rsolti13 wrote:
... some of my prior results make me think its all worth it and that’s why I keep trying ...
Don't just keep trying. Adapt!
Keep a log book of what film stocks work in what conditions, how to meter them properly in tough conditions, what special editing is needed to make the tough negatives sing. Don't confuse "high dynamic range" with "good picture". Dump film stocks that consistently give lousy results despite your best efforts.
Is there a reason you are shooting 250D and not Portra 400?
Edit: And please ignore all of the above if shooting film is a chore for you. But I am assuming you are shooting film because of something that inspired you, and I am trying to help you find that high I get when I succeed with film.
Keep a log book of what film stocks work in what conditions, how to meter them properly in tough conditions, what special editing is needed to make the tough negatives sing. Don't confuse "high dynamic range" with "good picture". Dump film stocks that consistently give lousy results despite your best efforts.
Is there a reason you are shooting 250D and not Portra 400?
Edit: And please ignore all of the above if shooting film is a chore for you. But I am assuming you are shooting film because of something that inspired you, and I am trying to help you find that high I get when I succeed with film....Show more →
Appreciate it, shooting 250D just because it was something new to try and saw some results I like. Like exploring with different stocks. Really enjoy Portra 400, maybe its best to just stick to what I know
rsolti13 wrote:
... Like exploring with different stocks ...
Yeah, I get it. I spent ~2 years exploring all B/W stocks in 120 format. While I did not hate any one film stock, I am a minimalist, so I felt the desire to stick with a minimal set that covers the range of shots I typically take, and I culled things down to Acros, FP4, HP5, and Astrum IR-200.
I find color way harder, and I am in the process of mastering (to the best of my ability) Ektar and Portra 400 as Velvia is getting more and more scarce. My most recent insight (god bless another poster for explaining this in simple terms) is that you want to correct as much in camera as possible. With color film that means taking care of color temperate: Full sun = one temperature, shade = another temperature, sun + shade = color shifts = very hard to correct in post. This is still work in progress, and trying to master just two color film stocks is keeping me busy.
rsolti13 wrote:
... shooting 250D just because ... saw some results I like ...
Try to deconstruct this to an argument you would find in an intro photography book. What do you like about those shots? I bet you $10 that it is something basic/fundamental (not necessarily easy!) such as composition, lighting, color balance, ..., and if so, and within reason (Harman Red is not reasonable here), the specific film stock has nothing to do with those things ... unless you are shooting on Velvia ... Velvia is god tier film.
