Color film photography in portraits
Backlit images - This is one of my favorite attributes of color film photography. In digital photography it is usually necessary to use strobes to expose backlit subjects properly. This is because it is very easy to blow out highlights with a digital camera. In other words, detail in the brighter areas of the image will be lost. Film however retains details in the highlights quite well.
The images above were captured on Fuji Pro 400H film. This film is considered a 400 speed film. In other words, it is rated at 400 ISO. For the images above, I intentionally overexposed the film and rated it at 200 ISO. This brings out detail in the shadows while retaining the highlights due to the films latitude.
I also like the fact that anyone having their portrait taken in this situation does not have to wait on the photographer to set up lighting. It can be a much more pleasant experience.
Skin tones - One of the most important things to get right in portrait photography is skin tones. The images above were shot on Fuji Pro 400H film rated at 200 ISO. It has been my experience that portrait images captured with this method require very little if any touching up. Skin looks beautiful straight out of the camera. What do you think? Please feel free to comment.
I want to share a couple of other things I have discovered doing portraits with a film camera. First, it helps me be more engaged with my subject. I spend more time getting to know the person I am photographing and not looking at a screen on the back of my camera. Second, it slows me down and forces me to consider each shot more carefully. I have found that this increases the number of quality images in a shoot considerably.
I hope you enjoyed this series on the look of film. While film is more expensive and often more difficult, It is the method I prefer for most of my photography.