Landscape Photography - Pushing Portra and ignoring my own advice.

On a trip to the English Lakes I had firmly fixed my mind on subtle colours, the type I have been getting with Portra 400 using medium and large format cameras. This time I decided to go with 35mm for a number of reasons and also push the film one stop to EI 800 in the hope of increasing contrast and allow a degree of handholdability (is that even a word?).
Sadly the early part of the trip didn't go so well due to my choices and also thanks to falling back on the bad old habit of relying on a wide ranging zoom to make life easier.
The results were predictable with less than ideal colours and many (many) poor compositions. Next time I'll listen to myself and slow down.
See the full size images here:
www.flickr.com...
Equipment Used:
Nikon FE2
35mm f/2.8 ais 20mm f/4 ai
28-200 Tamron XR Di
Velbon Luxi L Tripod
Kodak Portra 400
Vlogging Equipment:
GoPro Hero 7 Black
iPhone Xs
Rode Smart Lav Microphone
Incidental Music By Epidemic Sound:
Giza
Unpainted Canvas 1

[@benschweiger1671]

I don't know if anyone's told you this before but you're like the Bob Ross of photography. I really appreciate the slow, methodical process you take while photographing with none of the hyperactiveness many other KZbinrs have.

[@SteveONions]

Thank you Ben 🙂

[@lensman5762]

Yes, I do agree. Some of them drive me mad running around like a Royal Marine with a huge backpack. What is that all about? Photography, particularly film photography is like meditation to me, not a 400 meter steeple chase.

[@paulbarnard5267]

A great example of the difference between taking pictures and photography.

[@SteveONions]

Cheers Paul.

[@jonjanson8021]

I'm probably about the same age as you and it amazes me that the older I get the more I need to learn.

[@Luudite]

The older I get the more I realize that I know next to nothing

[@montycraig5659]

59 yrs old, and it's still all new, and fascinating!

[@GonzoTheRosarian]

Even your “bad” photos are great! A “bad” day of photography for you surpasses most of us! 🙃

[@SteveONions]

Thank you Laura 😊

[@Boneless_Chuck]

That's my camera! Anyway, thank you for your self-revealing analysis in this video. I probably learned more from this than when gurus dole out advice and appear to "magically" create great images.

[@bradleyzimmerman4184]

The Nikon FE2 and FM2 are great little cameras.

[@SteveONions]

Cheers Dan, anyone who claims to get it right every time should be avoided 🙂

[@inevitablecraftslab]

Eric Sandmeyer yeah thats the first camera i bought, still got it still works like a charm

[@GrainyByNature]

Remember polarizer helps color pop. Looks like overcast glare took some of your colors away. Your comps are solid as usual.

[@SteveONions]

Good point Ryan, when I was out a week later I polarised 90% of the shots and contrast was a lot better.

[@freequest]

Such a Polarizing statement. 🤣🤣

[@cdl0]

All the photographs looked not too shabby in my opinion. First prize should be awarded to the mountain with the cloud on top @10:11. I agree that primes, footwork, and patience are the gold standard for composition in photography; nevertheless, I do have one zoom in my lens collection which does give good results: it is a Canon new-FD 35-70 mm lens (with macro capability). I think it works because it tries not to do too much, while still covering the most useful range of focal lengths, and is good for closeup pictures of tiny things. It also happens to be a very cheap and plentiful kit lens!

[@JamesBellLandscapePhotography]

Another good vlog Steve. I agree with regards to the prone lenses. I don’t own a zoom at the moment. I too have had some underwhelming results lately with Portra. It certainly has its place but only in certain situations. I’m hoping to shoot some 120 slide film this weekend. A test between Provia and Velvia. I recall you did something similar a while back.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks James, Portra is usually capable of excellent results but it isn’t infallible. Provia and Velvia are very different and could never be accused of soft colours, I prefer the former due to the greater latitude and easier scanning.

[@MileyonDisney]

When I originally shot film in the 70's and 80's, my favorite BY FAR was Kodachrome - 25 when I could use it or 64 otherwise. Such a beautiful film! Now that I've shot digital for a while (got my first digital camera in 1996, a Kodak DC120 - 1 whole megapixel!), I like Portra 160 for the mildness of the colors. Completely opposite of Kodachrome. I mostly shoot portraits, and Portra is perfect for that. You've captured some great photos there and what beautiful scenery! Thanks for another great video!

[@c.augustin]

Ah yes, down memory lane … Kodachrome 25 … used it until it was no longer developed. Never really liked the 64, but found the 200 somewhat special. I'm still sad that Kodachrome 25 is no longer around, it was an incredible slide film, and Fuji Velvia is no suitable replacement at all.

[@bradleyzimmerman4184]

Kodachrome. *sad sigh* ASA 25, 64 and 200 were simply wonderful. I especially loved kodachrome 200 in the late fall. Its color palette couple with all that luscious grain and contrast could make outdoor pictures sing even when there was only silence!

[@c.augustin]

@@bradleyzimmerman4184 You are right about Kodachrome 200 in fall, but it did well in nature in general in my opinion. The grain was pronounced but beautiful, and sharpness was great. Nothing comparable today, but I can see why Kodak ditched the convoluted and complex development of this film stock.

[@SteveONions]

I only shot one roll of Kodachrome 25 and it had a natural look that I haven’t seen replicated in any film since. I never really got on with the 64 speed version but looking back at others images I really miss that palette.

[@cdl0]

Of all the Kodachromes, I liked 64 best! I have about 1000 photographs taken on this.

[@DKR-1881]

So nice to see beautiful undisturbed landscapes with no humans.

[@wyopobo5339]

Great shot on the boats. The browns work great with the shore and the colour of the water. The lines work with the docked boat and the dock which also has the vertical posts which works with the trees in the background. The exposure is perfect....martin...

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Martin, that scene is a bit of a classic and very easy to shoot but I do like what Portra did with it.

[@simonbarnes7124]

Blue skies aye!! Never around when you want them, then popping up to spoil the show. That last image was a great photograph Steve. At least you were out and about in the fresh air. I know what was missing, a mid morning break in a cafe. I was photographing landscapes in Snowdonia in November 2019. We always stay at my sister in law's in Snowdonia, but not anymore, she moved back to ireland. My bolthold on north Wales has gone.

[@SteveONions]

Bad luck with Snowdonia Simon, I’m lucky enough to be within easy driving distance.

[@borderlands6606]

The cloud over the snow capped mountain was my favourite - nice and gritty. Your point about racking the zoom back and forth, was spot on. Zooms are best thought of as a choice of fixed focal lengths, not as a framing device. "Superzooms" compound the problem. I prefer Fuji Pro400H over Portra, but it's even more ridiculously priced.

[@SteveONions]

I’ve been playing around with 400h lately and comparing it to Portra 400. Sometimes it suits a scene really well, other times I prefer Portra. I think the price is an important factor.

[@borderlands6606]

@@SteveONions Yes, both emulsions emerged at the swansong of film, or at least film research. Fine grain 400 ASA colour negative films just weren't that exciting for most people. For the remaining few, the price keeps out all but the most dedicated. When the remaining boxes of120 Pro400H leave the fridge I don't see me buying more.

[@RobinWhalley]

Great video Steve. As good as the day was it brought back bad memories. I didn't get anything that I was happy with in the end. I much prefer the subtle colours of your film to my digital shots. They feel too much "in your face". The last shot of the boats at Keswick is a classic.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Robin, I had to work really hard to get anything out of the shots and none would make a decent enlargement except maybe that last one. I recall you mentioning that the colours were coming out a bit odd on your XT3 also.

[@RobinWhalley]

@@SteveONions Yes, the colours looked very odd and because I was shooting with a wide angle lens, they were uneven across the frame. I doubt any will see the light of day (no pun intended).

[@DGriffGallery]

Yep - some valuable lessons, but the main takeaway for me was in your last sequence when you made the very good point that it was just great to be out there enjoying the location whatever the outcome. I'm off out tomorrow and am under no illusion that the photography will be very interesting - terrible conditions forecast - BUT, I will still have a great time just being on the hill! 😊👍

[@SteveONions]

Excellent point Dave and it really is lovely out today, just plodding up to the top of Moel Y Dyniewyd 😀

[@DGriffGallery]

@@SteveONions well, I'm bloody jealous now! I've got some folks heading over here tomorrow and we were going to go up the Ranger path but it looks like it will get called off because there will be zero visibility above 400 m!

[@SteveONions]

Bad luck Dave, it absolutely stunning this morning 🌞

[@SteveONions]

Totally. If it’s any consolation Dave it took me ages to get home thanks to the A55 being closed 😕

[@tomislavmiletic_]

I know it's an 2x zoom lens only, but back in the day I had Nikkor 35-70mm f2,8 AF. Relatively small, compact, and quite light (compared to current 24-70mm f2,8 G), and the most important thing of all, you can get it quite cheap these days. Back in the day, I've shot Provia, Velvia, Ektachrome and Kodachrome with it. Yes, KODAKCHROME! And my pictures where sharp and colourful each time. A stellar lens! Now you can couple that lens with old manual focus Nikkors 80-200mm f4 or f4,5 which is also not too heavy (you do shoot FE2 after all), and you had got a cheap, awesome lens combo.

[@SteveONions]

Sound like an interesting 35-70 Tomislav, I’ve not tried that one. I’ve had both the f/4 and f/4.5 versions of the 80-200 and loved the quality but not so much the weight sadly.

[@montycraig5659]

Sill, that last shot though... I had a mentor who once told me, "You will have to make a whole lot of bad images, before you make good images." When I was younger, I didn't understand. I now know what he meant. As always, thanks for the great video.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Monty, I’m very fussy these days and only like a small number of the images I make.

[@andrewdewar8159]

I like your style, you know your stuff, chromatic aberation ! Push films ! Cool ! Great pictures .

[@SteveONions]

Thank you very much!

[@flipflopsleica]

Back to LF workflow with primes, I guess. Thanks for sharing your lesson learned.

[@olafrostvei]

Come over your channel a couple of weeks ago. Have been on and off with photos since the 80's. You have inspired me to find my Pentax LX again.

[@SteveONions]

Go and get it Kjetil 😀

[@thevalleywalker]

A fabulous mix of b roll and images Steve, well I thought so anyway. Those colours were great and even the subtle tones of portra didn't stop them coming through. I was surprised at your thoughts in the end to be honest but I bow to your know how of what to shoot in circumstances with film etc. .I laughed out loud as the blue skies appeared just at your lunch stop - you must have been gutted - photographers are never happy with the weather it seems :)

[@SteveONions]

Cheers Alan, that chocolate box sky was the nail in the coffin for me, I really wanted more drizzle!

[@scaramangabongo4420]

Brilliant Steve, although not what you were seeking, beautiful images nontheless. Nice to have a Spinosaurus guarding your cameras.

[@SteveONions]

Hehe, he’s constantly battling with the Ankylosaurus.

[@Luudite]

No worries Steve. Life is the imperfections

[@bradleyzimmerman4184]

Zooms have that terrible quality of making the photographer lazy. Even with todays absolutely amazing zooms that give little up to fixed focals, they still come complete with that lazy photographer factor. On the flip side though, zooms are irreplaceable when you stop in your tracks and see precisely what you want in a photograph. Pop the zoom on, get the framing and press. Using a fixed lens mean you have to psychically move to get the proper framing therefor changing the background elements relationship entirely from what you first saw. I use fixed as much as possible, forcing me to be more diligent but always bring a couple of zooms to save the day.

[@SteveONions]

I’m also loathed to bin the zooms Bradley as they really do work at times but laziness is often lurking nearby. I find the longer zooms much more useful as it is so much harder to frame distant scenes by moving backwards and forwards. For short and medium distances I love to work out the shot by shifting my position.

[@DizinEire]

Hi Steve, good to see other folk not getting it right occasionally :) Oddly enough, just had a session away from the slow and steady. More frantic and fast. An organised tour around Auschwitz/Berkenau doesn't really give you time to compose thoughtfully and calculate. Great vlog as usual Steve. Cheers, Diz

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Diz.

[@stuartbaines2843]

Shots look well balanced for Lakes Autumn colour (i know it well :) Don't know how much post work you did? Useful insight into Portra's quirks!

[@SteveONions]

Thank you 🙂

[@Arturo.H.M]

To be honest, I had to rewind the video to be sure you were using a Tamron 28-300 (half because my poor English and half because I didn’t believe 😄). From the inicial attempt to use the Nikkor 50 1.8, change to a extreme zoom is a big change 🤔. Nice video, thanks.

[@SteveONions]

Once the rain started I got sloppy 😕. That Tamron 28-200 isn’t terrible but it makes me lazy.

[@swansong007]

The usual very high standard of info and knowledge. I always enjoy your video. Stay safe during these scary times 3/4/20

[@SteveONions]

Thank you 🙂

[@thiagobnla]

Personaly, I loved the colors on the first image. I think the purple tint on portra 800 looks great against the greens and oranges of the forest. Not so keen on the sky and clouds, though. but overall i really liked the images, specialy the last one. the color on the boats were great and really soft for such contrasty scene. great video as usual! ;)

[@SteveONions]

Thank you, there was so much post processing to get the colours I wanted. Interesting that my friend was shooting with a Fuji XT3 and he later complained that the colours were a bit odd.

[@brianmccutcheon3205]

Really, I liked all of your shots. Do enjoy your videos, with all the different cameras you use. I do the same, most people cannot understand that. I think some love cameras and their experience more than others. They all have different personalities. A Fed 3 arrived in the mail from Russia today, FED 4 to arrive in three days, have also a Zeiss Ikon Taxo 64 folding plate camera coming from England. Have lost count how many cameras I have. So what, I love em:

[@SteveONions]

I’m also a hopeless addict Brian, just looking at my Fed 3 sat on the window ledge 😀

[@brianmccutcheon3205]

@@SteveONions You know Steve I have a number of digital cameras eg K1 , XT3 and they are great cameras. But I get so sentimental with my old film cameras lol....most of which cost next to nothing lol. When the cash flow improves getting a INTREPID 4X5 MK4 or some other 4x5 ...... Ar so many cameras so little cash .......

[@jiml989]

Great video as usual. I would love to see that image of the mountain with the cloud above it converted to B&W.

[@relaques666]

Love your style of videos!!

[@SteveONions]

Glad you like them 🙂

[@DanielVeazey]

I have my first roll of Portra 400 in my camera right now. I am shooting it at 200 and will have it developed normally. The fall colors (which are never very spectacular here anyway) have already faded to brown, but I'm still excited to be shooting Portra.

[@SteveONions]

It’ll look great Daniel, truly a magical film.

[@terrywbreedlove]

I have been shooting film since the late1970’s and haven’t stopped. I haven’t gotten to the point that I just shoot a few stocks that I know very well and don’t experiment anymore. TMAX 100 for B&W landscapes. Fuji Velvia for color landscapes. Portra 400 rated at 200 iso for portraits. And TRI-X for street. I shoot 90% black and white Landscapes so TMAX 100 is my most used film by far.

[@SteveONions]

It’s good to settle on a few materials Terry, I’m trying to standardise as much as possible.

[@terrywbreedlove]

Steve O'Nions I wish FUJi would make Acros in 4x5 then I could replace Tmax 100. Oh and drop the price it is so much higher than Tmax.

[@SteveONions]

Although I never used it much I appreciated the reciprocity characteristics, made it perfect for pinhole work 🙂

[@stealthvanlife6867]

I've rated Portra 400 at EI 250 all the way up to EI 1600 all on the same roll of both 35mm and 120 and all of the exposures were usable.

[@SteveONions]

It’s certainly flexible but the colours do start to suffer at times. It’s less of a problem for the people who are looking for that popular washed out look but for landscapes in the UK it can kill the scene. I think I need to experiment with Portra 800 🙂

[@steveschnetzler5471]

Seem like there should be a camera umbrella rig that works on the tripod to make bad weather shooting easier, at least when there is no wind. So you can take your time in the rainy woods.

[@SteveONions]

I’ve got an umbrella clamp Steve and it does work very well providing there is no wind.

[@ronaldmoravec2692]

I pick Portra 160 as my only color film for the natural look. Pair it with PROFESIONAL color paper , not the cheap stuff Kodak sells to consumer labs, and you get beautiful results, The only thing better was EKTAR 25, yes 25, that was available in the late 70`s or 80`s. I could make landscapes that looked like medium format but was 35 mm. No grain, sharp, natural contrast, not oversaturated. It put Portra to shame. It did not sell evidently as Kodak discontinued it in short order.

[@SteveONions]

I also liked the original slow Ektar Ronald. I’m interested in the new Gold 200 in 120. Incidentally Fuji’s Reala was my favourite colour negative film.

[@philipculbertson55]

When you push a film, do you have to also alter the chemicals or exposure time? If so and you send the film to a lab for developing, how do you alert the lab so that they know how to develop the film? Also, if things have to be adjusted, I suppose that pushing part of the roll and then switching back the ISO is not an option? Really enjoyed the video.

[@SteveONions]

Spot on Philip, you have to decide on a speed and stick with it. You can ask your lab to push the film when you send it in, all they do is add extra time in the developer - in my case I added 30 seconds.

[@ruudmaas2480]

Thanks for sharing this experience (advise). At this moment I do not have a zoom for my Fujifilm XT-2 setup. I'am in te process of buying a zoom like the new 16-80mm f4 of fujifilm. Thinking it's more easy (no changing lenses) and perhaps thinking I will not miss a shot when I have a zoom lens mounted. Perhaps I'll postpone that idea of buying a zoom. At this moment I only use primes. Most of the time i only use one prime the 16mm F2.8 . And mostly I only take two primes with me. A wide prime like the 16mm f2.8 and my short telephoto prime the 50mm F2. I have the experience that this setup gives or "forces" me to spend more time the get the " feel" and "mindset" of the place (scene) I am trying to photograph. It has also a positive effect on my photographs. And of course film is an extra dimension.

[@philipculbertson55]

Hey Steve, I am shooting an FE2 with both BW and Color film, mainly landscapes and old abandoned buildings. I have a 24mm 2.8 and a 50mm 1.8 (many people call it a pancake lens) that I use most often. I am looking to add another lens, a longer prime to help pick out distant shots. I do have a 75-150 3.5 also but rarely use it. Do you have any recommendations based on your use of the FE2 in mountains?

[@SteveONions]

Hi Philip. I can recommend the 85mm f/2 Ai as a good companion for the two lenses you mention.

[@joecomeau6111]

Steve, what about the color rendition with the portra were you not keen on? You said you wanted to play down the colors a bit bit said you should have used a more saturated film?

[@bthemedia]

joe comeau @13:30 I was wondering the same thing about the color. Was it the combo of overcast and green/brown vegetation light that Portra 400 is not as well suited for - a color balance / white balance issue? That Ektar handles better?

[@Ktheodoss]

I love your accent. You remind me of that singer, Gary Barlow, from X-Factor UK. Maybe you guys come from same part of England.

[@SteveONions]

😀 he does live near to me 👍

[@eltinjones4542]

You can be very critical of your own approach? Maybe that's how you come up with the goods👌 Went photographing waterfalls yesterday with a 24-120 lens, mostly at 24mm. Maybe I should have brought my 24mm prime? You've given me food for thought 👍

[@jameslane3846]

A 24mm f2.8 prime is very small and light!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Eltin. Definitely go with the prime next time. Let’s be honest, zooms usually get used at one end or the other.

[@nandi123]

Very enjoyable and informative video Steve, thank you. I am primarily a film shooter these days but recently worked with a Sigma Quattro H. The quality is amazing and unlike any digital camera I have used. If you have the patience to work with the Sigma post processing software your efforts are well rewarded. I hope you get an opportunity to try it.

[@SteveONions]

It’s interesting you mention the Sigma as they have come up in conversation a few times recently. I recall an article many years ago where the amazing print qualities of the sensor were being discussed. Do you know of any good resources I could follow to find out more about the various options with this system?

[@nandi123]

​@@SteveONions I find reidreviews.com and diglloyd.com provide the most informative reviews. The Quattro H has the smoothest tonal transitions I have seen on a digital camera. Both Flickr and 500px have a few good examples showing what the foveon sensor can do in the right hands.

[@SteveONions]

Brilliant, I’ll have a look at those two.

[@JohnTomasella]

I've used the zip lock bag trick with my D5000 while taking pictures at the race track.

[@SteveONions]

I always find them better than the dedicated camera covers 👍

[@stefannikoloff1860]

Some lessons learned... i dont really like zooms, I always shoot with primes they help me to slow down and think more. However i did really like the waterfall/creek shots, beautiful scenery could eaaily spend days there! Thanks for sharing!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Stefan, I think I have a love hate relationship with zooms - with primes it’s all love.

[@ricfootball]

Can I please ask a beginner's question - what are primes? I've been trying to work it out from context and the comments but failed!

[@SteveONions]

Primes are just single focal length lenses as opposed to the more usual zooms 🙂

[@ricfootball]

@@SteveONions Ahh I see, thanks Steve 👍 I'm enjoying your videos, whilst a lot of what you say goes over my head at the moment, i'm still picking up some tips that I hope I can apply when i've learnt more in the future, so thank you

[@joshuafagans7534]

Lovely photos and video as usual!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Joshua.

[@tonyb2760]

I liked all of the images. Thanks for sharing

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Tony.

[@photographyforenjoyment]

A great video again Steve but apart from the self criticism, I picked-up on one comment you made - namely how much post processing you had to do to bring out the colour you wanted. This has got me thinking (and it in no way is criticism of your work) about the 'grey area' when shooting on film, and then digitizing the images to either show here on other digital platforms or indeed prior to digitally printing. In some ways it ADDS to our flexibility in ways that were unimaginable back in pure film photography days, yet in others it DETRACTS from the same pure film stock experience. As I say this is not a criticism, but I would be interested to hear your own views on this topic?

[@bthemedia]

Alan Stanway @13:30 that’s related to another question I had regarding color of the scenes and film. Regarding your question about “correcting” the colors digitally... that would be done chemically as well and process/print shops could/would correct colors as well with filters during the printing.

[@SteveONions]

Very true.

[@stephendeakin2714]

I used one of those Tamron 28-200 zooms on a holiday, some years ago, the conditions were quite harsh wind blown desert sand and not having to swop out prime lenses worked really well.

[@SteveONions]

That was the plan for me too Stephen, when it was raining it made sense but it soon stopped and I’d already slipped into lazy mode by that point 😕

[@stephendeakin2714]

Yes I know exactly what you mean, I've cut back and back, until now if I am just going out speculatively, just one prime, one camera, one type of film is my choice. I found this approach to work for me when I went for a few days on holiday with a friend who certainly would not appreciate waiting around, so I would have to see and capture images quite quickly with the minimum of equipment, on that occasion I used a fifty millimetre lens and it demonstrated to me the value of taking this approach. I now tend to chose a lens length or maybe two lengths, wideish and longish, to give me a simplified vision. If the photograph is not going to work for me on this occasion, so be it.

[@SteveONions]

One lens is something I like to use when wandering around doing casual shooting. I do like the two lens approach though with a modest wide and short tele, a 35mm and 85mm being about perfect.

[@stephendeakin2714]

@@SteveONions Great admiration for all your effort producing video's on what, let's face it, is not an easy subject to tackle. Cheers.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Stephen

[@AliasJimWirth]

Seriously Steve, is the video we see here from the GoPro 7? Looks too good...and the colors (I know there is PS and LR). Also, you shot at f16 at least once, early on. Whenever I did, it always looked flat in the end. But your result has depth. How is that? The lens? Thanks. I am enjoying this video by the way.

[@SteveONions]

The Hero 7 Black can give excellent results in many situations providing the light is sufficient. I’m not sure why the results came out like this on the day in terms of the colour shots, the lens isn’t particularly special but the lighting did help.

[@v-g-z3689]

Beautiful pictures Steve!

[@SteveONions]

Thank you.

[@gabriel1chan]

Just lovely photos. I would not be able to see your view point. Good education for me too.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Gabriel 🙂

[@miloharrison2330]

As always, thanks for taking us with you on your outing. I've tried to shoot portra in the forest on a couple of occasions and have always been a little disappointed with the color. I've seen you use Fuji's slide films extensively but I was wondering if you've had a chance to shoot any of the newest Ektachrome formulation from Kodak? I've shot a few rolls since it was released and have had favorable results, would love to see your thoughts on it compared to the Fuji offerings.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Milo. I haven’t tried Ektachrome yet as I never really liked it when it used to be in production. I found the colours very cool and insipid but perhaps I should revisit it and try using it in different situations.

[@avengedart6648]

You make great content for film lovers and all photographers! Thank you! Why don't you post anything in instagram? I think, it is very good platform for coonection with audience.

[@SteveONions]

Thank you 😀. I have recently started posting an image per day to Instagram under the name steveonions1.

[@kennyli3225]

What bag is that, and does it come with that shoulder strap camera holster system? Seems more comfy than having to lug the camera around your neck.

[@SteveONions]

It’s a Lowepro Prorunner 400 Kenny.

[@FourIntoOne]

Great vid Steve, thanks for sharing. Like you did this time I too fall into bad habits with zoom lenses - So I took a decision a few years ago, and now only shoot prime lenses with film. Dont get me wrong im not anti zoom I totally get the utility of one but with film being like it is with the expense and extra effort required......well you get my drift.

[@SteveONions]

Totally agree Marc, the zooms have their place but when I have the luxury of setting up the tripod and carefully composing then primes are the best.

[@PianoBlackTrimRep.]

Steve, you ever rate Porta 400 at 200 or 100 and develop normally?

[@SteveONions]

I certainly do David, typically I bias negative films towards overexposure and even add another stop so 200 and 100. It’s rarely caused me any issues but If the sky is very bright then you can start to desaturate the colours too much and it pays to use a graduated filter.

[@Skidoo22]

I'm just shooting a roll of velvia 50 with my Nikon FE for the late colour.

[@cultureclam]

Delightful as always Steve. I'm discovering my FE to be an excellent night shooter. Just wondering what kind of L-bracket you mount on yours? I'm poking around the web and finding these brackets to be prohibitively expensive.

[@SteveONions]

Good point about the night capabilities, a friend of mine did a very long exposure in a city once and the aperture priority metering was spot on (the image placed highly in a national competition). The bracket is just one of the generic types found on Amazon or EBay for around £10. Fortunately it fits almost perfectly although I often cut out a small section so it clears the strap lug.

[@cultureclam]

@@SteveONions thanks for the tip Steve. I was looking at a premium brand bracket for $100! I shoot the FE in aperture priority at night as well and it exposes brilliantly. Another genius feature is the mirror lock up when using the self-timer. No need for a release cable.

[@Topsyrm]

Hi Steve, great vid as usual. Just wondering how was your camera fixed in position on your bag strap? it looks like a really useful rig.

[@bensheed2578]

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[@AceHardy]

Good deeds 🙌💯

[@c.augustin]

Which chemicals do you use for C-41? And there's an advantage in using rangefinder cameras: Fixed focal lengths or primes is all you can have … ;-) That said, there are some nice shots in there!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Christian. I’m currently using the 2 bath Rollei Colorchem kits although I also like their more economical Digibase offering.

[@c.augustin]

@@SteveONions I'm using CineStill Cs41 at the moment, but I might give the 2 bath Rollei chemicals a try (I have to look where I can get them; my local shop, Fotoimpex here in Berlin, seems to not have this particular kit but the Digibase kits instead). I'm not going to have more than 2 baths, too much hassle an it would take too much room for storage too.

[@johnjon1823]

That's the thing with film, on the one hand it should help you work more slowly and deliberately but you never really know, or only think you know what you have until you develop things and complete all the processing you want to do. I used to keep a camera in my office at work and it took forever to use a roll because it made me picky. If you ever look at a shoe box full of prints of lousy shots it is far more inspiring of restraint than lousy shots on an sd card. On the one hand you are confronted with an ugly and costly reality and on the other there seems to be no cost for it with digital UNTIL you consider the time wasted culling and the storage costs. In some sense the new Fuji x-pro 3 is an attempt to slow you down, force you to think, and shorten the culling process, but then it also feels like your mother forcing you to eat the vegetables, and even if you like vegetables there will likely be one that comes along that you would rather avoid.

[@SteveONions]

Restraint is hard for me when shooting digital and I usually give in and make too many exposures. This rarely reaches me anything and I prefer to have fewer images to review at the end of a trip even if none are perfect. I doubt anyone can take a good shot every time.

[@timteevin4517]

The problem ( as I see it ) with camera videos is, they are almost all video. Not much camera, or what comes out of them.

[@SteveONions]

Flickr and Instagram are better places to look at still images Tim.

[@freequest]

Don't beat yourself up. Got to experiment for yourself if you don't well you get stuck in a rut.

[@SteveONions]

Good point and it has me wanting to experiment with Portra 400 now.

[@pixiedixie3682]

Hello everyone , I wander is you guys can help me .i have an Nikon FE but the winding mechanism is stuck . Could you recommend a technician especializad on film cameras? Most appreciated .Thanks !

[@justmythought7658]

Can't recommend a technician, but I had my modern digital camera repaired recently. It was only a cable and it cost me 150 EUR. I would consider buing a camera on eBay instead of repairing it.

[@pixiedixie3682]

JustMy Thought Thank you , Steve recommended me , his technician Newton Ellis in Liverpool . Thanks again

[@SteveONions]

See next weeks video too, all about the problems of owning and using old film cameras. PS - thanks for the print order too 🙂

[@pixiedixie3682]

Steve O'Nions My pleasure. !