↑Leica M3, Kodak Portra 400 NC, and Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH @ f/1.4.
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Film is back!
At least, on Prosophos.com.
Inspired by former-student-turned-film-processing-Master, Mark Ewanchuk (he’s even developing colour film at home — check out Mark’s guide for developing colour film).
Having said that, several “errors” were committed in the making of this image:
- Expired colour film (Kodak Portra 400 NC) was used.
- It was processed with my process for developing B&W film.
- All the chemicals used were also well past their expiration dates.
Still, you can’t help but be amazed at how forgiving, and beautiful, film can be.
A lovely photographic medium for the lovely people in your life.
—Peter.
Prosophos 
Any errors on a digital camera are deleted, with film they tend to enhance the image as someone else said they can turn the image into a masterpiece. You have some great files but I would take this one every time. B&W film is still the benchmark.
It’s because I have a bias for the look of B&W film (and film in general) that I completely agree with your statement “B&W film is still the benchmark”. The fact that many (including me) run their digital files through film emulator software tells me that many would also agree.
Peter,
Truly a beautiful portrait.
Even now, you have taught me something: I had not yet discovered that color film could be successfully developed to monochrome using the B&W process. Obviously you still have a few tricks up your sleeve!
All the best,
M.
Yes Mark, you can process colour film using a B&W workflow, but it doesn’t make much sense to do it! In the case of this roll of Portra, I decided to process it like I would Tri X 400 and it worked out fine.
Very nice; mood, expression, sense of passer-by movement, light and ‘soul’. As a 80% film / 20% digital guy I often get to a point where the multiple stages of shooting ‘digital film’ becomes tedious (and I don’t develop my own) and the lazy side of my brain asks why I don’t just shoot digital and forget film. Then I get a keeper like this one and it reminds me why its’ so worth it!
Regarding film being “worth it” – I couldn’t agree more with you.
Very lovely portrait Peter. Nice to see you shooting with film again as well! I wasn’t actually aware you could process colour film with black and white chemistry, that’s a new one on me!
I’ve recently started to shoot film more and more regularly and have to agree, there’s just something special about it. I’m almost always more attached to my film photos than digital, although I thoroughly enjoy both mediums as you do.
Shooting film for me is a mix of wonderful surprises, happy accidents, crushing disappointments and a constant education! When it all goes well though, there’s nothing like it.
When looking back at the images I’ve produced over the years, the film ones are less “perfect” and less dramatic than many of my digital ones. And it’s the digital ones that have received the most attention from other viewers. However, for me too, the film ones are most dear… they evoke the lost moments in a more faithful way.
Very classical and loads of character.
I had a terrible experience with my M6 the other day. My youngest daughters 7th birthday, 19 children (yes chaos), a magician, role of Portra……..came to the 36th exposure – still winding, 37, 38, etc….Hadn’t wound on to the spool correctly. Needless to say my wife was not impressed!
Ouch! I made the same mistake once, and never did it again…
Whatever their charms or capabilities, it is neither film nor chemicals; no filter, processing, special glass, or any other unique piece of gear catches (or maybe waits for) a rapscallion puff of breeze to spill a stray curl across her face and, like Frost’s less traveled path, that makes all the difference…
How did you know I waited for that breeze? 🙂