Yosemite Help!

[BLESSED]

I Will Be Traveling To Yosemite In May And I Am Trying To Get My Photography Gear Together. I Am Looking For Any Help That You Can Give. What Films Do You Guys Recommend For Color Work And For B&w Work? I Currently Have A Red Filter And A Green Filter. I Use A Canon Rebel And I Cannot Remember What Kind Of Lens I Have! Any Advice Would Be Appreciated. Thank You In Advance!

[paulnj]

COLOR PRINT FILM..... fuji superia 100 or 400, kodak gold 100

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=93075&is=GREY

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=27703&is=GREY

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=93093&is=GREY

SLIDES.... fuji sensia 100, provia 100F, kodak elitechrome 100 OR 100 extra color

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...134739&is=GREY

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...181489&is=GREY

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...118340&is=GREY

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...168387&is=GREY

B&W FILM
ILFORD DELTA 100,400

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=108310&is=REG

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...u=24624&is=REG

[walterick]

I've shot Yoselite several times. In May, look for snow, water falls and bright sunshine.

Color Slides: Fuji Velvia 50. It's the best. Just make sure it's bright outside or make sure you have a tripod for it. Saturated color, fine grain, superb!

Black and white: Kodak TMax 100. Tight grain, cheap, sharp.

Color Film: I guess Kodak Gold 100 (if they still make it) is the best now, for color saturation. If you want "real" colors then use Fuji Reala. It's probably the best print film out there right now.

Use a circular polarizer to help keep skies blue - though that shouldn't be necessary with Velvia. Using a polarizer with your red filter on b+w will render almost black skies with bright clouds.

Have fun!

Rick

[paulnj]

sorry!!! VELVIA 50 is not good in full sun! colors are shifted without filters.... provia 100F beats it in all around use! velvia is a early morning/late day film to me ;) mid day it doesn't perform well.... IMHO

SHHHHHHH REALA IN A FUJI FRONTIER LOOKS LIKE SUPERIA even at 8RREALA IS POINTLESS FOR THE AVERAGE PHOTOG! I'VE SHOT or PRINTED 1000's of rolls from every camera you could think of.sure it's nice and looks good, but superia 100 has the same qualities with optimal use

gold 100 ROCKS! for the price value

remember this....... 5 years of 300+ rolls of fuji E6 in natural light under my belt.. RDP/RFP/RVP all have uses in nature, but some are more suited to subdued lighting than others

just my NOT SO humble opinion.... not trying to affend you Rick, HONESTLY

[Michael Fanelli]

The original post seems to indicate a beginner. I really don't think that suggesting slide film for a big trip is a great idea. Especially something like Velvia! The results are unlikely to be very good.

Consumer grade film is very good, price effective, and tolerant of casual exposure. Fuji Superia or Kodak Gold (or whatever its named now) are the best color film choices.

[BLESSED]

Actually, I Would Consider Myself A Beginner. I Have Taken A Few College Photo Classes And I Have A B&w Darkroom At My Home. I Enjoy B&w Work, I Just Know That I Will Need Some Pointers For The Color Aspect Of My Trip. I Don't Do A Lot Of Landscapes, I Like To Take Pictures Of People. Let Me See If I Am Keeping All Your Ideas Straight...circular Polarizer For Blue Skies With Color Film, Preferably Kodak Gold100, Red Filter For Ansel Adamish Clouds B&w, With Ilford Delta 100.... I Am A Darkroom Girl- I Like Printing The Pictures, So I Need All The Advice You Guys Can Give On Actually Taking The Photo. Just Stumbled Upon This Site Yesterday, So Far It Has Been Very Helpful. Thanks!

[paulnj]

don't forget kodak film though..

if your a B&W girl , then you know TRI-X and TMAX have certain qualities that may be desired also

the best general outdoor/natural light pointers i can give you are---

west coast has most desired lighting in the late day(east coast early morning) and midday sun is least disired(but images can be great 24 hours a day)

i like my shadow to face my subject when ever possible(direct frontal lighting), but side lighting can be a good effect too

over use of a CP(too much) CAN RUIN AN IMAGE....don't turn it too far

with your color images(especially mid day sun) have the lab add density for a more accurate? image(+1 across the bourd, +2 midday sun).. auto print does poorly with midday sun

watch your foreground and background... will moving help your comp? will zooming include/exclude an element? by moving i mean 1 step to 10 minute walk, lower or higher

midday sun makes for contrasty shadows and highlights, if that's your desired effect.... run with it!!!!!

color and B&W can make or break an image... some look great in color, others were meant for B&W

i find ilford delta too handle midday sun nicely, but it's only my opinion

and TRUE....no slides on vacation until your comfy using them

[walterick]

It seems there's a bone of contention between us here!

Velvia is by far and away the best slide film - no - film period I have ever used. The only thing it doesn't do is take portraits or star shots for me. Everything else I do with it is pretty. Of course, to each his or her own. Had I shot Velvia earlier in my career, I would've found my niche as a photographer much earlier and had I discovered slides as a beginner I would've had less frustration as I was learning. These are my subjective experiences, I am certain they aren't the same for everyone. I have had great success with Velvia in midday sun. It seems our expereinces are different.

- BLESSED: if you're not familiar with slide film, I'd save it for when you have time to experiment and stick to Gold 100 for your vacation film. I just shot a roll of it today, as chance would have it -

Paul - I haven't tried a Kodak slide film yet that I've liked. I haven't tried them all but I am getting tired of trying. I find them either flat and lifeless or garish. That's just me. And Reala - that just hurts, man. That's my baby.



Rick

[paulnj]

RICK..... i truely didn't mean to attack your reply, in rereading it appears that i crossed the line maybe? SORRY!!!!

i was a FUJI PROVIA guy for years, but did shoot velvia too. yes i did get nice results in midday, but found provia to be more tolorant.... neither of us is wrong in thinking velvia 50 or provia 100 are great!

as for kodak E6.... i agree that most aren't to my liking too.i liked the neutrality of elitechrome in some situations(an 81B and PROVIA have a distinct flavor) were provia would over do(my opinion) the colors.

in the future i will try not to reply to you or others like an ass(which i feel i was )

PS..reala is sweet.. if you like, use it til the cows come home!!! but a good lab can make superia 100 look the same with smaller prints..... again just my opinion

reala was hard to keep on the shelf when i worked at a lab..... must be good

[Speed]

I Will Be Traveling To Yosemite In May And I Am Trying To Get My Photography Gear Together. I Am Looking For Any Help That You Can Give. What Films Do You Guys Recommend For Color Work And For B&w Work? I Currently Have A Red Filter And A Green Filter. I Use A Canon Rebel And I Cannot Remember What Kind Of Lens I Have! Any Advice Would Be Appreciated. Thank You In Advance!

Is repeating what you've already been told, but these are the color films I'm familiar with.

I started with Kodak Gold 100. Great film, especially for people pictures. When Wal Mart stopped carrying it, I was heartbroken. Until I found....

Fuji Superia Xtra 400. Also at Wal Mart. Four roll pack is about $7. One of the best buys out there. Fast, good colors and good detail. It is my everyday film, my primary astro-photography film, and my shooting a wedding film.

Reala is great stuff for landscapes. Like nearly every Fuji film I've tried, it's saturated in the blue/green end of the spectrum. Think of it as a saturated Superia 100. It takes nice portraits, just watch the outdoor portraits for that green cast - something your lab can easily correct.

Any of those color films should serve you well on your trip.

And be sure to post some of those shots when you get back!

[walterick]

Dude, I was trying to get into a debate with you! Aw, shucks! ;) Guess we're both too nice to be mean toward each other ;p

Anyway, there's one Kodak film (I can't keep track - GX? I dunno) I have left to try on my want list. When I figure out what it's called I'll email you and see if you've used it and what your take on it was.

By the way...

LESS FILLING!!

Rick (now you say...)