Shooting Fuji Provia 100

10 Sept

The London Skyline from Tower Bridge. 1/400s 50mm F8.0. — The London Skyline from Tower Bridge. *1/400s 50mm F8.0.*

Following on from shooting Kodak’s Ektachrome 100 is made the most sense to then shoot Fuji’s equivalent – Provia 100. Not as well loved as Fuji Velvia (which we will come onto next week), as it lacks the vibrant purple hues that film is known for, this stock however should be a good candidate for general day time shooting. Though it will still have a very different colour palette to the Kodak, bluer and less orange. As with shooting Ektachrome I tried to shoot many different scenarios with all sorts of lighting to really push the film and see what it could do. Thankfully visiting a city like London gives me that opportunity, so that is where I took the majority of the photos.

These multi-coloured Triumph Stags made for a great set of subjects. 1/40s 50mm F8.0 with polariser. — These multi-coloured Triumph Stags made for a great set of subjects. *1/40s 50mm F8.0 with polariser.*

The Triumph Stag we took out for our shoot was white which was quite appropriate seeing as it snowed later that afternoon. 1/30s 50mm F8.0 with polariser. — The Triumph Stag we took out for our shoot was white which was quite appropriate seeing as it snowed later that afternoon. *1/30s 50mm F8.0 with polariser.*

One thing I didn’t mention last week though was the difficulty in shooting such a slow film stock on a camera that isn’t attached to a tripod. In the old days I could easily have purchased a 400 ISO roll of slide film, but nowadays 100 ISO is as fast as it gets. Thankfully on the days I went out there was enough light to still be able to shoot at F8.0 or F11 using my trusty nifty fifty. I do have some hope that a faster stock could return to the market as Kodak Alaris (the offshoot company responsible for making film) has said they are looking at bringing two new items to their portfolio in the future. Fingers crossed.

The Tower Bridge in all its glory. 1/400s 50mm F8.0. — The Tower Bridge in all its glory. *1/400s 50mm F8.0.*

A close-up of one of the towers. 1/320s 50mm F5.6. — A close-up of one of the towers. *1/320s 50mm F5.6.*

The boats of St Katherine’s Dock. 1/250s 200mm F5.6. — The boats of St Katherine’s Dock. *1/250s 200mm F5.6.*

HMS Belfast. Launched in 1938, it has been a permanent museum ship since 1971. 1/200s 145mm F8.0. — HMS Belfast. Launched in 1938, it has been a permanent museum ship since 1971. *1/200s 145mm F8.0.*

But in the meantime, back to Fuji. As I mentioned last week, I was having some difficulties scanning the images edge-to-edge sharp and I had to spend a significant amount of time playing around with my method until I got it right. It was satisfying when I got the better scans up on my computer, and I could safely say that I hadn’t messed up the shot in camera. Looking at the photos of the London skyline, I can tell straight away they look very different colour wise to Ektachrome, the sky is that much more bluey-purple. Though I can’t personally see any differences in fine detail. Both seem to be equally good there, so it just comes down to which colours you want or perhaps what ever you can source the cheapest. Ektachrome used to be consistently cheaper, but with price increases I can no longer say that with certainty.

Street art is often in abundance on the streets of London. 1/60s 50mm F8.0. — Street art is often in abundance on the streets of London. *1/60s 50mm F8.0.*

However this other piece of art of Shakespeare by the same artist is the one that really caught my attention. 1/80s 50mm F4.0. — However this other piece of art of Shakespeare by the same artist is the one that really caught my attention. *1/80s 50mm F4.0.*

The Millennium Bridge leading to St Paul’s Cathedral. 1/400s 50mm F8.0. — The Millennium Bridge leading to St Paul’s Cathedral. *1/400s 50mm F8.0.*

There’s always little pubs or cafes tucked away down side alleys or in underpasses in London. 1/2s 50mm F8.0. — There’s always little pubs or cafes tucked away down side alleys or in underpasses in London. *1/2s 50mm F8.0.*

**The Covid Memorial Wall. On the opposite side of the Thames to the Houses of Parliament, a heart has been painted for everyone purported to have died from Covid-19. 1/80s 50mm F11.**

Do I have a preference for one over the other? Difficult to say but I think the warmer tones of Ektachrome just edge it for me. Though of course there will be situations that suit one over the other and perhaps with more experience I will be able to work that out. For now, I think the first set of slide film I will put through my Bronica SQ-A will be Ektachrome, but I’m sure that will be followed by Provia. I just can’t help myself when it comes to a little bit of experimenting.