Color film photography – it's a special kind of shooting. Almost said about photography. Although, if you are talented, then the use of color film will help you further reveal your talent as a photographer.

But if you don't have special talents, like mine, eg, then don't worry – color film and a FED camera will help you.

That's how, I'll tell you now and show you.

When we talk about film photography, then most often we mean some kind of art projects or we use film for shooting on the street – street photography. And in 80% cases we are talking about black and white film.

Of course, such pictures are contrasting, have a noble grain, but to shoot in black and white, need to be careful and take into account many aspects – black and white film is unforgiving. Well, anyway, it seems so to me.

About mistakes – underexposed pictures in my opinion are a marriage. You can certainly say something about the style, but the noise in the shadows in the photo, made on film are just awful.

I.e, if you chose black and white film, then be careful setting the parameters on the camera.

Unlike black and white, color film can forgive you a couple of stops. And an underexposed color photo doesn't look that scary., like black and white. Again – This is just my opinion and I do not impose it. Taste.

As for me, then digital color noise is worse and looks “cheaper”, than color film noise. Relighting is also not so scary. Naturally. Within reasonable limits.

Here is where the problem lies. When you shoot with an old film FED or Zenith, then often you have a minimum shutter speed 1/500 and that's a lot for a sunny day. Even holding down the aperture to 16, you can still get an overexposed picture. Filters can help, but they are not always available. – filters for old lenses. Well, if you can still find such good on DSLRs, then it’s difficult to find a filter on rangefinder cameras. Colored are, but neutral gray did not come across. There is an option – choose old nikons, where is and 1/2000 excerpt. 1/1000 our cameras have – on the same Zorkom or Zeniths of some models, but 1/1000 may not be enough either..

But oh well, what am I talking about problems. Let's talk about the advantages of color film photography.

Color film photography, as in the pre-digital era remains an expensive hobby. Although, now we have to admit, what are the prices for color and black and white film, and also aligned for development. Difference, relatively small. But still shoot on color film less often.

There is also an attitude to film photography, as something elitist. And black and white photography, and even more so film photography, in the minds of many – this is real art, as opposed to color photography.

All, as in the days of William Eggleston (William Eggleston). First exhibition of his work, held in 1976 year, failed because, that he shot on color film and his photographs contrasted sharply with the then dominant ideas about photography. Then they also thought, that photography should only be black and white, a color – this is the lot of the layman.

by the way, Eggleston argued, that a color photograph of everyday life can be art. He was a master of composition and color. And he was right – color can show, what a black and white photo can't. We still see the world in color, not black and white.

And the style....

I want to talk about style. Great photographers are recognized by their techniques., which they use while filming, by story, by style. Photographer's style – if he is, then the photographer is likely to become famous and recognizable. What is this style?

The elegance and femininity of Lillian Bassman or the tough beauty of Helmut Neumann?

Yes, these photographers had the, what do we call style, like Peter Linberg, Richard Avedon, Sarah Moon, Stephen Meisel.... Last, by the way, worked in color.

But you know, what surprises me? Of the great photographers, no one has focused on a special color palette, of a flower. Their style is determined by other factors – emotions, compositional solutions, mood ... But not color. Not, many of the authors were and are able to work with color. Annie Leibovitz, eg, but each of her color shots is different. She selects the style and color scheme of a picture or a series for a person..

At all, need to say, that making color part of your style in the pre-digital era was quite difficult.

Do you know what to compare it to?? With music…. Paganini – everybody knows, that he was a great violinist, a virtuoso. There are many memories of this., but we can only take the word. singers – it is difficult to assess the skill of many singers of the past only by their gramophone recordings. The recording was too imperfect..

There was something similar with a color old photograph – film faded, faded and printed photos. The color changed and if you used any special techniques in color, then over time everything could change and your idea disappeared and the meaning, what you pawned was leaving.

black and white – this is an eternity claim, and the color in those days ... Those times.

Actually, it wasn't that long ago. – literally 20 years ago. Now easier and photographers make color a component of their style. We recognize many by the color scheme of photographs.. Photography has become even closer to painting.

The film can now be digitized and retain the style of the author for a long time. Now film color – it is durable. Earlier, when talking about visual style, most often meant cinema. Films were shot in one color style or another – colder, warmer, shades of turquoise or all in brown tones.

For this, not only the shooting style was chosen, but the film itself. Now film presses are fashionable – Fuji is especially guilty of this. But we, film shooters don't need imitation – we can just choose brand and type of film.

for example, the same Kodak Vision or Fujifilm Eterna – warm or cold shades. We can choose a style or create it ourselves and stick to it in the future..

You can try anyway.

So I decided to try and filmed Kodak Vision at VDNKh this summer and I liked the result. There is something special about color. And there is no need to invent and artificially wind up. Film gives it right away. In my case it is Kodak Vision2.

by the way, Nightmare was filmed on this film elm street, The Dark Knight, Lord of the Rings….

There is something special. And it's not just white balance.. It's all in the complex.

I have to admit, that I overexposed the pictures, but I already wrote, that it's not only my fault. The timing for the shoot was not the best., but on the other hand, a small Peresvet did not interfere very much – it even added to the mood.

But you can appreciate – Õ, summer 2023: