Re: I am an amateur, to cry out loud!!!!

[P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike Sherer observes:

>Kodachrome has a large following mostly based on that its rendition of
>colors is true to life and it is a very sharp film. For most of us who use it,
>the non-fading slides are just a bonus.  I personally think that since it has
>an accurate color palette and razor-sharpness it is an excellent film for
>realistic pictures in 3D.

Mike, I can only speak for myself, but I currently have Kodachrome 25
and 64, Ektachrome Elite II 100, Ektachrome E100S and Fuji Velvia in
my 'fridge.  From experience, I consider these films to have different
color palettes, and I try to match the film to the subject.

If I know I'm going to be photographing people, I'd avoid Velvia because
of its tendency to make light-skinned people look too pink, but if I'm
going to be photographing flowers, landscapes or forests, for example,
Velvia is my first choice for its vibrant colors, particularly greens
and magentas.

For a more "National Geographic" (i.e. natural or "realistic") look,
Kodachrome is my first choice.  Nothing seems to reproduce golden hills
and nearly grainless azure skies of California summers like Kodachrome 25.
If you forced me to use only one film, it would probably be Kodachrome 64,
for the additional speed.  As you say, the longevity is just a bonus.

Ektachrome (both flavors) reproduces warm tones very well, making it
great during "golden hour", and is a nice compromise between the almost
stark realism of Kodachrome and the super-saturated eye-popping look of
Velvia.  I'd never recommend Velvia as an "all-purpose" film, but it
does have its uses.

I don't understand the attitude I've seen from some people on Usenet
where if a film isn't suited for general-purpose use, they won't use it
at all.  Being limited to a single emulsion would be a lot like having
to take every picture with a wide-angle lens.  You could certainly do it,
and even do it well, but I like the variety and control provided by
other options, even if I can't or won't use them everywhere.

        -Greg W.


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