BW film in Rome?

[chris_hutchins]

Hi,

 

I'm going to Rome for a few days at the beginning of June and was

planning on taking only b/w film (I'm a student so shoot mainly b/w

to keep costs down). Can anyone think of any reason I'll regret

this?

 

Cheers,

Chris

[carlos_m._alanis]

I might be mistaken but I think you might not be going in the right direction. Im not sure that b/w film is cheaper, but, at least where I live (Mexico) processing and printing is 2 or 3 times more expensive than color film. B/W is all done by hand and all color processing is automated, there the costs.

 

If you are doing all the work yourself, Im not sure it will save you any money either, since you have to buy at least chemicals and paper to process and print your film, granted you have access to a develping and printing laboratory...

 

if it is costs... try a professional source and buy bulk (for example get a 5-roll package of professional color film from B&H) it has sometimes better/lower price than the kodak ultra you get at a 7-eleven.

 

just one quick note:

down here (mexico) a roll of kodak ultra 36exp goes around 5.00 - 6.00USD from a 7-eleven, and a 5 roll package of kodak proimage 36exp per roll goes for 10.00USD. you do the math.

 

 

my two cents...

 

then again, as I said in the begining... I might be wrong....

[carlos_m._alanis]

.. just one more thing... there is no proimage in 7-eleven's...

 

:)

 

by the way! congratulations on your trip! I have heard italy is fantastic for photographs!!

[laura_forbes]

If you plan on going anywhere near the Vatican (which I am sure you do), you will want color film. The Swiss Guards' vibrant uniforms are world-famous and beautiful. The mosaics will be lackluster in B&W. St. Peter's cupola begs for color - both inside with the intricate artwork, and outside (if you climb all the stairs - well worth the energy) for the vistas. Also the Spanish Steps are wonderful, as the people's clothing colors add vibrancy to the scene.

 

Most all enjoy your trip. Drink it in!

[rick_gerbehy1]

I've never heard anyony say......."I packed too much Tri-X on this trip"

when you cannot predict lightinf situations......pack Tri-x....

(or HP5)

[bill_thorlin]

Listen to Laura on this one, she has got it about spot on. Personal view is 60% colour 40% b&w.

 

Small tip, take the tour bus as your first move as it lets you decide on what you want to concentrate on from all the opportunities Rome offers.Cheap and quick. If you get the chance go to the catacombs out along the Appian Way - it gives a little feel of Italy not just Rome.

 

It is a great city, one of the best, enjoy the experience !

[jreades]

I assume that you're thinking B&W costs less because you'll be doing your own dev and printing (since a student's time is essentially 'free' ;) ), because otherwise the logic above applies -- that B&W usually costs *more* to develop and print if you're taking it to a shop.

 

I would definitely *not* go to Rome without some colour film and a tripod. If you love shooting B&W and are good at it then I don't think that you necessarily need to go up to 60/40 for colour/b&w, but you definitely want to have some rolls with you at all times. Rome is a tremendously vibrant city and some of that will come across better in colour than B&W.

 

Do remember to take a small tripod -- you won't regret carrying it around even if it is hot as hell (although June is still variable, so take at least one light sweater). You might not be able to unpack it everywhere (i.e. in museums) but if you don't have it with you then I guarantee that you'll have a 'doh' moment at some point -- the streets in the older parts of Rome are so narrow that you can sometimes find yourself shooting in deep shade at 2pm in the afternoon.

 

Living in London, I've been able to visit Rome a good half-dozen times and always enjoy both the antiquities and the food immensely.

 

Have a great trip,

 

jon

 

P.S. A short-list of places worth visiting:

 

1. The Vatican -- definitely including the museum (assuming that you like art). I hate guided tours but actually found a great one and learned so much more than I possibly could have on my own. No tripod inside.

 

2. The Forum -- again, worth taking a tour here since a good guide can really bring it all together for you. The key here is *good* guide. Think of it like a job interview where you're doing the hiring: do they have the credentials (e.g. Art History degree)? do they have enthusiasm? do they seem like someone you'd want to spend the next five hours with? Using a tripod is tough if you're with a group, but you can always handhold and then come back when the tour is over.

 

3. Nero's Palace -- no tripod.

 

4. Borghese Gallery -- actually, this should be number 1 because it's so overwhelming. You *have* to book ahead and they have erratic opening times. If you want to see why Bernini is considered one of the greatest sculptors of all time then you *must* go here. Gorgeous statuary in a beautiful setting. You can shoot outside on the grounds, but not inside I'm afraid.

 

5. The Catacombs -- good 'fun' here and a chance to go somewhere cool for a few hours. Don't remember what their photography policy is since I haven't been there since I was 16.

 

6. The neighbourhoods of Rome -- it's very easy not to actually see Rome the city and just spend all of your time doing museums and galleries. But don't forget to just walk around and enjoy an amazing city!

[Monophoto]

I wouldn't discount the possibilities of b/w in Rome. While there are some examples of color there, the textures of the city really respond well to b/w. I especially enjoy walking through the older parts of Trastevere.

 

The advice to take a bus tour on the first day is excellent, but I found that thereafter simply setting out on foot, getting lost, wandering into a small cafe for a wonderful meal or coffee, makes for a memorable adventure.

[mark_farbstein]

Take lots of B & W film on the short train ride to Ostia Antica and enjoy very extensive ruins

of an entire city with few other tourists. Great alternative to the crowds in Rome.

Enjoy.

Mark

[chris_hutchins]

Thanks for the tips about locations. I'm only there for a short time between the end of my exams and the start of my summer job so I already have a pretty good idea of what I want to see. I do my own D+P although as an engineering student my time is less 'free' than some other subjects! My uni photo club buy hp5 and tri-x in bulk so I get it extremely cheaply which brings the cost of film and processing under ?2 a roll if my sums are right. I will pack a few rolls of colour along with my trusty hp5 and hope that the skies are blue.

 

On a slightly different note. I was considering a monopod instead of a tripod as I think I'd get away with setting it up in more places than a tripod. Is this the case?

 

Thanks all,

Chris

[jreades]

In as much as a monopod is more discrete than a tripod and tends to interfere less with people flow then you *may* be able to use it in a few places that a tripod would simply earn you some harassment from the carabinieri. However, the flip side to this is that 1) there are quite a few places that you simply can't take pictures at all and so it's irrelevent what kind of base you have, and 2) with only a monopod you are limited to some extent in the night-time shooting that you can do.

 

Rome really comes alive at night, I think, and would be a great place for long-exposure shooting in the piazzas (though the last time I was there I hadn't yet bought my tripod, so I can't say for sure). Would you have space in your bag for both? You're likely to be returning to the hotel/house for a shower and a change before going out to dinner anyway, so you could always switch from monopod to small tripod at that time if you were so inclined...

 

Of course, the one thing to keep in mind is security -- as with any big city there are people on the lookup for tourists caught up in too much expensive-looking gear. Since buying my tripod, I've used it all over London, Berlin, Miami, and Paris quite late at night (though never in particularly dodgy neighbourhoods) and I *do* sometimes feel conspicuous but usually people seem genuinely interested in what I'm doing rather than interested in taking my gear, but it does pay to keep gear to a minimum in situations like this.

 

HTH,

 

jon

[bill_thorlin]

Just a further thought - there is an "archeo-bus" that goes to the catacombs on the Appian Way that covers the aquaduct and some of the fringes of Rome - might be worth a thought.

[chris_hutchins]

I will look into the tours available when I get there. I Only have a tripod at present but was considering getting a monopod for sports shooting anyway and was just wondering whether it might be more use in this situation as well. I am quite keen on low-light photography so would probably take a tripod too but do have the concerns mentioned above. Although I use pretty old pentax gear and haven't had anyone look even vaugly interested in having it away in this country!

 

Chris

[Monophoto]

Chris -

 

One last thought - be VERY aware of what is going on around you in Rome. In particular, watch out for groups of kids. When we were there a few years ago, I found myself surrounded by a bunch of kids apparently wanting me to make a picture of them. In reality, the kids in front of me were distracting my attention while the ones to the side were unzipping the waist pouch I was wearing. Fortunately, my wife recognized what was happening and chased them away.

 

Have a great time.

[bill_thorlin]

The two tours I mentioned go from central bus station where you get the tickets - archeo sometimes has to be booked a day in advance.Both cheap.

[bronwyn_hendy]

Hi Chris, I was in Rome June 2003 and shot all b/w film. I took all my film with me and shot all Ilford Delta 400. My results were fantastic, especially my (hand-held)interiors of St Peter's Basilica (go first thing in the morning before it's full of people and when the light streaming through the windows is best), and with street scenes especially around the Campo di fiori markets. I used a 70-300mm lens for street scenes and 35-70mm and 18-35mm lenses in the basilica. I also got good street shots around other parts of Rome, but didn't get anything really worth printing from the Roman forum (but it's a great place to soak up atmosphere).

 

Just for comparison between colour and B/W, I got multiple competition winners from my Rome b/w work, then shot a heap of colour slide film in Paris, Geneva and London and got virtually nothing in the way of competition shots. That experience has convinced me to stick to b/w when in Europe.

 

As for costs, it cost me less to have my b/w films developed than the slide films, and I do all my own printing. You tend only to print the good ones, so it does save a lot of money and album space.

 

Cheers,

Bronwyn.

[jeffpolaski]

Tri-X, Rome Flea Market, 1971 (Pentax Spotmatic, Takumar 135mm)<div></div>

[jeffpolaski]

The Vatican in B&W, Same year and gear.