Shooting Fuji Velvia 100
In the land of the dark room, the man with Kodachrome was King (yes, I really did just write that). But in all seriousness though, this was true. Kodachrome is perhaps the most iconic film stock of all, and it’s what most people shot in the West when it came to transparencies. As I have mentioned before, this stock is long gone and we most likely won’t ever see it again, leaving us with Fuji’s flagship slide film – Velvia. Loved by landscape photographers the world over, this is the one that people rave about the most today and, if someone is still shooting film in a serious manner, then you can almost guarantee it will involve Velvia.
Why? Well first of all you can buy it in two different forms, the ISO 100 stock I will discuss this week, and the ISO 50 version which is most highly prized for having the finest grain of all. Colour is also critically important here, Velvia is known to have even more intense blues & purples than Provia and it’s this that can really add drama to photographs. Some of the sunset photos, that much more experiences photographers than me have captured, really do stand out visually with such striking colours.
Unfortunately, I didn’t encounter a dramatic sunset when using this roll but thankfully I managed to find a wide variety of things to shoot, this time outside of London. I spent a week up north on several photo & video shoots, and I even gave this a go when shooting sports photography for my local hockey club. The extra purple tones really do stand out in some of the photos, especially in shadow areas. I don’t think this really is the roll to use for everyday shooting like Ektachrome or Provia is, so I think the is the last time I will use this like I have done for these photos. I am also not overly keen on the colour of skin tones in my images, though perhaps it wouldn’t look so bad on people with a darker complexion. It is definitely one to reserve for careful landscape photography to try and maximize the colour palette. Not to mention that Velvia 100 is also the most expensive slide film you can buy, so not one I’d want to shoot a lot of in a hurry.
Having shot it I can see why this film stock remains popular today, as it produces a very unique result that will makes the right image really stand out. However, it is a bit of an acquired taste for general shooting, although at this point, I’d accused of missing the point. It’s not meant for that kind of work. For that reason, I don’t think I’d shoot this again on 35mm as I think this stock would work a lot better with my Bronica. As that camera has interchangeable film backs, I could swap it in and out when needed without having to waste an entire roll shooting things that were unsuitable. Coupled with the finer details and I am sure I would have a really great set of images. Certainly one for when I have more experience under my belt.
What are your thoughts on Velvia? Is this a film stock you are keen on and have shot many times before? Let me know in the comments down below.
If you enjoyed this blog then please consider leaving a tip below.