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Film stock recommendation for Lapland

costa43

By costa43
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costa43

costa43

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Hi all

I’m taking my daughter to Lapland in January and wish to shoot some colour film whilst there, both in daylight and in the evening. I initially thought about Ektar for the day but then considered my daughter will likely be in many of the shots and it might not be the best fit. Any recommendations for winter landscapes, family shots and festive decorations?

Cheers

Edit : Film will not be my sole option but a complimentary one.  I will also take an sl2s as the hope is we will see the Northern Lights whilst there.

Edited by costa43
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Kl@usW.

Kl@usW.

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vor einer Stunde schrieb costa43:

Hi all

I’m taking my daughter to Lapland in January and wish to shoot some colour film whilst there, both in daylight and in the evening. I initially thought about Ektar for the day but then considered my daughter will likely be in many of the shots and it might not be the best fit. Any recommendations for winter landscapes, family shots and festive decorations?

Cheers

Edit : Film will not be my sole option but a complimentary one.  I will also take an sl2s as the hope is we will see the Northern Lights whilst there.

Hi Costa, 

Sounds good; Lapland really is something special. I’ve been there twice for snowshoeing and did both analog and digital photography. Regarding the choice of color film, I don’t see anything that distinguishes Lapland from other winter destinations: Kodak Portra 160, 400 or 800 for landscapes and portraits, depending on your focus.

As for analog photography, I carried an M2 with a Summaron 5.6/28 in my parka pocket and a Summilux 50mm in the other pocket. However, I might now just take a 35mm lens—less is more. Imagine that at -20°C with light snow, you really don’t feel like changing lenses. With thick mittens, you’re bound to drop something in the snow, and without gloves, your fingers will quickly freeze.

Photographically, you should expect flat light on sunny days and very little light on overcast days. But one thing I clearly remember: standing in the dark at night, camera on a tripod, waiting for the northern lights—it gets cold. Very cold. We experienced temperatures as low as -30°C. It’s a good idea to bring two batteries and keep them in your pocket to stay warm. I’d also suggest pre-focusing your lens to infinity and securing it with tape at home. If you bring a flashlight to adjust your settings in the field, keep in mind that it will take at least 15 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark again. So keep the  monitor switched off and do  the settings of the SL at home. For me,  "Manual" worked best. 

My camera itself (Canon 5D4) wasn’t an issue, but you need to place it in a plastic bag before re-entering a warm room and let it thaw slowly. 

Enjoy your trip, enjoy the northern lights ! 

K. 

Edited by Kl@usW.
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stray cat

stray cat

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You’d find it hard top go past Portra 400 wouldn’t you? And throw in a few rolls of Portra 800 for the darker hours? 

I’d advise carrying all the film with you and asking for hand-inspection at airport security.

Other than that, it sounds like a wonderful trip and I hope you and your daughter thoroughly enjoy yourselves.

oops just realised I was composing my response when Klaus’s excellent response with his great advice appeared.

Edited by stray cat
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costa43

costa43

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8 hours ago, Kl@usW. said:

Hi Costa, 

Sounds good; Lapland really is something special. I’ve been there twice for snowshoeing and did both analog and digital photography. Regarding the choice of color film, I don’t see anything that distinguishes Lapland from other winter destinations: Kodak Portra 160, 400 or 800 for landscapes and portraits, depending on your focus.

As for analog photography, I carried an M2 with a Summaron 5.6/28 in my parka pocket and a Summilux 50mm in the other pocket. However, I might now just take a 35mm lens—less is more. Imagine that at -20°C with light snow, you really don’t feel like changing lenses. With thick mittens, you’re bound to drop something in the snow, and without gloves, your fingers will quickly freeze.

Photographically, you should expect flat light on sunny days and very little light on overcast days. But one thing I clearly remember: standing in the dark at night, camera on a tripod, waiting for the northern lights—it gets cold. Very cold. We experienced temperatures as low as -30°C. It’s a good idea to bring two batteries and keep them in your pocket to stay warm. I’d also suggest pre-focusing your lens to infinity and securing it with tape at home. If you bring a flashlight to adjust your settings in the field, keep in mind that it will take at least 15 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark again. So keep the  monitor switched off and do  the settings of the SL at home. For me,  "Manual" worked best. 

My camera itself (Canon 5D4) wasn’t an issue, but you need to place it in a plastic bag before re-entering a warm room and let it thaw slowly. 

Enjoy your trip, enjoy the northern lights ! 

K. 

Thank you for taking the time to write such a helpful response. I really appreciate it. 

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costa43

costa43

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8 hours ago, stray cat said:

You’d find it hard top go past Portra 400 wouldn’t you? And throw in a few rolls of Portra 800 for the darker hours? 

I’d advise carrying all the film with you and asking for hand-inspection at airport security.

Other than that, it sounds like a wonderful trip and I hope you and your daughter thoroughly enjoy yourselves.

oops just realised I was composing my response when Klaus’s excellent response with his great advice appeared.

Thank you. She doesn’t know yet but Santa will send her an invite soon. She keeps me feeling young that’s for sure!

 

Edited by costa43
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hansvons

hansvons

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A lot of sound advice here. Nothing to add other than that you'll be facing a white, snowy landscape. When using an M6 and other reflective light meters, the rule of thumb is to adjust IE by 2 stops higher. Otherwise, chances are high that you'll end up with thin negatives.

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Hell

Hell

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Hi @costa43, I've just returned from a cruise along the Norwegian coast to see the Northern Lights- and the coast! I would definitely recommend sticking with one lens when out shooting, as two lenses are more trouble than they're worth as suggested above by @Kl@usW. Bear in mind that it's likely to be Polar Night when you go, so there will be almost no direct sunlight unless you're up a mountain. I took Portra 800 film and Ilford Delta 3200 but I haven't seen the results. I wish I'd had @hansvons advice about exposure!

Have a lovely time with your daughter!

 

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