Velvia rocks!

<p>I am not sure about you guys but whenever I shoot with Velvia, it makes me kind of think why would I want to shoot on digital? No, this is not a bashing digital post. I know that I will continue to shoot with a digital camera but the saturated colours from Velvia just blows me away everytime.</p>

<p>Yes, Velvia is not the perfect film for shooting people but it does not really bother me as I shoot a lot of nature (like plants and flowers) and Velvia really does justice to the wonderful world of nature.</p>

<p>I think one of the beauty of Velvia for me is that it suits the lazy me as it does not require me to doing anything on Photoshop or any editing software.</p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/3203916074_f4e61fb097.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3203916076_0b72cba3da.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3314/3203916082_5a8ce63318.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>I sure hope that Fuji does not stop the production of Velvia, if not I will probably need to buy a freezer to store a lifetime supply of Velvia!</p>

<p>I remember first shooting Velvia (and slides in general) in 1997 - it felt like "real photography". No offense to traditional B&W people - I'm sure that feels plenty real, but I have never experienced that. I've been shooting film almost exclusively again for the last 18 months or so and I still get that "real photography" feeling when I lay slides on the lightbox.</p>

<p>You can get that effect with Digital as well.</p>

<p>Yes, you can get this effect with digital as well, but I contend that most people don't know how to do this well, and it ends up *looking manipulated.* I'll take Velvia any time I want this look (I don't want it when including people, and I don't want it on foggy or "dreary" days).</p>

<p>"You can get that effect with Digital as well."</p>

<p>Not quite so easy to do. It is easier to say that than actually doing it. Trying to post process images captured by linear digital sensors for the characteristics of Velvia's HD curve is very technical and difficult, if not impossible.</p>

<div></div>

<p>Try some Kodachrome.</p>

<p>My momma took my kodachrome away : 0</p>

<p>One thing about slide film that I was quickly mesmerized by was the 3D look of the transparency itself. Looking at it with a loupe, 50mm lens or even a handheld slide viewer is almost like looking through a View-Master.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hey man, I hear what you're saying on the lack of fiddling with a well exposed chrome, but try some other stuff, 100VS and of course K64.</p>

<p>Then on a 6x6 slide you'll really fall in love!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>You can get that effect with Digital as well.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No doubt you can definitely get the Velvia effect on digital but nothing but that takes time on the computer. Between getting it right out of the camera and sitting in front of the computer to tweak, I will opt for getting right out of the computer.</p>

<p>The closest that I can replicate the Velvia effect right out of the camera would be on my D2Hs, but still I feel that the colours from Velvia is much richer.</p>

<p>Try Kodachrome! It is even better! I find the colors of most all of the Fuji films to be cartoon like and Kodak more natural. Kodak does have some vidid/ultra/extra color films when this look is desired.</p>

<p>Seems like I should soon go and dig the fridge for that roll of Kodachrome that I know is somewhere inside!</p>

<p>I feel when slides are viewed on a lightbox, they have an edge over a digital, or film print. That is because with the slide,the light is shown through the slide.It makes the sky look more real.</p>

<p>The part I love about shooting slides is the final results and viewing them thru slide projector and hearing it clicking.<br>

Classic! The feeling is different. You know why there are some guys still listening to the vynil (LP) instead of digitalized CD? It should explain why I am still shooting slide.<br>

Not because I am going to scan it and viewing thru my LCD screen. Films are films.</p>

<p>Alvin you should really dig your Kodachrome out of the fridge! It will blow Velvia away. Heck, processing it can be as simple as droping it off in the send out box at WalMart, CVS or K-Mart</p>

<p>Jack (and others) claim that viewing slides on a lightbox look better than digital. I will agree with that but the end result for me is always the print and I don't have a problem with either digital or film getting results on paper that are very nice.<br>

Time spent on the computer is a lot less than when I used the darkroom and I manipulated prints almost as much then as in the digital darkroom but I can repeat them easier digitally saving even more time.<br>

Whatever floats your boat works for me, but a photographer told me a long time ago the only ribbons or medals that are important are the ones you can spend or invest.</p>