Hey Everybody...

Is this group ALIVE ?? Not ONE POST.

Well there is one NOW...

SO lets chat about this topic.

First off... What is your FAV film for portrait work.

Thanks

Scott

Hi Everyone
My favourite b&w film is FP4 (120) and my favourite colour film is Fuji Reala (120). I don't know what the situation is in your neck of the woods but here in South Africa it takes a lot of doing to convince clients film offers advantages. Usually what does it is showing them two large prints side by side -- one film and the other digital. Also the longevity of film is sometimes a convincing factor. How do you convince clients and make sales?
Regards Hilton

Neopan 400, I think its a film with amazing qualities for ambient light portraits.

HP5 if it is too dark for FP4. Delta 3200 if it is too dark for HP5. The developer is almost as important as the film choice - I use XTOL as standard.

Most of my portraits have been in studio with umbrella or soft box and strobe. I always use 120 ACROS ei 50. Or on occasion TMax 400 in 8x10 ei200. I find the smoothness of both of those films to be really good for skin. XTOL for creaminess and Rodinal for edge.
Dennis

For B+W (the majority of my work), I love Fuji Neopan 400...I find it has very rich tones. I have also been using Tri-X 400 rated at 800 and pushed with a couple of low light situations. If I do use colour, I use Fuji NPH 400 rated at 200 and developed at box speed. I just found out that it is being discontinued though.
Jocelyn

Hey, all,

thanks Scott for starting the ball rolling. I'd like to get into further discussion about how we're marketing our work to clients. That, and I'd really like to see everyone's work!

Re: film, I'm a simple gal and have always stuck with Trix 400, used to push it to 800 and develop in Acufine. Now, I shoot it at 320 and let my printer do what he wants in developing it--he's a fantastic darkroom whiz and I would trust him with my life, let alone my film.

Now that I've just purchased my first 4x5 (Wisner Tech Field), I am not sure what film I'll be using. I strictly shoot people. And I'm a freak for tiny details and tonal depth. Recommendations?

Also, is there any Polaroid film out there for 4x5 these days?

Johannah

Hello everybody,

I just stumbled across this little group and hope it is still active.

Johannah, how is the Wisner 4x5 working out for you? They look like a wonderful camera to work with.
Your favorite film Tri-x should work like a charm in the 4x5 format.

There are still professionals who use nothing but film. The star photographer Jim Rakete and the fashion guru Carl Lagerfeld, both work in Germany, use only film! Jim Rakete prefers Tri-x in 4x5 for most of his work.
Carl Lagerfeld chucked 3 DSLR's into the garbage since they did not meet his high expectations for his work.

I myself use Neopan 400 and Across, but recently have used Rollei Retro 100 & 400 as well. Retros have beautiful tonal qualities and perfect for portrait work.

Marcus

Various types of b+w, I hardly ever shoot color.

Neopan 400, Tri-x are used most of the time.
I might try some Efke this spring.

I too would like to discuss marketing and sales.

For mono I shoot Adox CHS 50 and 100 if I need more speed I'll use Neopan 400 or HP5, after the demise of Neopan I might give T-Max another try.
Colour Normally Portra NC or Fuji NPH, but I shoot less colour.
Mark

Neopan 100 my current favorite for portraits.

Hi all, sorry I haven't stopped by in a while, life has been crazy over here, with moving house, discovering our first child secretly hiding away inside, it's been non-stop!

However, regarding film choice, I use FP4+, TX & TXP, all developed in Xtol 1:1, partly because I love the results from it, and partly because the tubes I use to develop 4x5 only hold 200ml of liquid, and you need a min of 100ml Xtol stock to get repeatable results (or so they say, I have had some odd results that can confirm it too, but not that many). For colour work, it's Velvia (I switch between 50 & 100, I know I should settle on one, I love the reciprocity characteristics of the 100, but feel more traditional when I use the 50... purely psychosomatic, I know), Astia and Portra 400NC, each has their own special place in the line up I think.

It's very interesting reading what other people prefer, maybe later on we could show examples of just why we use each film we do?

For color I love to shoot Portra 400VC and NC I meter for the shadows and shoot it at 320 or 200. Fantastic stuff. For black and white I love the Ilford Delta 400.

I like Portra and Tri-x and HP5.

What do you use the Portra for, general or specialised application?
j

I use Portra for portraits and people shooting. I always over exposed it from the box speed and the film just takes care of the rest. It is so easy to shoot and it looks fantastic.

D.