Want to know which film to buy? Below are example photos for Portra, Superia, Ultramax & ColorPlus
Choosing the right film for the job
Mostly comes down to personal style and preference (or brief if you're shooting for a brand). Each film has it's own individual tonal range and some tones look better than others in certain locations.
Let's set a scene of people in a green, grassy environment and run through the outcomes various film stocks will have. Fuji Superia 400 looks fantastic in green areas because it's such a green and pink based film. If you want a fresh vibe with green-greens, bright florals and pretty highlights, Superia is the film stock for you. If you prefer a warmer tone, overall, including your greens looking more yellow, then Kodak Portra or Ultramax 400 will do the trick. They have a more yellow undertone - Ultramax more so than Portra.
Here are some visual examples:
You can see the cooler, greener tone to the Fuji Superia shot above compared to the overall warmer, more yellow tone in the Kodak Ultramax shot below.
Flash is another game changer to consider when choosing film - it alters the tone slightly and creates an even warmer look to most films regardless of their undertone.
Here is Fuji Superia caught on flash.
Now lets talk about films suited to a more neutral environment with sandy tones like the beach, boho style interiors or anywhere that you want a cleaner, slightly warm but not overly warm tone. Everyone's favourite is Portra 400 - it is the best, you can't deny it. But a very close second in tones (in my opinion) is Kodak Colorplus 200.
Let's use 2 examples with similar environmental tones: Natural light, blues and a model.
As you can see, the indoor shot is slightly warmer because the environment doesn't have the white light of the sun, rather it has filtered light and the model is wearing yellow, clothing always throws even a slight colour-cast. Whereas the outdoor shot has direct sun and she is wearing neutral coloured clothing, cooling the tones slightly.
These are also 2 different film stocks at 2 different ISO settings / sensitivities - The first image, Portra is at 400 ISO. The second image, ColorPlus is at 200 ISO. All of these things come into play when considering the tonal outcome of your film choice. It doesn't vary by much when choosing between similar stocks but these differences are good to know because all the important little things can be what sets you apart as a great photographer.
Here are some more visual examples of neutrally toned environments and my film choices for them:
I'll share more images below with the film stocks used. Sometimes I choose a stock because I want the colours to pop more, whether it's warm or cool based. Sometimes I choose one based on it's contrast and sometimes I choose one based on how grainy or crisp I want it to be. I'll be sharing more of the film experiments I do in the coming weeks as well as more of my professional film shots for brands and weddings along with the cameras and lenses used.
I've been shooting for 7 years now so I have so many goodies to share. I always find myself having the most amazing experiences with my work and I want to help the community around me find their film froth too. Sharing info is caring and I am always happy to help.
Enjoy the next few images and don't forget to follow me on Instagram to see when the next helpful film blog goes live.
I hope this has been helpful!
So much love,
Esther / Saltyfilm xo
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