from experience...

Wedding: what film use?

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