hasselblad friday: roll #5 (my first fuji roll; also, alleluia, i believe i've found the right film)
I love this chapel with a white-hot passion. See that dark opening in the front white wall? That's the entrance. Doesn't it look like a giant white curtain is being peeled back for you to slip into the nave? (The chapel was designed by Philip Johnson. Of course.)
Last week, as I was coming off of my Klaus-ish mood, I decided to take a little break and wander over to the University of St. Thomas. I hadn't been there in about 2-1/2 years, but I remembered that my last experience walking the labyrinth there was very peaceful, and peaceful was something that I was definitely in the mood for. Happily, it didn't disappoint.
Just as I was leaving the house, however, on an impulse I grabbed the Hasselblad, hoping to try out the Fujicolor Pro 400H film at the university grounds, to see if I liked it better than the Kodak Portra (if you remember, I felt that the Kodak was stifling the imbuing of my spirit, or something). I have to admit, I was a little nervous as I waited for the film to be processed: if I didn't like the result, it meant that I was doing something technically wrong, as opposed to the hopefully-easy fix of simply switching film.
I'm thrilled to report that I'm thrilled with this film.
I just love it. In full-on sunlight, this film seems to capture truer colour than the Kodak Portra does, so that I didn't need to do much post-camera processing; as a result, these images feel far more "me" than the previous Hassie images, while still maintaining the vibe that marks it as unmistakably film, instead of digital.
This has been such a good lesson, by the way: I've learned that when it comes to film photography, finding the right film is almost as important using the right lens or the right camera settings. It's all a part of creating the art. Before embarking on this experiment, I think I would've thought that film was just film, and it was just a matter of getting a decent quality -- but it's not just about quality, it turns out. It's about how the film communicates colour and light and shadow and contrast, and whether or not it does it in a way that satisfies the photographer and what he or she is trying to convey. So to be clear, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Kodak Portra -- in fact, it's probably perfect for another photographer, one who feels that it helps convey her art as she intends. But for me, the Fujicolor film comes closer to allowing me to make that conveyance in a way that feels authentic. It helps me communicate more accurately.
I hope that makes sense?
Anyway, I digress. After wandering around the grounds of the chapel and the labyrinth, I decided to stop by one of my favourite coffeehouses, to see how the film did in dimmer, indoor light.
It would've been nice to have his face in focus, instead of the back of her head, but oh, well. Next time.
I love this photo. Love.
People, I'm just so happy. The colour feels just so rich and lush. This is exactly what I was hoping for.
My second roll of the Fujifilm is currently at the processor's, and on that roll I shot more everyday stuff, so we'll see how it turns out. But I'm feeling really energized about this film and taking more images with the Hassie. Now it's all about tweaking technique.
Which is totally the fun part.
(In other unrelated news, I was busy over at Babble.com this week! First, I talked about my new attitude with exercise. Then, I got sick. But as always, I was still very, very grateful -- and there was lots of evidence to this effect.)
And with that, have an amazing weekend, everyone.
Song: More than words by Extreme