DEDICATED FOLLOWERS OF FILM
more detail and colour information
than there would be on a smaller
piece of paper. The extra size allows
room for those gradated tones and
colours. Medium format film
cameras are a headache, especially
when compared to cameras like the
Hasselblad X1D and the Fujifilm
GFX system, but the extra effort is
worth it.
‘I don’t have a massive attachment
to the cameras though. They are
there just to do a job. They all have a
different purpose, and when a
camera doesn’t have a purpose for
me any more I just get rid of it.’Which lm?
‘It has taken me a long time to find
the film I like, and I’ve done it by
trying lots of different emulsions.
My favourite is Ferrania Solaris 100
from Italy. They stopped making it
in 2008 and the last batch expired in
2010, so it is hard to get hold of. It
creates warm reds, yellows and
greens so they just pop. You can
almost see a colour cast, but the
whites stay white. You can pay a lot
for rolls now, though I always check
the conditions in which it has been
stored. For medium format project
work I’ve become a bit more sensible
after getting some terrible results
from expired 35mm, so if I’m
shooting a model or a portrait where
I need consistent results I shoot
Kodak Portra 800 or 400, or off-cuts
of cinema film. I also like
Lomography 400 and 800 as it
provides lots of colour and really
nice grain. I need a look to be
replicable when I’m shooting a
project, so it’s no good getting
halfway through and finding you
can’t get any more of that film. For
personal work I like expired Kodak
Portra VC and Ektacolor Gold, but
I’m always looking out for different
things. I’ve learnt which expired film
to buy now, and have a rule that for
ISO 100 film I’ll go back as far as
2004 whereas for 400 and above I
stick to 2008. Medium speed films
degrade more quickly. I also ask lots
of questions when I’m buying about
how it has been stored.
‘I do shoot slide film too, but not
as much. I was involved with the
launch of Kodak Ektachrome in 120
last year, but I also use Fujifilm
Provia 400X which I love. Provia
400X is all expired now, but it has
held its speed really well.
‘I don’t process my own film,
as I don’t have the time. I’d likeBreak Time