Galveston sights: Fuji Velvia 50

[cooltouch]

Some friends and I drove down to Galveston (about 1 hour's drive south from Houston) a few weeks back to go on a film shoot -- or what we like to call a "film crawl." I had Fuji Velvia 50 loaded up in a couple of cameras and was excited about finally getting to use some after so many years of reading and hearing about how good it is. The weather sure was cooperating. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and reasonably warm for the second week in January.

Got a few interesting shots of some old architecture.

Canon F-1, Tamron 24mm f/2.5, approx 1/250 @ f/8


Canon F-1, FD 85mm f/1.2 SSC Aspherical, approx 1/250 @ f/8


Canon F-1, FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC, approx 1/60 @ f/8


As luck would have it, we found out after we got there that there was to be a civil war battle re-enactment scheduled for that afternoon, so figuring it to be a pretty good photo opportunity, we decided to stay. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with the tradition, American Civil War battle re-enactments are set up and participated in by enthusiasts and buffs of the American Civil War. Considering how bloody and tragic the war was, and how the divisions still remain in some parts of the country, I've never really understood its attraction. But I wasn't about to miss a good opportunity for some photographs.

Next eight photos: Canon F-1, FD 85mm f/1.2 SSC Aspherical at various settings.

First we visited the Confederate encampment. The participants were dressed in period costume and even doing period sorts of things, like cooking their meals over open fires.






Then we visited the Union encampment. One difference I noticed was their firearms looked to be in nicer shape.






Then a while later, the battle broke out in the streets of Galveston. I was shooting with my Bronica ETRSi, but had Velvia 50 in 220 loaded in it. Biggest problem I had with it was where I was standing. I was shooting into open shade from a position in sunlight when taking pics of the Confederates, so most of their photos came out rather severly underexposed. I had to do a fair amount of tweaking to the images to get them looking as good as they do now, and I'm still not all that happy about the results.








So apart from my exposure disappointments with the 220, I must say that I'm quite impressed with Velvia over all. I'm just out of practice, shooting slide film. Saturation is quite spectacular, and the way it handles yellows and reds really does remind me of Kodachrome. I have always felt that E-6 emulsions generally handle blues and greens better than Kodachrome did, so here with Velvia one has the best of both worlds, it would seem. Except for Kodachrome's archival quality, of course. Oh well.

[Attila]

Nice report and so many great images, I prefer Provia 100 for this type of shoots. Velvia can be stunning for some scenne and over saturated for others. Provia 100 is more balanced.

[Laurence]

Oh man, these are such fine images! I LOVE the rendering of the reds, and
they just SNAP right out of the image. I agree with Attila that SOME of the
images might have done better in Provia, but there a also some where
Velvia has produced its magic, saturated colors.

The imagery of the architecture is magnificent, worthy of enlargements.
The third image, of the two-story structure with the fence...as beautiful
as it gets. So well balanced, and the F-1 and 50/1.4 combination has put
the perspective right out as though I was standing there. What a fine
marriage of camera and lens. The 85 is also extraordinary.

Simply and unequivocally outstanding. Just outstanding...

[mo]

Beautiful...your old buildings are stunning!....loved the reenactments,they take it seriously don't they?
The color of the wood on the guns stands out.

[martinsmith99]

Nice reportage photography.