As 35mm color film became scarcer than toilet paper during the pandemic days, we have seen an increasing amount of eager film photographers looking at different options to keep shooting color on 35mm and not die trying. This eventually shifted the focus to “the other” type of film made by Kodak. The color film for motion pictures and cinema: Kodak ECN-2 film.

Don’t get us wrong, ECN-2 spooled film from the 400ft 35mm cans has been around forever, but it has always been somewhat homemade, poorly labeled, or coming from dubious sources.

For the first time in recent years, we have at our disposal a reliable supply of 35mm ECN-2 film cased and packaged correctly, with all guarantees that you are shooting fresh, properly spooled film thanks to SILBERSALZ35!

There are many myths and theories behind it, and with this article, we will try to tell you everything we know about ECN-2 film when it comes to film photography so you are well aware of what to do next time you are shopping for some fresh film before your next trip!

 

WHAT IS ECN-2?

 

ECN simply stands for Eastman Color Negative. It was a processing system that evolved into ECN-2 when research enabled faster and more environmentally friendly development processes (and thus faster photo lab turnaround time!). As a result, ECN-2 became the industry standard for all current motion picture color negative development till today.

 

 

The first myth we would like to debunk here is the chemistry used: “Isn’t ECN-2 just C41 chemistry but with a pre-wash?” You’ve probably heard this one if you’ve been shooting film long enough.

From the chemical point of view, the answer is clear: No.

But… We understand that from a practical standpoint, it can feel that way for many photographers because if you process ECN-2 film through C41 chemistry, you will obtain a usable negative (removing the rem-jet of course). In any case, it is not the same chemistry and does not perform the same on the emulsion.

Long story short, ECN-2 is the developing process aimed at solving many of the constraints of cinema and motion pictures. It shares many things with films we use for still photography, but it has characteristics that enable film to be shot at 24 frames per second (fps) and processed at the order of meters per minute (aka effing fast).

Also, due to the speed of the process, ECN-2 specifies a developing temperature of 41ºC instead of the standard 38º C41, which speeds up the developing process.

With that in mind, let’s begin!

 

THE (IN)FAMOUS REM-JET

 

If you’ve heard about ECN-2, you’ve heard about the ‘rem-jet’. That black layer of carbon is behind the base of the film. This layer is every photo lab nightmare since it has to be removed manually unless you have a football-field-sized machine to process motion picture film.

When it comes to the name, funnily enough, they did not want to waste much time in naming back in the day; the word “rem-jet” comes from “remove by water jet”. As simple as that.

And, as much as we hate it, we have to admit the rem-jet has some good reasons to exist. 🙂

 

 

Scratches, Static and Halos

 

Think about it for a while; when shooting cinema, the film moves at 24 fps (frames per second) around 45 cm/second, which is fast.

When moving quickly through the recording cinema cameras, many elements cause friction, which can build up static electricity that can be released from the metal into the emulsion. 

Even if it sounds incredible, when electricity is released into the film, it draws the shape of thunder into the frame, which would eventually be seen on the screen every ‘x’ amount of frames. Also, from all that movement and friction, scratch marks might appear, and the ‘rem-jet’ protects the base layer against it being scratched.

 

 

Last but not least, the dark layer prevents the light from refracting and bouncing against the base layer and, in high contrast situations, produces a very characteristic “halo” effect on the highlights, which has become quite iconic from Cinestill film.

 

 

DAYLIGHT vs TUNGSTEN

 

Perhaps the most significant trait that we see in ECN-2 that is no longer available on C41 films is the fact that we can find Tungsten Balanced films (3200K) in ECN-2 which will allow you to shoot under artificial light and the ISO marked on the film and get a neutral white balance without major yellow color casts.

The reason for this comes from cinema, of course. This is incredibly convenient for motion pictures when they have to light scenes at night or indoors with a ton of artificial lights; they need the color balance to be right without sacrificing exposure time.

Back in the day, we made an article explaining how Cinestill 800T (which comes from Kodak Vision3 500T) reacts to artificial light, and the results were astounding.

Shooting a tungsten light-balanced film in daylight has the opposite effect; everything shifts to a “bluish color” (unless you compensate with filters, and so on).

 

*If you are ever in doubt, just remember the ‘D’ stands for Daylight and’ T’ for Tungsten.

BUYING ECN-2 FILM

 

Keep in mind ECN-2 film is not meant to be stored for a long time. As we published in a previous article, not all films are created equal, as some might believe. Especially professional films (like Kodak Portra 400 or Fuji 400H) are designed to be shot quickly after they leave the factory. Therefore they do not have as much shelf life as consumer films (like Kodak Gold 200 or Fuji Superia 400). This is especially significant in the case of motion picture films.

According to the emulsions’ official datasheet:

 

“Storage: Store unexposed film at 13°C (55°F) or lower. For storage of unexposed film longer than 6 months, store at –18°C (0°F). Process film promptly.”

 

This means that film must be refrigerated at all times, and if storing it for more than 6 months, it needs to be kept at freezing conditions since day 1 to be in optimal conditions for shooting.

Cinematographers are well aware of this; photographers, unfortunately, not so much… And this leads to some independent sellers re-spooling and selling film coming from unknown places or conditions, and it translates, of course, into poor results when developing and scanning.

It’s a pity that developing ECN-2 is incredibly tedious, and if all the work is done for a poorly stored emulsion, it will lead to poor outcomes, which is often a massive disappointment for everyone.

 

 

So, what to do? Well, as you may have heard, a brand new ECN-2 packed option in the market has been introduced by SILBERSALZ35. Fresh ECN-2 film, spooled and packed correctly and with all the guarantees.

SILBERSALZ35 packed all 4 variables that there out there today: two Daylight films (50D & 250D) and two Tungsten films (200T & 500T). In addition, they use brand new, unadulterated Kodak VISION3 film stocks, which are manufactured in metal cartridges (including DX codes!) and are compatible with every 35mm camera on the market. And we are one of the few flagship stores where you can get them today!

FUN FACT: If you buy a can of 400ft of 35mm film from Kodak, you will see it does not have an expiration date because it’s meant to be shot as soon as possible!

 

EXPIRED FILM vs FRESH FILM

 

As we mentioned earlier, ECN-2 is not intended to have a long shelf life, so expiration plays a massive role in the outcome that you can have from it.

If you’ve ever sent expired film to the lab, you will know that we always recommend overexposing a bit; as a rule of thumb, we like to say: for every 3 years of expiration, add +1 stop of exposure, and you should be good to go.

Of course, there is a limit. Emulsions lose their sensitivity and at some point, it will be tough to get something out of it. For ECN-2, it flies the same way (even shorter!) plus an added complexity; our “beloved” rem-jet layer is also affected by the age of the film, becoming harder and harder to remove with every year passed.

As a result, many cine labs do not process expired ECN-2 films because they risk the quality of their chemistry.

Expired rem-jet can be so bad sometimes that after our first rem-jet removal bath, the black layer remains intact, and the person developing needs to fight against it rubbing to take it off. If you ever wonder what a film lab developer nightmare looks like… expired-as-hell ECN-2 is the closest we’ve known.

That’s why we strongly recommend you think twice about where the ECN-2 film you are shooting is coming from because it will play a massive role in how your images will eventually look like!

 

 

OUR IMPRESSIONS

 

Believe it or not, we occasionally get to leave the lab, enjoy the sunshine, and put some film to the test. This time we wanted to test the SILBERSALZ35 250D intensively, and we’re excited to share our initial thoughts on these new film options!

The reason why we picked the 250D is that it is perhaps the emulsion we are less familiar with these days.

We are pretty familiar with the look of the 500T and 50D thanks to Cinestill Film, and we believe the Daylight option on the 200 ISO range can be very versatile too. 🙂

With all that said, here we go!

 

COLOR GRADING

 

First, we must know what cinema film emulsions are designed for. VISION3 films are processed in ECN-2 chemistry to have the highest possible exposure latitude. Over 16 stops of dynamic range on paper (sorry we couldn’t fact-check ourselves), allowing them to capture detail both in highlights & shadows even in the most extreme lighting contrast conditions.

 

 

The first thing that drew our attention was the flatness of the images in the scanner. This is because cinema film differs significantly from photography film, which commonly aims to have a vibrant look right from the emulsion to produce beautiful prints without too much grading.

 

 

All cinema movies need to be color graded. Color grading is the process of creating the final color of a film after it has been shot, cut, and edited. This is why cinema film is created.

If you think about it, the scenes in a movie constantly change, including light conditions, scenarios, actors, setups, etc. It would be impossible for a film to perform exceptionally well in all of them nor for a scanner operator to adjust the color of every scene while scanning. Furthermore taking into count that a lot of the footage never makes the final cut. Therefore, the natural thing to do is to create a film that can capture as much information in every single light situation so we can eventually bring it to the color we desire.

This flat image needs to be adjusted in order to achieve the desired look that the DP (Director of Photography) and the Director conceive for the film.

 

Here are a few more before-and-after examples of our own “color grading” of the scans to match the look of this specific client.

 

 

 

 

KODAK VISION 3 – 250D

 

The 250D is their faster daylight-balanced film. With a high dynamic range, we believe this one is their jack-of-all-trades option. We tested it in a variety of lighting conditions, and it looked pretty solid in all of them.

In this case, we dare to recommend that for still pictures, you also overexpose by +1 stop to get the most out of it.

Cinematographers were traditionally limited to their camera shutter speed which is usually fixed at 1/48th of a second due to the 180º shutter and the 24fps. If all these things sound like jibberish to you, we strongly recommend you to google it; it’s pretty fun to learn about it!

 

 

We noticed an accurate reproduction of true colors when shooting the 250D in daylight. Although we shot during the golden hour –how could we not?– the final product isn’t as warm as what you could achieve with other films such as Kodak Portra 400. This daylight-balanced film reminds us of CineStill in terms of a more neutral and even colder outcome, with shadows still naturally tending to a magenta tone.

 

 

Portrait-wise, this film is far from dethroning the king. However, it does the trick with a pleasing, natural-looking outcome.

 

 

It also worked surprisingly well indoors, delivering some contrasted and crisp images! We find the grain to be fairly good, though it does not stand out as the finest.

 

OUR CONCLUSIONS

 

The look and flexibility of the ECN-2 are what we like best about them. If there is one thing that stands out for us, it is its versatility, which allows you to take great photos in both bright sunlight and low light. Under most lighting conditions, we see consistent color, and it’s interesting to see the neural outcomes, which give us a wide range of options for editing the photos if needed! Also, these rolls should be more affordable than traditional emulsions 🙂

And most importantly, this means more film options on the market!

 

 

*All images above are color graded

 

Keep in mind that these rolls are designed to be processed in with original ECN-2 chemistry only. It can be hard to find someone who can do it, but you guessed it! You can develop with us for the same price as BW and E-6; check all our developing options and happy shooting!

Since the recent news of the discontinuation of some films beloved by our clients (we’re looking at you Fuji400H), we’ve been getting more questions about storing your film in the fridge or storing film freezer. Should I put my film in the fridge? Can I freeze my film? How long will my film last in the fridge? Are just some of the questions we received in the last weeks, so we thought we would dedicate a post to sharing everything you’ll need to know about refrigerating and freezing your film. Let’s get started!

 

We recommend striving to shoot fresh film when and where you can. By “fresh film,” we mean film that has been recently acquired and has not expired. The reason is that fresh film is at its peak for capturing and delivering the truest colour and the best possible results. Kodak Alaris Product Manager Tim Ryugo did a fascinating post about it recently:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tim Ryugo (@timryugo_kodakprofessional)

 

When you’re not able to shoot fresh film, some things should be done to retain a film’s potential so that you’re not sacrificing too much quality, and that is to properly store your film in cold storage. Unprocessed film is a perishable product that can be damaged by high temperature and high humidity (but that being said, we recommend you check out our Understanding Film Flaws post to see how even damaged film can still make its own magic).

 

Consequently, putting your film into cold storage will increase the lifespan of your film and provide you with the best possible results, even if your rolls are a few years old.

*It may be worth noting: Color films are more seriously affected than black-and-white films because adverse conditions usually affect the emulsion layers to various degrees. So when your box of colour film arrives from Carmencita Film Lab, put it into cold storage if not using it immediately.

 

REFRIGERATOR

 

If you plan on using your film in less than 6 months, you should put your film in the fridge, right next to your milk and leftover gazpacho. In general, manufacturers recommend storing your emulsion at 8°C /46°F or lower.

 

The lower temperature will slow down film degradation, and the dry atmosphere in the fridge will protect film from humidity. That being said, refrigeration will not be able to reduce the effect of gamma radiation. Naturally occurring gamma radiation will increase the minimum density and can also increase the grain. Consequently, the higher the speed of your film that you have stored in your fridge, the more it will be affected than any lower speed films you have stashed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How long does film last in the fridge? Well, as we said, the cold will slow down film’s natural degradation. If we take 20ºC as the standard temperature and we store it around 5 ~ 8ºC / 40 ~ 46ºF, we are basically stretching the film’s expiration date by almost x2 times.

As a rule of thumb, if the film you just purchased expires 2 years from now,  if you put it in the fridge, it will maintain its fresh condition for at least 5 years.

That being said, films (exposed or unexposed) that have been properly refrigerated will retain the speed and contrast of the exposure conditions, but the overall minimum density and grain will continue to increase as time passes due to the natural ageing process.

* If you have a box in your fridge that you can dedicate to your film storage, the better!

 

FREEZER

 

If you plan on not using those films for the next 6 months, we recommend putting your film in a tightly sealed container or a ziplock bag and then putting it in the freezer (-18°C / 0°F or lower). The tightly sealed container should protect your film if you lose power and things turn into a lake in your freezer.

Putting your film in the freezer puts your film into a sort of hibernation. You can keep your film in the freezer for as long as you need; we’ve known clients who have left theirs in the freezer for 15 years, and it’s still good to use!

 

HUMIDITY

 

For both instances of cold storage for your film, you want to avoid humidity. Humidity will speed up film degradation; it’s basically film’s kryptonite. It can create dark spots on your 120 film, make your 35mm stick together in the canister, and make your film look expired even if it was fresh.

To protect against humidity, we recommend including a silica gel desiccant bag into the film storage container that will go in the freezer. We also recommend that you store your film unopened and in its original canister or its plastic wrap.

 

TAKING YOUR FILM OUT OF COLD STORAGE

 

At some point, you will probably want to bring your precious rolls back to life, right? When taking your film out of the refrigerator, we recommend allowing it around 2 hours or more to adjust to room temperature before shooting it.

 

When taking your film out of the freezer, we are going to need to proceed with a little more caution:

• Ideally: Take your film out of the freezer and let it sit in your fridge for the next 24 hours. That will guarantee the slowest and safest defreeze. After 24 hours in the fridge, take it out of the fridge and leave it out to adjust to room temperature for a couple of hours, and then you are good to go!
• Less ideally: If you kind of need your film ASAP, we recommend taking it out about 6 hours or more to adjust to room temperature. This will defrost your film quickly, but the process will not be as gentle for the emulsion. Keep in mind: never heat your film to unfreeze it faster; your film is a marvellous piece of technology, not a bunch of frozen vegetables 😛

 

In both instances, we recommend that you leave your film in its canister until it has had the chance to adjust to room temperature. Doing so will prevent it from ending up covered in condensation. You can confirm your film is at room temperature by taking the film out of its canister and confirming that it’s not cold to the touch.

 

 

 

SHOOT IT, DEVELOP IT

 

Lastly, we recommend shooting the whole roll, exposing it correctly as this fantastic post explains to you How Exposure Affects Film, and sending it off to your favourite lab, for example, Carmencita Film Lab, for development as soon as you can.

 

Left a film roll or a loaded camera in your car on a hot summer day? Chances are you will have some baked film after that. There are countless situations like this where life and accidents happen. But don’t let that stop you from shooting or developing those film rolls.

 

Essentially: don’t keep film in your camera for longer than necessary; your film will go bad if not developed. Leaving partially exposed film in your camera for a few weeks or months until the next time you shoot leaves room for your film to degrade due to atmospheric changes. Not only that, you’ll have to wait longer to see your results! And who has time for that? 😉

Have a question about cold storing your film? Drop us a line at ask@carmencitafilmlab.com! Even if we haven’t developed or scanned your roll in our lab, we’ll help you out and answer your question.

We are here to help 🙂

 

 

Wordsmith for Carmencita and coffee connoisseur.
I like experimenting with film, reading about film, learning about film, talking about film, and writing about film.
My idea of fun is spending an afternoon making double exposures.

I believe in kindness; throw that stuff around like confetti.

– Michelle Mock, Photographer and Copywriter

Our aim of being helpful and bring film photography education to everyone is deeply engraved in our DNA, we want to answer the question that we have heard countless times especially at the shop. “Which are the main differences between Kodak 400TX and Kodak 400T-Max?” Same 400 ISO sensitivity, almost identical packaging and similar name… And this is only on the external aspect that they are similar. This two film stocks has been produced with different purposes, in different periods and were designed around significantly different technologies.

 

 

Kodak 400TX

 

Kodak 400TX or Tri-X is without a doubt the most emblematic B&W film that Kodak has and we can say with some certainty, that is the most popular black and white film currently available. The fact that Kodak 400TX was brought back from the dead (we believe in the very same fashion used with Jon Snow) also helped to increase its fame. They were actually photographers that claimed its come back!

 

 

 

Tri-X was released in 35mm and 120 formats in 1954 and became one of the most popular films used by photojournalists and amateurs. One of the main reason is simply, because how extremely versatile it is, being able to be used in a multitude of light situations. It’s a medium-contrast film, meaning that under soft light it will give you a bit extra punch and under a high contrast situation you will be able to rescue some detail from both highlights and shadows. That being said, if overexposed it’s gonna start getting more contrasty!

 

 

The TX is not “outstandingly” sharp, but neither it needs to be. Actually too much sharpness nowadays is associated with digital photography and we found that’s often a draw back on newer/sharper films like T-Max, basically it looks “too perfect”.

 

Now we are talking about its grain. Oh what a grain! Its cubic grain structure make it to most photographers the apple of their eyes. The feel of Kodak 400TX film grain could never be reproduced by any digital media. In 35mm format, its grain is very present, but also very pleasant. In 120 roll medium format, it’s significantly reduced but still keeping a unique flavour.

 

 

 

To summarize, 400TX is mean to cherish the analog character, that nostalgia that comes every time we see images from the golden years of Magnum photographers. The grain will feel very natural to your eye, it won’t be perfect, some blacks might be a bit too strong sometimes but who needs detail everywhere? Go out, make mistakes, shoot first and think afterwards, use your intuition and don’t ask too much questions, that’s for us what this film embodies : )

 

 

 

Kodak T-Max 400

 

Kodak T-Max 400 was originally launched in 1987 and was reformulated in 2007 to deliver even finer grain and higher sharpness. This film was created with the T-Grain emulsion technology that is based on the maximum use of the emulsion in the distribution of silver in the film in Tabular form. As we explained on the HP5 vs Delta 400 article, film stock that uses this technology (such as Delta, Acros, T-Max) have flat crystals instead of traditional films (like HP5, Tri-X, Rollei RPX) which emulsion is composed by round crystals. The flatness of the crystals and so on their better distribution permits more light absorption per quantity of silver within the emulsion. So the greater T-grain surface provides films that render sharper images and finer grain when compared to a conventional-grain film of the same sensitivity. And it’s because of that Kodak T-Max 400 is proclaimed as the sharpest and finest-grained 400 speed black and white film, offering photographers a level of clarity normally available from less speed film stocks. That’s the main reason for using this film by photographers that love this sharpy and clean look instead of the “grainy” classic look form 400TX or HP5+.

 

 

Another point to stand out is it’s that, also because the T-Grain technology, T-Max  retains more details at the shadows and the highlights instead of 400TX that tends to get more from the midtones. That characteristic profers T-Max a great response when pushed during the development process so that the contrast will be manageable in high contrast situations and it will retain more information from the shadows. If you aren’t familiarized about the term push you can read about this process here.

Well, here is where newer technology come right in, we see that T-Max handles suprisingly well the overexposure, even at +4 stops! Not that is anything you will want to be doing BUT it tells you how much highlight detail it can retain. The underexposure it’s no miracle but actually Kodak advise the same developing time both 400ISO and 800ISO developing (which would be pushing +1 stop).

 

 

The transitions are usually much softer both due the grain and the dynamic range and when it comes to the latest, it clearly outstands it’s older brother TX. So in here, we can clearly understand why Kodak wanted to get rid of it, because on paper, TX is (don’t kill us) an “inferior” emulsion.

 

 

As we mentioned earlier, there is really no battle here, even Kodak advertises for it. “Sharpest film at 400 ISO”. Back in the day, sharpness was a big deal, specially for 35mm film and T-Max was the answer to a demand. If you think how film sales were counted by millions, if you could have a superior product that your rival on the shelves that could easily make a difference. So yes, T-Max outstands TX without a doubt.

 

From our perspective T-Max is for those who really aim at creating high quality pictures, for those who do not fancy grain too much and for those who are all about the smooth grey transitions. Or in the other hand for those who want/like/need fast speed B&W film and still want to use Kodak.

 

 

In many ways T-Max is “better” (we feel we’re overusing “quotes” in this article) than the good old TX but with the rise of digital, for many, T-Max is too perfect and that’s not the reason why they shoot film. But also, funny enough, some use the lack of grain in T-Max to push it on 35mm up to 1600 as a default, thanks to greater grain control and shadow detail you will get a contrasty mood with this “soft” film if you crunch it’s ISO. We are still not sure if it’s meant for it but it’s not random that PMax3200 has the same name (except for the P, which many say stands for “Push”). Could we be talking that PMax3200 is the same film as 400 T-Max but with a different development time? Is this real life? We’re not putting our hand on the fire with it, but for sure they share much of the same technology.

 

 

We brought all our knowledge to this table and now it’s your time to decide what do you do with it! (Please don’t unfollow us) At the end, as always, the choice is yours. We can’t stress this enough, even you see images online, read blogs or articles the best is to try for yourself, even develop by yourself! If you haven’t tried this two black and white films we mentioned here we deeply encourage you to do so and you will see which one suits better your style.

 

Still having questions about Kodak 400TX or Kodak 400T-Max or another black and white film? Do you completely disagree what we just said? Please let us know!

 

Drop us a line at ask@carmencitafilmlab.com and will gladly answer!

Things we love here at our lab: cameras, films, and surprises.
Surprises for us come in all shapes and forms; sometimes we get candy inside the boxes delivered to our lab and sometimes we get to feast our eyes on the best double exposures of all time. It’s really a toss up for us which one we like better, but double exposures pretty much win first place. That’s why we have decided to dedicate a post on the science of double exposures and (bonus!) how to make them. Maybe, if you haven’t tried to create your own double exposure, you’ll be inspired to try it yourself so that you (and all of us, here at the lab) can enjoy that magical moment of being surprised with what you create.

Double exposures (and multiple exposures for that matter) is essentially capturing two or more images on one single frame. What you are essentially doing is “layering” one image onto another by not allowing your camera to advance the film to the next frame. By taking a picture without advancing to the next frame, you’re essentially exposing the same frame more than once. If you have ever severely over (and we mean over) exposed your film then you know that you will blow out the highlights of your film because of the oversaturation of light onto the film. This can happen when you double expose your film but with a little planning and strategy you can create some mind blowing magic.

 

 

THERE ARE TWO METHODS TO DOUBLE EXPOSE FILM:

1.) You can shoot an entire roll as normal (one shot for each frame), and after the roll has been shot and wound up, you can then use a film leader retriever tool to pull the film out again, and reshoot that same film, known as double exposing it. This method is useful if you just want to experiment and see what you can create with very little planning and if you love being surprised. This method may be a little more fun for an unstructured personal event in which you don’t have any deliverables (i.e. a day at the beach with your friends, at the circus with your family, etc.)

2.) Or you can double expose one frame at a time (for example, put one roll in your camera, take two images; and then advance to the next frame, take another two images; advance to the next frame, maybe just take one image on this frame; and so forth). This second method is useful if you don’t want to have a whole roll of double exposures but want to plan and take just a few shots when the inspiration hits you. This is probably the best method to use if you’re being contracted by a client or company, as you can be a little more thoughtful and planned should the inspiration strike you.

If you’re going to attempt the last method of making a double exposure and exposing one frame at a time, there are two essential components for doing so: you will need to know how to stop your camera from advancing the film, and you’ll need to plan on what images you’ll capture and layer onto one another. These two things are necessary because if your camera doesn’t have the capability to stop advancing to the next frame, you won’t be able to do or create double exposures (you can google the make and model of your camera to find the manual online to see if it’s possible for you to create a double exposure). And if you don’t have an idea or a goal in mind as to what you’d like to capture you may be disappointed with the result (or very very pleasantly surprised!)

 

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

1.) Because you are exposing your film twice (or more times) you want to underexpose your shots. Earlier we mentioned that overexposing your film can lead to a loss of detail, so it would be best for you to underexpose by 1 or 2 stops for each shot that you take on the same frame. Having a light meter on hand to ensure you are underexposing by 1 or 2 stops will decrease your margin of error.

2.) When you take your first image, any highlighted parts (the white or light parts) from the first image will not capture or show anything after you take the second image. Your second image will only expose and be shown in the dark areas from your first image. For instance, if in your first shot, you take a picture of a black dot on a white page, the white has been completely exposed for on your film (it’s essentially been blown out). So when you take the second image, your second image will be seen only inside the circle of that black dot because the dark parts have not been overexposed like brightest parts of your first image have.

 

 

So once you’ve figured out how your camera makes double exposures it’s time to start creating them! There are a bunch of ways to plan, layer, and create double exposures. You can search the hashtag #filmdoubleexposure or #doubleexposurefilm on Instagram or check out Marcause’s project DUO:BSL which showcases some incredible double exposures for some insane ideas and inspiration! We’ll also give you two classic ways to make double exposures. Please keep in mind though, these are not hard fast or set-in-stone rules, use these only as a guide. When it comes to film, rules were made to be broken, so be inspired and break them!

 

THE “OUTLINE” DOUBLE EXPOSURE.

 

This one is a classic and can be made edgy or romantic.

For the first image take a profile or straight on shot of your subject against a white or light wall, or back lit, making sure to underexpose your shot. Then think about what you would like to fill in your subject with when you take your second image. Maybe you could take a picture of flowers (those are easy to find on a wedding day), or a concrete structure, or a stack of guitars, or maybe even another shot of the person themself. Then take your second image, making sure again to underexpose your shot. The outline double exposure is great for adding depth.

 

THE “LANDSCAPE” DOUBLE EXPOSURE.

 

This one can really set a scene and to us it always feels like it would make a good cover album photo. For the first image take a picture of your subject, could be a dog, or an object, or a human, or a couple of humans, anything, against a light background. Make sure to underexpose, ideally for this shot, by 2 stops. Then take a shot of the landscape, ideally your landscape would be a bit overcast to keep some detail in the sky, again we would recommend underexposing by 2 stops. This shot is a classic and always looks great.

 

TIPS TO MAKE YOUR DOUBLE EXPOSURES POP:

1.) When photographing humans, the darker the clothing they wear the better.

2.) Always keep in mind your first shot when composing and taking the second shot (especially remember if you took it horizontally or vertically!)

3.) You can always use things in your environment or nearby patterns as the filler for your second image.

4.) Underexpose more in bright situations or environments.

5.) Experiment, embrace mistakes, and most of all have fun!

 

Got a question about double exposures on your film? Drop us a line at ask@carmencitafilmlab.com! We’re always happy to help!

 

Since our doors have been open here at Carmencita Film Lab we’ve seen nearly every mishap that can occur with film and the results of those film mishaps. Now sometimes these mishaps are intentional and sometimes they’re not. Either way, today we’re going to tackle some of the most common unlucky (or lucky, depending on if that was your goal) accidents that can occur when handling or shooting film and we’re also going to talk about the things you can do to avoid them.

You may have experienced one (or many) of these accidents and if you haven’t, we hope this post will help you avoid it. We split the issues into two sections based on whether the mishap occurred because of the camera or because of the film’s condition.

 

1. LIGHT LEAKS

A light leak usually appears when the sealing of your camera is not working properly, consequently, traces of light will “sneak” into the film compartment. When your film in your camera is exposed to light that sneaks in, it will usually create fire-like patterns or uneven exposures across the frames. Light leaks can create a variety of different shapes or forms, so if you ever see anything strange on your images it’s very likely to be because of a light leak.

To avoid light leaks, we recommend checking to make sure that the foam that seals the back of your camera is in good shape. Typically, with time and age, the foam from cameras can become hard and deteriorate. If that’s the case, we definitely encourage you to replace it! Additionally, we recommend checking to see that your camera back closes evenly and that the shutter is functioning correctly. If it’s not, we would encourage you to get that fixed. But if that doesn’t solve the mystery of light leaks from appearing on your images, we recommend taking your camera to a camera specialist near you so they can take a quick look at it for you! 😉

*That being said like leaks can be very cool too if intentional! 

One of our favourite Instagram accounts actually features light leaks! You can check them out here: www.instagram.com/f1rstoftheroll

 

2. DUST OR DIRT 

If you notice that black dots or lines are appearing in your images, more than likely this means that there was or is dust inside your camera. Black dots or lines will appear in images when the camera contains dust or dirt that keeps film from being exposed.

To avoid dust or dirt from properly exposing your film, make sure that the film chamber of your camera is clean and that there aren’t any parts of your camera that are releasing particles inside the interior (old foam sealings, we’re lookin’ at you!)

*Important: If you see white dust on your scans then that’s a different story. White dust on your scans are a result of dust from the developing or scanning process. Basically the dust arrived after the image taking process. If you see this white dust, contact your lab and show them your images and they should be able to fix it.

 

 

3. SCRATCHES

Most of you are probably aware that the surface of film is sensitive and delicate. When you run the film through your camera you apply tension to it and if the surfaces that touch the film itself are not smooth, more than likely, this will lead to your film becoming scratched. Additionally, even dust, or sand, or any small solid particles that finds their way inside your camera can create a line that’s been scratched into the film which can be rather painful to remove.

When the scratches are perfectly straight, this means that they come from a mechanical movement inside the camera. And even if they look big on the screen or on your image, on the actual film negative itself, they are pretty small.

To avoid scratches on your frames, keep your camera clean and be vigilant to keep out any dust, dirt, sand, etcetera when switching film under dusty conditions or while outdoors. Although scratches can be fixed with today’s Photoshop tools, it’s better to be careful while out on the field 😉

 

 

4. HUMIDITY OR FUNGUS 

Humidity is one of the biggest enemies of photographic equipment in general, but even more so when it comes to lenses or the film emulsion itself. In warm environments there tends to be a lot more humidity in the air and drastic temperature changes to your equipment can lead to condensation on the surface of your lens. Luckily, this is fairly uncommon, but over the course of time this can lead to the appearance of fungus inside the elements of your lens glass; this is even more likely to occur if they are stored for a long time.

You can detect fungus if you illuminate the lens from the back element and look through it from the top. If you see some organic shaped spots coming from the side of the lens it’s most likely fungus. Also if you see an uniform translucent layer it’s possible that water has condensed due to the humidity. When this happens, images will appear very soft and perhaps a bit blurred especially in backlit situations and in the highlights, where light gets extra diffused inside the affected elements of the lens.

To avoid fungus or humidity in your lens, keep them stored in dry places if you are not planning on using them for a while and watch out when shooting around the coast/lakes/seaside to keep the front of the glass on your lens from becoming foggy. If you see soft images when looking through your viewfinder, it’s best to unmount the lens and give it a quick check.

 

5. WRONG “TILT SHIFT” EFFECT

You might occasionally notice that a specific part of your image is unfocused or blurred. This will be hard to miss because the effect is so unusual and peculiar. This blurred part of your image typically occurs when the film is not laying perfectly flat when you take your photo (this is usually a failure of the pressure plate on the camera or the advancing mechanism is a bit loose). This effect is especially common with the Contax 645.

Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot that you can do upfront to avoid seeing this blurred effect on your images. On most cameras (that are not the Contax 645) you can check the pressure plate to ensure it’s doing its job; this should be sufficient. However with the Contax 645, you should check to make sure that the inserts are advancing correctly and that they aren’t letting the film go backwards. Because if the advancing wheel is a little loose you’ll eventually encounter this problem.

 

 

6. UNEVEN SHUTTER ADVANCING

Most film cameras used today are far from new (#vintage!) and this means that it’s possible that not all of its mechanical parts are in the best shape. Specifically speaking, the shutters on older film cameras may have evidence of stress from usage. If there is a lot of wear and tear on your shutter, you will see evidence of uneven exposure on an image and maybe even parts of it being almost black. This occurs because the shutter is not moving evenly across the frame.

Unfortunately, there is little you can do to avoid this from happening to a camera. You can tell the shutter isn’t advancing properly because you’ll see evidence of black space or uneven exposures on your images when the shutter is working at its maximum speeds (ex. 1/1000th or 1/4000th of a sec.). If you start noticing this issue, take note that it will only get worse, so it’s best to take it to a camera repair shop or to a specialist so that they can replace the springs or the parts of the shutter that aren’t functioning properly.

 

 

7. FRAME OVERLAPING

Much like the wear and tear that can occur on shutters, other mechanical parts in a film camera can bend or crack with time and use. This can lead to irregular advancing on your film which will cause your images to overlap. This usually occurs if the indented wheels are damaged. Beware, there are some film cameras that are made of plastic or were built in the time of the old USSR that don’t have a very good reputation for lasting.

As soon as you notice your images overlapping, you can be certain that it will happen with every roll of film you shoot on that camera thereafter. So you might want to pay a visit to your favourite camera repair maestro and see if it’s worth fixing, cause sometimes the repair might be a bit pricey!

*This can also happen if the sprockets of your 35mm film are damaged, but if that does happen your friendly film lab will see it immediately and let you know.

 

 

8. X RAYS

Pretty much everything is scanned by x-rays prior to getting on a plane, that includes both check-in luggage and any carry-on baggage. Film is sensitive to radiation, however technology has advanced significantly and consequently the way that things are scanned today is not the same way they were scanned 20 years ago. In most European countries the x-rays used for carry-on baggage are much milder and usually safe for anything below 800 ISO film. However, the x-ray scanners used on large luggages are much stronger and much more aggressive. This is why we recommend that you DO NOT put your film (exposed or not) in your check-in luggage when you’re flying. Always keep it in your carry-on baggage!

If your film is exposed to excessive amounts of x-rays, you will notice wave-shaped marks repeatedly along the negative and the images will display a lot of grain, fog, muted colors and a loss in the detail of shadows. To get a bit of an idea of what it looks like check out this (old) Kodak article that illustrates it fairly well.

*If you still want to ensure your film is protected from x-rays you can purchase lead bags for your film, but be aware that you will be hand checked by airport security for sure!

 

 

9. MOISTURE

Since film has a yielding surface it must be protected from many elements that could negatively influence the outcome of your images. In this instance, we’re specifically referring to drastic temperature changes that can cause condensation or moisture to occur onto the film surface, or your film coming into contact with any water or liquids. In order to achieve optimal results, film should not be in contact with any liquid or moisture until the moment of developing (unless you’re into experimenting, than go ahead!) The problem with any moisture or liquid that comes into contact with your film is that it will sit on your film for a significant period of time and alter the images. And in regard to 120 film, any moisture or water will damage the film and the backing paper it lays on.

It is generally recommended to keep film refrigerated if you’ll have it around for awhile, but be careful not to put it near the back of the fridge where water tends to condensate! Are you looking to preserve your film for longer than the average storage time? You can freeze it as well! The colder the film is, the less chemical ageing will occur to your film. But keep in mind that if you choose to freeze your film, you’ll need to wait about 1.5 hours after you take it out of the freezer before you can shoot it!

 

Therefore, we recommend that you:

1.Avoid long term storage at relative humidities of 60% or above. Such high humidities can damage the labels and paper back of 120 (from moisture and mold) and can rust the cans of 35mm. Also keep your film in its original packaging until you are ready to use the film.

2.Keep your film in the fridge. If you’ll use your film film stock within 3 months, temperatures of 13°C or less are appropriate. If your film stock will be kept longer than 3 months, freezing at -18° to -23°C is recommended. After any cold storage, be sure to allow your film to slowly adjust to the ambient temperature in which it will be used.

3.Do not keep film in your camera longer than necessary. Process your film as soon as possible after exposure, that will ensure the best possible quality for your images!

 

 

10. EXPIRED FILM

The silver halides that make film light-sensitive are modified by a chemical reaction when exposed to light or other forms of radiation. The sensitivity of the silver emulsion in film can degrade or “rust” over time. When it degrades, it will decrease the regular ISO value that the film would have had, had it not expired. For example, a film that was originally 400ISO but is expired by over 5-6 years, would be around 100-160ISO. On top of that, the decrease of ISO is also coupled with a decrease in contrast and saturation, and introduces possible color shifts and an increase of the grain in your film.

You can compensate for the age of the emulsion by overexposing your film in order to add more light to your images which will also add saturation and contrast. The result won’t ever be as good as if the emulsion didn’t expire but that’s just one of the magical qualities of film : ) Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise, expired film is perfectly usable! In fact, we’ve shot B&W film that expired in 1992 and it worked absolutely perfectly! Color is a bit trickier but the option is still there to experiment!

 

 

Hopefully this little guide has helped you understand a little better the flaws and mishaps that can sometimes occur to film. We believe that these intricacies are a part of the film process and can sometimes be harnessed as creative tools to make something really spectacular! But that’s not always the case and when these issues aren’t desired they can be a bit of a pain in the ass.

Got a question about a specific flaw or issue you found on your film? Drop us a line at ask@carmencitafilmlab.com! Even if we haven’t developed or scanned your roll in our lab, we might be able to help you find out what caused it and how to fix it.

We are here to help 🙂

 

We love a good party and when we found out that the Portra line is about to celebrate its twentieth birthday next year (introduced in 1998!), we thought we would take the time to cover some ground (and after, perhaps raise a glass) when it comes to Kodak’s Portra line. Kodak Portra has put out a variety of film stocks from this line, some of which are discontinued, but three of which are now a staple to film photographers like those of us at Carmencita and yourself. We’re gonna cover some ground on those three that take the cake when it comes to Kodak’s Portra line: Portra 160, Portra 400, and Portra 800 ISO.

 

 

As most of you may know, the arch famous Kodak Portra is a family of daylight-balanced professional color negative film aimed to render the best skin tones possible in basically every light situation you can imagine, making them perfect for both portrait and social photography. These films are known to produce natural skin tones, ideal color, finer grain and are available in 35mm, 120 (medium format), and large format sheets. The Portra film lines are known for their their natural warmth (Portra 160 has red and brown undertones while Portra 400 has undertones of orange and yellow). This means that colors will be rendered differently than other films such as the well-known Fuji 400H. You can see the difference most perceptively in the greens. The greens in the Portra lines tend to be warmer, while the greens in Fuji 400H are a bit cooler. This, of course, depends on the light situation but it’s usually the rule of thumb.

 

Kodak made some noise a few years ago when it introduced a new version of the Portra 400 film which replaced the NC (“natural color”) and VC (“vivid color”) versions in late 2010. The new film incorporated a number of technological advances from the Kodak Vision line of motion pictures films and essentially blended the NC and VC versions together. The results of the new Portra 400 has generated quite a following, though perhaps reluctantly at first. Now it’s praised for its latitude and its Vision-3 technology. One of our favourite examples of the improvements to the Portra line is seen on Jonathan Canlas’ blog in which he shot Portra 400, rated it at 3200, and pushed it 3 stops in the developing. The results are spectacular and we encourage you to check it out so you can see just how flexible this film is in low light situations. The Portra line has not only made some incredible improvements in technology, but additionally the color palette has made this series popular for portraiture and editorial work.

 

Here are a few guidelines we use when shooting these stocks that we think expose (pun intended!) each one in their best light. (Tip: If you need more information on exposing, we highly recommend that you read (and see the results of some testing we’ve done) from a past post we’ve written on how exposure affects film. That post visually demonstrates the latitude of color film and should aid in understanding the important role exposure plays in shooting film.)

Portra 160

We’ve found with this stock the preference is split; those who have tried it either passionately love it or passionately hate it. However the general consensus tends to be that this is an excellent film stock for portraits. Skin tones (whether light skinned or dark skinned) are soft and natural looking and the grain of the film is extremely fine. However those of us here at Carmencita have found that the window is narrow on how much you can overexpose or underexpose it. If you expose it too much it lends to look much like Ektar, very bright, punchy, and with not so flattering skin tones. It also requires a well lit scene to shoot in. So if you’ve not tried this film stock and you see some sunny days in your forecast, we recommend picking some up to give it a try!

 

Porta 400

Ahhhhhhhh Portra 400. What is there not to love? This film stock is one of the most used and most comprehensive films on the market when it comes to changing light situations. It is shot by nearly everyone from established well-known film photographers to film photographers who are new to the scene. This film stock is a staple to your film stash and frankly, there is not a single thing to not love about this film stock. Portra 400 offers excellent colors; is fast enough for the vast majority of purposes; and is fine grained enough that the speed will rarely betray itself.

On top of all this, it’s fun, it’s easy, and not the least because the latitude for over and underexposure is remarkable. You can do everything with it. Overexposing this film stock by two stops looks amazing (bright and colorful) and under exposing it a stop also looks good (moody and contrasty). Keep in mind, if you expose Portra 400 more than two stops the film may be a little more yellow-ish than usual, so overexpose with care. This film stock also loves to be pushed. In fact, if you have to choose between using Portra 800 and Portra 400 in a setting we recommend using Portra 400, and pushing it if need be. It will just love it and in return we love it for it.

 

Portra 800

If you find yourself in a sunny situation and you have Portra 800 on hand you won’t be disappointed. This film stock is divine if you overexpose it, even by 4 four stops! Out of this world divine, the colors tend to lean a bit towards Ektar (punchy and vibrant) but it is able to maintain incredible skin tones. However, if you underexpose it, it’s not very pretty at all. It quickly goes grainy and renders muddy colors. Even pushing it can’t save it entirely. It is essential to know that Portra 400 is based on Vision 3 technology, however Portra 800 is not, that’s why there are some major differences between how the two films handle underexposure.

Consequently, the  “ISO 800” marking is often misleading; while it certainly does the job at 800, we don’t think it performs best at that speed. In fact, we find that pushing Portra 400 one  stop usually gives more satisfying results than shooting Portra 800 at it’s box speed.

 

 

Understanding when to push film is an incredible tool to have in your bag when you’re in low light situations or when you want a punchier look to your images. In our experience, Kodak’s Portra line handles pushing magnificently when shot in well-lit environments. So we’re going to break down the results of each when they’re pushed by your lab.

(You can read more about pushing film on a past post we’ve written a few years back.)

 

Portra 160 and Portra 400

Both Portra 160 and Portra 400 are very pushable in a well-lit environment. Portra 160 rated at 320 and pushed one stop is pretty incredible. Portra 400 rated at 800 and pushed one stop is also equally great. For both, the results of pushing will increase the contrast on your images, bringing the highlights up and cutting detail on the blacks. It will appear brighter because of the contrast and brighter highlights, so if that’s the look you’re aiming for, perfect! But take into consideration that you won’t be able to go back to a low contrast look once it’s pushed. Also keep in mind there will be side effects of increased grain, color shifts in the shadows, and some general loss of details in the darkest parts of the image. A higher ISO isn’t for free 😉

Pushing can save the day with the caveat that you know what you are doing, however, if you don’t know what you are doing, the results of pushing are going to be less than desirable.  Have any questions or doubts about pushing? Feel free to call us up and ask! We are always willing to help answer your questions and help clear up any doubts!  

(Tip: if you’re in a low light situation and you only have Portra 400, rate it at 800 and ask your lab to push it one stop. While shooting keep in mind where the light is coming from and how your subject is lit, aim for the highlights and midtones and forget about the shadows.)

 

Portra 800

Portra 800 was created for low light situations and it’s pretty handy for that. However it’s the only one of the Portra line that we think is the least pushable due to the technology behind it. As we mentioned earlier, we feel Portra 800 really shines best when it’s overexposed, however it still does the job rated at 1250 and pushed one stop.

 

 

The color palettes for each one of the Portra lines do vary from stock to stock. But overall, the Portra line is known for having a little bit of a yellow-ish highlight with blue-ish shadow color crossover. In comparison to some of the stock from Fuji’s line, the Portra line is known for having better yellows, reds, and purples; whereas Fuji has better blues, oranges, and magentas. But in this section, we’ll easily break down each stock from the Portra line so you can see the difference for yourself.

Portra 160

Portra 160 is described as having a natural color palette with low saturation and low contrast. It has breathtaking color, sharpness, and very fine grain. It seems almost ideal for portraiture as it delivers accurate skin tones and consistent results when exposed correctly, whereas if you shoot with Ektar you may get tomato-like skin tones. Like most films, Portra 160 loves to be overexposed but not too much and if you underexpose it the shadows in this film may have a blue-ish influence.

Examples of Portra 160:

 

 

Portra 400

Portra 400 at box speed has a very natural and neutral look, but it can also look warm, bright, and saturated when it’s overexposed. This film also handles skin tones, as well as natural landscapes, beautifully and at a 400 ISO it’s super handy in changing lighting conditions. Portra 400 has a warmer palette, whereas Fuji 400H has a much cooler palette. Portra 400 tends to be more yellow and Fuji 400H leans towards a more green color and turns  its blues more turquoise. Again, there is a lot of urban tales about how each film looks at the end, and the truth is that nowadays if you add retouching to any film stock you can make it look very different than what it naturally does. So, does that mean you’ll never see a warm picture shot on Fuji? Nope, we just mean that the “warmth” might go a bit more towards the magenta tones than the yellow tones.

 

Examples of Portra 400:

 

Portra 800

Portra 800 has a higher saturation and it’s slightly grainier than its counterparts, but it kicks butt when it comes to tough lighting conditions and bright colors. The colors in Portra 800 have a wonderful intensity and the blacks are very rich. It is ideal in capturing vivid colors and renders skin tones so creamy that this film stock will just melt like butter on  your screen. Many photographers love this film stock, with its only downside being  the cost of it.

(Something to bear in mind, if you shoot Portra in 35mm there will be an increase in grain and a slight loss in the depth of color, but if you’re shooting medium format that doesn’t really matter.)

Examples of Portra 800:

 

 

 

We know we’ve covered a lot of ground in this post and if you’ve made it this far, high five the closest human near you! Hopefully the information we’ve provided will be useful to you and in case you can’t remember it all, here’s a nice little summary of each stock from Portra’s line:

 

 

 

As of yet, there isn’t a film we’ve met that we haven’t loved and Portra’s line is no different. Between Portra 160, Portra 400, and Portra 800 you have a variety of options for different looks and lighting conditions. Each film stock from Portra’s line is versatile, unique in its own way, and compliments each other. If you’ve not tried one (or any!) from the Portra line order one immediately and get to snapping and creating great images! You will not be disappointed by the experience and certainly not by the incredible images you create!

As a film photographer, we feel it’s good to know the ins and outs of your craft and the tools and techniques available to you. That being said, don’t get cray-cray, good light is worth it’s weight in gold (or in this case film) and it will render incredibly in almost all film stocks. This doesn’t mean that because you choose one film stock over another all your images will be great. It is highly dependent on the quality of light you have to work with.

That being said, we believe every film stock has its own unique personality and when that goes along with the feeling of your work, it’s becomes a perfect match!

 

The most important thing, as always is to keep shooting, keep playing, keep pushing the boundaries, and keep exploring! Everything that you know and experience will eventually translate and show itself in your own work and that will only make it more interesting for the ones seeing it = )