Portra 160 or 400 for outdoor shoot?

[mjs1973]

One more question.

What's the dif. between 160VC, and 160NC?

[mjs1973]

Ok, I think I just found the answer myself. Looks like NC stands for Natural Color, and VC stands for Vivid Color. That's my very simplifed definition. Anyone have anything more specific to add?

[another view]

You're right about the differences. Supposedly, all of the Portra films will give you excellent skin tones, but vary the amount of color saturation. I really only have experience with NC, and I understand it's kind of the "gold standard" for skin tones with color neg.

I guess I'd use VC if it was maybe more of a fashion type shoot, or brightly colored costumes (festivals, etc) - or maybe environmental portraits depending on what you had in mind. Then there's UC (ultra color) which is a step (or three) beyond that.

The thing is, it's probably best to go to a place that's familiar with these films. Any pro lab (especially one that specializes in portraits/weddings) should be a good choice. You won't get the full benefit of these films at one-hour type places.