I am finally posting photographs from one of my favorite photo shoots from this past summer. I had just bought a used film camera, a Mamiya 645AF, and I wanted to try it out. So I found a Facebook friend who had some time and had the looks that worked for a promotional photo shoot.
I picked downtown Salt Lake City for our location. I absolutely love downtown for photography and portraits. This photo shoot centered on about 2 blocks and we just took a walk around the block to find different textures, graffiti, and backgrounds. Because this is film and one of my first portrait sessions entirely on film, I went all natural light. Natural light is “what you see is what you get.” There is less of a chance of screwing things up, especially with brand new gear (brand new to me, it was used).
Chet photographed be Exchange Place
The camera has multiple film backs, meaning I can switch from color film to black and white film pretty easily. I am a fan of color anyway and I can always turn color into black and white. But this whole shoot was an experiment. I think in future photo shoots, I will shoot a 2 to 1 ratio. I will shoot 2 rolls of color for every 1 roll of black and white film. That will change if a client wants more color or more b&w. I can see some clients shunning black and white entirely.
Chet photographed on black and white Kodak film
Natural light looks best early in the morning or later in the evenings. In the valley, I usually will push for an evening shoot because the mountains on the east don’t give us much golden morning light in the morning.
Back light is amazing on film. The golden light just looks warm and perfect.
Once we shot the rolls of film, I sent them off to Richard Photo Lab in California. To this point they have done the best job a developing, processing, and scanning the film. They do all the color correction for me and they photographs look great. I have been testing a few different labs and RPH has given me the best results and clients have loved the results.
Portrait with graffiti
One thing I will do in the future is limit how much gear I am carrying with me. I will try and keep it to one camera and then 2-3 lenses and a reflector. Keeping gear simple means I can focus more on my subject and less on everything else. Don’t worry, I always have a backup camera and gear ready. That is why cars have trunks, for the backup gear.
Portrait against a cement wall
Sunglasses make a perfect accessory for photography
Shooting in natural light portraits.
Graffiti is awesome, enough said.
Grungy locations make for fun photographs.
Red, red stripped shirt, and sunglass=cool
Wooden background
Aluminum siding for a background
Bears meet blondes
The golden doors by Exchange Place
Kodak film, processing by Richard Photo Lab, and a medium format film camera. Awesome sauce.
I’m still experimenting with black and white film. It seems so final.
Shooting film gives me a different look that digital.
Portraits at dusk
This is why you at least need to carry a reflector
Black and white portrait of Chet and downtown
And last shoot of the night is a Polaroid. Technically the film is not Polaroid. The film is made by a new company called Impossible Project. They make film that will work in old Polaroid cameras. This is some black and white film. The photo is a bit out of focus but it is similar to gambling, you don’t know what you are going to get. And it is one of a kind.
Polaroid cameras still work and all you need is Impossible Project film
