What film is best for portraiture? Also film to digital.

[jennifer_sparaco1]

I am an amateur photographer who is considering opening a small business mainly

photographing children.

 

What brand and speed film do you recommend. I have recently purchased a

digital camera, but will still use film for my own personal use. I also love

developing film of my children.

 

I use kodak b/w that I can't develop at home when I am out of the ilford b/w.

I live in a very small town so good film is hard to come by.

 

I'd like to start ordering my film over the internet...any suggestions?

 

Also in an effort to get some of my images from negatives into digital format I

had Walmart put the images on a CD. This seems to have really lessened the

quality of the photos. Is there a way around this? How do you suggest getting

images from film into digital format?

 

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

Jennifer

[ronald_moravec1]

Fiji 160s or Kodak Portra 160 NC. Nikon scanner will get them into digital domain. Some

experience in color printing is helpful to make it work best. Then you have to learn

photoshop.

 

Order during cool weather from Calumet Photographic, B&H Camera and video, or Adorama.

 

A digital camera is much easier. Take pics, plug into computer, download. For what you will

spent on a good scanner, you can get a good digi cam

[mike_earussi1]

For slide film Astia.

[robert lee]

"'d like to start ordering my film over the internet...any suggestions?"

 

Sure. Try B&H and Adorama if you in the east coast, and Freestyle if you're closer to the west.

 

"... I had Walmart put the images on a CD. "

 

You're using 35mm film equipment then? Buy a Nikon V dedicated film scanner. Having said this though, a current generation DSLR system will easily exceed the image quality of 135 format film (not to mention making more business sense because of the quicker turn.)

[jennifer_sparaco1]

Thanks to all of you for your responses.

 

Robert..yes I have a film camera that I love taking b/w pics of my kiddos with. I will always enjoy developing my own pics (my husband is even building me a darkroom). I have purchased a dslr for the "business". However, I have a lot of great photos and wanted to put some of those on a new website but first I have to get them in digital format. I don't think I want to purchase any equipment as I don't think I'll be doing a lot of this but I'd like to have an economical option of converting them to digital so I can put my work on the web. The Walmart option didn't work very well and I was looking for other options. Does Walmart not use a scanner...or just not use a very good one...or is it not possible to get a good digital image with a negative.

 

Thanks again, Jennifer.

[bgelfand]

Since you make your own prints, use a flatbed scanner and scan the prints.

 

For black and white film for informal portraits, I like Ilford Delta 100 or Pan F+, for color film Kodak Ultra Color 100 UC. For the color film I scan the negatives with a Nikon Coolscan V, post process in Photoshop and upload for printing.

[seandepuydt]

Jennifer, buy your supplies from B&H or Adorama, including B&W film, and any chemicals that you might need. I would consider a scanner purchase, Coolscan V is around 500. Other than that, you will have to pay someone to scan them for you. The suggestion of a flatbed is good as long as you are making the prints. - Sean

[bill_tuthill]

To avoid purchasing a scanner, you could have A&I (in Hollywood)

scan your film. They charge $15 a roll, not including processing,

for medium-res 25MB Noritsu scans from 35mm negatives-- similar to what you get from DSLR.

 

The choice between Kodak Portra 160NC versus Fuji Pro 160S is yours

to make once you decide on scan and print methods. I agree those are

the films to try, if you have studio lighting or good flash.

[robert lee]

"Does Walmart not use a scanner...or just not use a very good one...or is it not possible to get a good digital image with a negative."

 

Scanning well takes much time and some skill, neither of which will be available on a $2/roll scan.

 

As for digitization, color negative film is generally easier to work with than either reversal or B&W. Walmart scans are a reasonable benchmark of low cost and convenience, but certainly not for quality.

 

A Nikon V class scanner will give grain sharp digitized images. Flatbed scanners generally won't fair as well; I can't recommend these for small format film.