scott_turner2

<p>Ok, I'll try that. Here's a photo of one of the frames that is damaged. This is one of the worst ones I think.</p>

<p>Craig, yes sorry, I've been a bit ambiguous. It bleeds into the space between frames but never into the frames along side the image. That was what I was trying to say. And yes, I'm in China. <br>

That was my understanding as well re: expired. I'll get you a scan later today.</p>

<p>Hey Larry, thanks for the reply. I'm scanning the negs tomorrow, I'll post one when it's scanned. I'm guessing its not a light leak, because it happens outside the framelines and quite randomly.</p>

<p>Question for you more experienced film shooters out there, I just had large amount of C-41 processed, and noticed that on several spots on the film (randomly across all of the rolls) there are blue streaks. In the really bad instances of it, I can see the roller marks from a machine. There are also small spots randomly on various frames that look like chemical burns.<br>

The weird thing is, it never overlaps frames and it's never on the same frame on each roll. It's always contained to one frame and completely random. There are rolls that are totally fine, and some that have multiple instances of these streaks. I would think that a processing problem would be a little less targeted than that. I'm still fairly new to film, and this is a new lab that I haven't used and that had come pretty highly recommended by someone who shoots seriously. The lab is in Shanghai, and my Chinese isn't good enough to ask how they process 135 (machine or D&D). I know they do E-6 D&D, because I saw them unload the film, so my assumption was that they did D&D for everything. But after seeing roller marks, I'm guessing that's not the case.<br>

Some of the problem could be the film though I thought. A large chunk of it was recently expired (June 2014) so I thought that could have been part of the problem.<br>

I'm going to scan an example and upload tomorrow, but I was wondering if anyone had seen this kind of thing before. It looks like a chemical burn, darkened spot when you hold the negative up to the light.<br>

Thoughts? Thanks!<br>

(LOL and before you tell me to do my homework first before dumping a large selection of film off at a new lab, let's just say it's a lesson learned already. I won't be going back to this lab)</p>

Don-

 

Thanks for the reply. I've decided on digital at this point. Appreciate the thoughts on traveling and recharging batteries, I

will take a look for those items you mentioned.

 

Also, took a look at some of the images on your site. I'm guessing a bunch of your Tibet photos are on Kodachrome? I will

definitely be in touch about travel offline!

 

Scott

Dave-

 

Thanks for the info on SE Asia, I will definitely be spending some time there, but hoping to spend a lot of time in India and

China. I'm planning to bring a laptop, most likely what you said, and a couple of hard drives.

 

Do you have any contacts for guides locally you would recommend?

Ian- By the way, I had a look at your website. Your work is excellent. Really like the India portfolio and Bangladesh

portfolio.

Thanks for your responses! As for the purpose of the trip, I'm not really sure. Call it a quarter life crisis? Maybe taking a

shot at photographing full time? Portfolio building trip? A pilgrimage? It's probably all of those things rolled up into one. I

do have photography aspirations I guess, but just getting to travel and photograph is more important. And to be exposed

to cultures and people I would never otherwise have the opportunity to interact with. Those kind of experiences have

shaped me immensely already, and I expect this trip to do the same.

 

Sally- thanks for the perspective! How long was the trip? I'm really leaning towards digital at this point, out of

convenience, although being able to let go of the images after their shot until I can get them processed is still a huge draw

for me.

 

Ian- I've heard a lot of good things about Bangladesh. Any specific recommendations around times of year, places, etc?

My apologies. Thailand was a bad example. I don't have specific plans in Thailand, just want to be prepared. Thanks for

your input!

I lived in Chongqing for a summer, spent time in Xining and a number of other western China cities. And I speak some

Mandarin. I'm not looking to be a tourist, I have no problem roughing it, and yes, I've used a squat toilet. I don't think my

perception is unrealistic, I've spent time there, and not as a tourist.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. David-that's a good point. If I stumble on something I want to document, it could be

hard to do on film. Since that really is the point of this trip, it might be best to do digitally.

 

And it's true, pictures are ultimately about the content. But the type of camera/lens will have an impact on the aesthetic

qualities of the photograph, which is very important to me. I think it is probably best to stick with what I know best.

 

Thanks for your help anyone. If you have any recommendations for things to see in Asia feel free to suggest! I've been to

China multiple times, but not anywhere else in Asia. Thanks again!

<p>Jeff-<br>

I only mention other photographers as inspiration, thats all. If I go with film, its not because of others. I like not being able to see my photos right away, it forces me to focus better on the scene around me. Granted digital doesn't stop one from doing that, its just a bad habit.<br>

JDM-<br>

I guess thats true, film is sensitive. I hadn't thought of that, as I have only traveled with it once.</p>

<p> </p>

Jos-

 

Thanks for your reply. I guess that is true, power is becoming increasingly common. How did you manage your film

inventory back when you shot film? We're you constantly traveling abroad, or was it a three week trip here and there and

then back home?

Hi all-

 

I'm in the process of planning for a year trip through Asia and I am hashing around the idea of shooting film instead of digital. Personally,

film is my preference for artistic reasons, I just love the look. Anyway, here is the dilemma:

 

I am primarily a digital shooter who shoots film occasionally, but I look at the work of someone like Bruce Percy or Steve McCurry and all

I ever want to shoot is film. Travel photography should be shot on film, in my opinion and personal vision. But when I started thinking out

the trip at the length that I am planning, I found some logistical problems with shooting film. First of all, what happens when you run out?!

If I go the film route, it will be medium format, and the camera will be a mamiya 7. I know that for sure. But at 10 shots a roll, that's a lot of

rolls of film to lug around through airport scanners, desert heat, etc. Is there a way to "reload" in places like China, India, Thailand, etc? I

guess mail order is an option but I'm curious to hear about your experiences with this.

 

Another issue is that I'm planning to do some "off the grid" work with like Tibetan nomads or live out in the boondocks in Thailand for a

month at a time. And lack of electricity comes into play here. I've seen the solar panel options out there for recharging batteries and stuff,

not too expensive either. Digital is not real well suited for this kind of thing on a longer than a week basis I feel though, as I will need to

recharge batteries and laptops, etc. and digital cameras are bit more fragile in these environments I feel unless you're swinging a pro dslr. but I would be curious to hear your perspective on this and any solutions you all have come up with.

 

Weight and size are also a problem, whether digital or film. I won't be lugging a pro dslr anywhere, I did that already through the

mountains of Peru, and never again. It will be a 5d mkiii or a fuji rangefinder. The mamiya is large I know, but not that much heavier, and

is still fairly unobtrusive for street shooting, although the slow apertures worry me. But the image quality!

 

My last and final dilemma is editing images. I want to be able to process images while abroad, as a way to show people at home where I

am and what I'm seeing. I've considered going the film route and adding in a Fuji x100s or something, but then I have to decided between

two mediums all the time and I would rather just commit to one. I'm interested to see if there are any effective solutions for mailing film

back and having it processed and scanned so that I can edit from abroad.

 

I'm really just looking for thoughts on traveling long term and into off the grid environments with film (or digital I guess) from people who

have done it and can address some of the concerns I have here. I realize that it's a personal choice, and I have no desire to discuss

"which is better" artistically, only the logistical aspects of traveling with either in the ways mentioned. It will also depend on style of

shooting, and that's also not something I want to discuss, or expect anyone to really be able to help me with.

 

That's a lot of verbiage. Thoughts?

Really appreciate the input everyone. I'll post some shots once I've tried them out. Thanks!

Colin- Interesting. It still shows up on their product list here in the States. Well maybe I'll just shoot it while I still can!

https://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/professional_photography/film/fujichrome/velvia/velvia_100f/index.html

David- yeah I've realized I am in a very tough spot these days with choices. I've heard Provia is a little cool. I may try

getting a warming filter if I don't like it at first. Any experience doing that? I plan to shoot either on cloudy days or sunset

when the light is good.

 

Velvia 100f is discontinued? I still see it everywhere, unless those are just the last rolls.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Looks like I'm buying some Provia. Don-how in the world do people get that kind of color

out of Portra?! I have had nothing but blah experiences with it.

Hi all-

 

Just getting into film, sticking with 35mm for now. One of the things that has made me want to shoot film is the red colors. After seeing my

uncles cibachrome (yes I know it's dead) prints made with Velvia and Steve McCurry's "Women in a dust storm" I was hooked. I can't get

that color out of my digital images. While I know Kodachrome is gone, I was wondering if there was anything out there that would give

you vibrant reds and colors but not kill skin tones like Velvia. I prefer E6, but if there is a negative type out there that has good contrast

and great red/color saturation I am open to trying it. I shot some Velvia 100 (not "f") in Pakistan and the skin tones were...uh....saturated

lol. Looking for a good alternative. Also I did some searching around, didn't find much, but sorry if this has been hashed over a lot. Feel

free to just link the post(s)!

 

I've realized I was born in the wrong era. Vacuum tube amps, vinyl, and film. Love it. Thanks for your help!

 

Scott