Since it's proving challenging to do any real printing right now, I'm going to show some 'holiday snaps'. Prepare yourselves for a shock...
colour.
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| Somewhere along the Amalfi Coast, Italy, 2018 |
I can explain, I think. As you know, pretty much all of my creative juices go into B&W film, home processed and printed, but I do have a weak spot for colour transparencies. Takes me back to me youth, I guess, where from time to time and as funds allowed, I used to sneak the odd Kodachrome into the OM-1. Can't do that these days of course, but there's Velvia, which has its own unique properties. Hard to think Kodachrome was 25 asa (or 64) - that seems so slow. Anyway, about 5 years ago I happened to be in a photographic shop in Belfast and before I knew it I was walking out with 4 rolls of Velvia. Hmm. Missy was astounded I'd spent £40 on four films but I assured her they would last me a long time. I think there's still one in the fridge but since the datestamp shows 2017 so I think I'd better use it up fairly soon.
I took one roll with me to Italy this summer and fired it through the M6 as fast as I could (24 hours) so that I could get back to my usual suspects (FP4/HP5). The slides came back from Peak Imaging a couple of weeks ago and am in the process of setting up my Kodak Carousel projector from back in the day for an evening's entertainment. I wonder if the bulb will still work - and for how long. I'll let you know...
My eyyyyyyyyyessssssss!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLovely colours. I got back three rolls of Provia 100F yesterday and they looked so beautiful on the light table. I might order a roll of Velvia 50 to see how it compares to the Provia. I don't have a projector, so I'll have to make myself half-blind editing them through a loupe.
Haha nice, Marcus! I know...hard to believe, eh? The thing about transparencies (and colour negs too, although I haven't done any of that since I was a teenager) is that once they're done, they're done. No thinking about what paper to use, what developer, how to print, to crop or not, what areas to hold back and what areas to accentuate. For what I'm interested in doing these days, colour just isn't something which floats my boat so I didn't do much with the Velvia other than point-and-shoot in holiday mode. Ah sure it makes a change and it'll give me something to post here until I can back in the darkroom.
DeleteThe Fuji colours are pretty nice although I don't shoot enough to have any real view about how they compare to what else is on the market, or Provia vs Velvia for that matter. I think I read that Ektachrome is bein g re-introduced and if that comes to market that's something I might go for next time I'm in that colour frame of mind.
Yes loupe viewing leaves a lot be desired, compared to projecting. You might pick up a projector cheaply enough in a charity/thrift store - assuming such things exist where you are (?)
I used Kodak E100G until the company got out of the slide film business. Provia is fine, but a bit too cool for my tastes. I'll use Provia (and Velvia! I bought a roll and it's sitting in my Nikon F6 now) until the new Ektachrome arrives here in South Korea. That might be next year, I suppose . . . .
DeleteThere aren't really any thrift shops in Korea. There are second hand shops, but mostly they deal with large appliances. Maybe I should get one of those film digitising kits for my digital camera.
Ektachrome is back in the shelves, boys! I guess I just have to get a few rolls just for old times sake. I still got my Leica projector hidden away somewhere, but if the bulb still works nobody knows yet. I also got a few rolls of Velvia 50 somewhere, so I might load up some old Nikon F3 or whatever and get through them.
ReplyDeleteI love your holiday snap though, Michael :)
Already sold out here in Korea. I guess they only got a few rolls. Film is not that popular in Korea, so I wonder if it was bought by photographers or collectors. Maybe it'll show up again soon. I still have a few rolls of assorted films in the fridge to get through, so no hurry.
DeleteOne of the main labs in Seoul is offering a 50% discount on developing and scanning of Ektachrome for six months to celebrate the re-release of the film. Now, if I could only get some . . . .
DeleteI've still a roll of Velvia in the fridge but I need to use it up soon as it's already out-of-date. I'm sure at some point I will buy some Ektachrome but I'm not in any rush. Slides are nice but as I said, there ain't much you can do with them compared to B&W negs.
DeleteI haven't heard too much about it yet over here, Marcus...I guess that's about to change though :)