B&W Film For Fall Color

[Mark Stahlke]

I'm getting ready for a fall color excursion. I'm taking lots of color film, mostly E100VS. I also want to take some black & white film. I have on hand Delta 100, FP4+, and HP5+. Which would you choose and why?

Just in case it matters, I'm developing in DD-X. Oh yeah, I'm in Colorado so I'm expecting a lot of yellow aspens.

Thanks,
Mark

[Sirius Glass]

Maybe it is just me, but I get the best fall color photographs using color film. Am I missing something here?

[J. E. Brown]

I do not have experience with color film, so I am afraid I have nothing to offer in that area.

As for black and white, I do love TMY-2 and I use it exclusively (I shoot 4x5). I am sure a great discussion of different films will follow, attached with everyone's personal opinion, all excellent material for you to form your own opinion.

I must say that the Calvin and Hobbes clip with his dad explaining B&W film is one of my absolute favorites.

Best of luck in your hunt for fantastic color film.

Cheers,

-JB

[domaz]

Yellow filter=white aspens
Blue filter=dark aspens.

Probably yellow will be white on film as is though.

[Michael Gordon]

I'd take the Delta 100. Why? Because that's what I use.

I'd also consider taking a set of filters (yellow, green, orange, and red).

[ROL]

if (windspeed == 0)
FP4+ @ 100
else
HP5+ @ 200 + luck/prayer

Delta = tabular grain::( IMHO

[BetterSense]

I think color filters will change your 'look' more than the film that you use.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

I too am in Colorado and I use Delta 100 for B&W work these days, which is the only work I do. Really, most B&W films will work fine and Michael is right, take a set of filters with you. I develop the Delta 100 in DDX 1+6 and I rate it 100, of all things. DDX is a nice developer and works terrific with Delta films. I was down around Telluride last week but there wasn't any color yet (still made a few keepers). The hot, dry weather we are having will likely not yield very nice colors this fall.

Have fun!

[vinny]

Some films (like classic pan 400) react to filtering more than newer emulsions. Just my 2 cents. Maybe it's just an adjustment to the filter factor but that's my experience.

[David Beal]

Take a look at http://www.normankoren.com/zonesystem.html, which has a neat comparison of black and white values and color values. Metering a color chart, he finds that red is Zone 5 and Yellow is 6 1/2. That kind of confirms my suspicion that an old technology B/W film would probably be better for fall color because I think it woud capture the yellow-orange-red transition better than a "new technology" film would. I'd take FP4+ and HP5+.

Good shooting.

/s/ David

[SeanEsopenko]

I found shooting fall foliage with a yellow filter required more care than I thought. Most of the yellow foliage was blown out in this picture. I was able to bring lots of it back in digital but I don't have the expertise yet to do the same in the darkroom.

http://www.seanesopenko.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/princesIslandAutumn.jpg

When doing spot metering, would it help to hold the filter in front of the meter's lens to compensate for the changes in value caused by the filter?