Studio Portraits with Kodak Portra 800
Let me start out by expressing how pumped I am to branch back out into color film with Kodak Portra 800. I couldn't be more pleased with the results and happy to call this my color film of choice for the next several months.
"Why 800 speed film?"
I've found that 800 speed film is my "do all" film speed. During bright daylight I throw a -2 Stop ND filter on and hit the streets running at around a beatiful f/8-11 range that I've fallen in love with using the Voigtlander Bessa R2A and Zeiss ZM 35mm lens. When dusk comes around or I find that next dark destructed building, pop off the ND filter and fly around at a comfortable f/5.6 or so. I'm over shooting wide open but will dive into it when absolutely necessary. Enjoying the beauty of film with crystal clear focus and detail of Zeiss lens' will always kill.
To be honest, I was very hesitant jumping back into color film. I've fallen in love with Kodak TMax 400 (pushed to 800) and even more so with developing in house. It's a beautiful thing that has really opened my eyes to the quality film can provide.
"But wait, I thought you had a local lab in your town (Huntsville, AL), why not just reach out to them and develop your color film?"
Great question. I would continue to use them but have realized... they suck. Like bad. And I'm over it on all levels. To be fair, they are pretty ok at developing pharmacy film and mediocre at scanning that in. I'm overly negative with this topic because I'm passionate. I have no clue how a company that focuses heavily on film developing sucks so bad at their craft. It's almost as if they don't want film to come back at a better quality than digital. Like they want it to fade out of their business so some other highly passionate film shooters can open their own lab and kill the game for North Alabama..................
I digress. I love my community. I love North Alabama. I'm a passionate person and that can bring out my most positive and negative sides. I heart you Southerlands Photo.
Here is the photo set from my studio session shooting with:
- Body: Voigtlander Bessa R2A
- Lens: Zeiss ZM 35mm f/2.8
- Film: Kodak Portra 800
- Light: Paul C. Buff Einstein 640 lights with beauty dish & PLM
- Model: Samantha Hood
