Been itching to see more photos from the Kodak Ektachrome? Here’s a bunch, along with some insights on how to make the most out of this famed slide film.
Now that more and more lucky film photographers have started getting their hands on the Kodak Ektachrome, some of us not-so-lucky ones are getting even more curious about the results of this much awaited emulsion. In this quick video, Ohio-based photographer Matt Day shares some of the Kodak Ektachrome photos he shot using a Leica M6, as well as his thoughts on how to shoot this precious slide film.
Before we proceed with Day’s video, we’d like to share our own thoughts on the Kodak Ektachrome E100 as well. In case you missed it, our Film Emulsion Review on this film is now out, also shot with a couple of Leica cameras, the M4P and CL with Leica lenses and 7Artisans lenses.
Now, let’s watch Day share some results from his first two rolls of Kodak’s re-released Ektachrome:
If you’ve never shot slide film before (or haven’t shot it for E6 processing), there are some key points to take note of from the video above if you want to give it a try. First, unlike color negative film, slide film doesn’t have a wide exposure latitude, so you’d either have to be more precise about your exposure or avoid high contrast scenes with it. As Day has heard and confirmed, this film 1. produces lots of blues and sometimes greens in the shadows; and 2. is best shot for the highlights than the shadows, as it’s more typical to lose details in the highlights with this film (as with slide films in general).
Shooting (and scanning) for the highlights indeed yielded high contrast, nicely saturated results for Day, something that he was going for from the beginning. If this is also the look you’re after, now you know how to achieve that. But if you’re thinking of something more balanced or less contrasty, you’re best shooting this in flat or somewhat overcast light.
Lastly, if you want to experiment and learn how to best expose this slide film in various lighting conditions, you might want to follow his example and do some bracketing for your first few rolls. This way, you’ll see the differences in each stop and figure out the results you best like.
Check out Matt Day’s YouTube channel for more of his photography videos.