The grain on Portra 400 and 800 are both extremely fine; however, due to the higher ISO, the fine grain on Portra 800 still looks different than the grain on Portra 800. No matter what speed you are shooting at and what the setting entails, Portra is and has always been able to accurately capture the moment, which is why it has become so popular not only over the past few years, but over the past two decades.The last update in our recent history occurred in 2011, when Kodak updated their Portra 160 series.
(I no longer have a 35mm film camera but only recently realized I had a dozen assorted rolls in a basement fridge.)
As one who was (ostensibly) an adult in the 1990’s and shooting film at the time, I do sometimes pine for those days. I don’t know if he even does film stuff anymore, doubt it. So much of my day-to-day is caught up in the rapid pace of modernity and it’s nice to make myself slow down occasionally. Between Portra 160, Portra 400, and Portra 800 you have a variety of options for different looks and lighting conditions. Beautiful article and photographs.Stunning pictures! When the film was first created, it was offered in speeds of 160, 400, and 800, and since then Kodak has introduced new qualities and capabilities, while continuously keeping these three film speeds in their lineup.
As the d-min increases, the density curve becomes flatter toward lower exposure values. Thanks for this article. I have shot a LOT of Portra 160 in a wide range of lighting conditions - mostly night photography. I wish Fuji and Kodak would one day bring back the greats.Also, I’m just about to ship off five rolls to Northeast Photographic, myself. The 160 has always been my favourite film tho, even though I have only shot it once. Portra 160 is perhaps the most archetypical of the Portra philosophy – it offers a subtler, gentler color palette when compared to other color negative emulsions. Freaking love Portra film as well As for why so many images we see in the film photography community feel so much better than 35mm family snaps of our childhood: we’re *all* being more selective in what we shoot and share (those old photo albums are often whatever came out in focus on a given roll, and there was no cropping or straightening to be found) — and still the average images found on a family member’s smartphone / mirrorless / DSLR will be about the same quality as those snaps of old.This was a lovely read. I shot these inside with Portra 800 intentionally becuase I knew that the indoor, darker lighting would work better with ISO 800 film. So much of my fast moving impulses slow down. Wish they never stopped producing these.Really good article who gave me a lot of shooting feverThe photos in this article really reminded me of my hometown, maybe I can convince myself that being financially irresponsible just this once is worth it.ysYou might equally argue that film and TikTok are equally insignificant blips in the (pre)history of a landscape — but that both, in their way, encourage people to appreciate it and to keep it wild.Portra 160NC is one of the loveliest stocks I’ve shot (and I’ve only had a few expired rolls of it to work with). This area is called the density-minimum and is how dense the film is in unexposed areas. To see a more formal comparison of Portra 160 with the other two members of the Portra family (Experiment 2), go here. As for the still model on the right, the ISO 800 film was able to provide a heavy grain setting while providing a clear focus on the subject.Just by looking at the photos above you can spot some early differences between Portra 400 and Portra 800.Another similarity between the two film stocks is the skin tone compensation. I was fond of the UC as well.I love the portra films… I am sad I really have no experience with portra VC 400 I feel like I would have loved it.
But in retrospect, as I was living them, I was oblivious to them if that makes any sense. Would love to give these a go too!I actually just found a roll of Portra 400VC not too long ago at local antique shop. But everyone has their own way of capturing their memories, and if I was twelve again I’d right on that Tik Tok.I still have his ‘Lovers in a Cafe’ photo set as the background on my phone.
To hold the physical evidence of a moment you captured is truly beautiful.
Once winter is over I’ll give a try.The quality of the labs we use, as you point out, is another major element — the quality of my images increased across the board when I started using a pro lab, as they also provided feedback on exposure for the various stocks I was using. Today’s new, first … Portra 400 is a great pick if you’re not sure what, who, or where you will be capturing that day but if it’s bright out and I’m shooting a portrait, I would definitely pick the 160.Legends from the past. Every photographer shoots differently and online reviews can only teach you so much – so grab a roll of Portra, get your gear together, and head out with some friends to capture some memories on this incredible film stock!One of the most well-known film stocks for shooting crisp portraits and clean lifestyle photos has always been Kodak Portra.