Family portraits with a Hasselblad

[pontus_wallst_n]

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I have for a long time wanted to take some family portraits on either medium or large format, ideally on film (black and white and colour reversal), but, believe it or not, even though I am Swedish, I have never (yet) had the luck to use a Hasselblad medium or large format camera. <br>

I was going to give a few phone calls to the few camera shops in the region here in Switzerland to see if any rent Hasselblads, but before renting one, as I imagine they will be expensive, I thought I would ask around here if anyone had any advice on filmstocks and camera models, as well as lenses also lighting setups which can give good and interesting results? I usually prefer natural light and outdoors photography to indoors, but can of course do both, and experiment a bit as well when I have the camera...<br>

of course i have been taking many family portraits in the past on film and also now on digital mainly with my Nikon bodies...but i thought it was time to try something a bit different this time...<br>

Pontus</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>At least in the US, Calumet will rent an H4X with film back for $80 a day or $240 a week. Of course, that's not a real Sweedish 'blad, it's a Fuji 'blad.<br>

For film, Kodak Portra 400 is the choice. (You would only need to go down to Portra 160 if you had extreme subject contrast.)</p>

[starvy]

<p>Pontus,<br>

Is there any particular reason why you would want to shoot with a Hassy other than it being a Swedish icon? Are you seduced by the square format?<br>

I have to say that I love Kodak Porta, both the old and the new emulsion. The 160 films are my choice and adds a wonderful tonality to the image when I use them with uncoated and very old medium format lenses. I too have not shot with a Hassy. My budget extends to older folders and early Rolleiflex cameras only. </p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>No idea what prices are in Sweden. But here in Washington, DC, a basic Hasselblad body and lens with magazine rents for around $50 a day. If you pick up on Friday afternoon and return Monday morning it only counts as one day. I would stick with their basic body (anything in the 500 series). 80mm is the standard lens and good for groups. 150mm is the classic head and shoulders portrait lens. Before you shoot, go online and find a manual. You need to know how to change the lenses and magazines, how to load the magazine, etc.</p>

[pontus_wallst_n]

<p>yes i do like the square format, and also because i miss shooting film. (of course to shoot with a hasselblad as you say is very iconic) but if there are anyother just as good medium format camera bodies that are just as good, i have no objection to using one of those either..as i imagine it is also the quality of the lens which gives image sharpness and contrast..etc?<br>

i do have a Sekonic flashmate model L-3085 that i bought last year for film work, esppecially super 8 work.<br>

another reason i am tempted to shoot medium format is that i just watched a documentary on the swedish photographer Lenart Nisson, who worked alot in medium and large format, and of course he was very talented, especially in terms of lighting and preparing his images, but his images he did in medium format still had an amazing special feel that i find hard to reproduce with "ordinary" 35mm film cameras....</p>

<p>price wise i dont know what renting is here in Switzerland, but perhaps around $40 a day or so. I will have to enquire when i know which models/lenses to ask for over the phone when calling the renting shop. I have also watched a few loading magazine videos on youtube for the hasselblads...</p>

[donbright]

<p>The best portraits I've ever taken was with my former Hasselblad 501CM, and the 150mm Sonnar, then the move to landscapes, but the process with Hasselblad, the relationship between Photographer, and subject for me brought it all together. I learned more, or was most comfortable with the Hasselblad than anything. It just made sense, the pace, the unhurriedness of it all, then intern it made the subject comfortable.</p>

[pontus_wallst_n]

<p>Don, do you have any of your portrait images scanned that you took with your hasselblad and the 150mm lens? did you use colour, black and white or both? and of so, which films did you prefer or which did you find gave you the best results?</p>

[donbright]

<p>This period was quite awhile ago. I have a few negatives tucked away somewhere, many of them were given to clients as I didn't pursue Portraiture as once thought, but, I used VPS then, Kodak Vericolor II, and III, NC, and VC. My post expresses a joy I found using this combination, at the time was a period of growth in Photography in general, but I can't forget, again the purposeful synchrony I found in utilizing the CM with the Sonnar 150. The slight compression with the 150 Sonnar was flattering to most subjects. The working distance seemed right for me.</p>

[sfcole]

<p>The above films are, of course, no longer available. However, in my experience taking MF portraits, I recommend either Tmax 400 or Portra 400. While slower films are a little less grainy (you might never even see grain at reasonable enlargement sizes), I've found that for outdoor lighting without flash, only the 400 is fast enough. In open shade, a typical exposure is 1/60@5.6. I usually wouldn't place someone in direct sunlight, but with the sun from behind. In that case, their face is still in shadow with a similar exposure. With 100 film you could conceivably get 2.8 with an 80mm lens, but unless all the faces are positioned exactly parallel to the film plane, you won't have enough depth of field.</p>

[xenophon_costeas]

<p>Allow me to second the 400 ISO comment. My experience in Greece (with significantly more sunlight than Switzerland) is similar --- I've used a Mamiya RZ67 and a Bronica GS-1 for outdoor portraits of my family, and Portra 160 just doesn't make it, even with the "normal" 100-110mm lens.<br /> Handheld exposures even at below 1/250 are obviously <a href="http://wp.me/pmbK0-1Y">unsharp</a>, and depth-of-field a major issue with apertures > f/8. Only the nose is in-focus in some photos!.<br /> A monopod or a tripod is also mandatory.</p>

[nathan_wong2]

<p>Not sure if this is helpful, but I took a cruise with my family and a couple aunt's families. I took my Hasselblad 553ELX and my 60mm and 80mm lenses. We posed on one of the long, curving staircases and shot photos from the top looking down and from the side. I used the available light and a flash unit but I only had slide film with me. I think it was ISO 100. Needless to say I had to stop down the aperture to get the depth of field I needed, but even then some of us had to be out of focus. Unfortunately for me some photos were underexposed somewhat (thank goodness for computers and Photoshop!). Because of the small aperture that was needed my shutter speeds were from 1 second to 1/2 second! I had to keep stressing to everyone "DON'T MOVE even if you see the flash." In the end, though it all worked out and got the photos we wanted.<br>

Here's the funny part. When we were done we turned around and there was a line behind us waiting for me to take their pictures! I guess I could have made some money on the side if I hadn't run out of film. ;-)<br>

Good luck!</p>