E6 Chemistry Test

My supervisor authorized the purchase of some E6 color slide chemistry for the darkroom I manage, and here is my test roll (the purchase of which was also authorized). Findings:
On the one hand, E6 chemistry isn't as picky as they say (if you're not super-concerned about consistency) with regard to time, temperature, etc.
On the other hand, if you want great results, a machine or lab will be far more consistent than by hand. My bet is that hand-processed results are going to be barely usable at best.

Other bonus fact: This film has no grain. None. You hear things like color film having essentially no grain nowadays, being optimized for scanning. Well it was probably worse back then, but that statement isn't entirely true; you'll still see grain even on 160 speed negative film. Not the case for slides apparently. So if you can manage to not overexpose your skies (which I tend to do a lot), it will give fantastic results. But it's pretty unforgiving of error in exposure. Slide film is much more like digital, except with better (more logarithmic) exposure characteristics and better color (and the option to work in larger formats), but generally no instant feedback.

Fuji Provia 100 in Kodak E6 chemistry, hand-processed.

Despite the roll in general being overexposed, this shot actually came out okay, since I was deliberately aiming for shadow detail.

This scan is too bright, but with slide film you have very little choice of how bright to let it be after the fact.

A really neat shot with tricky lighting; I ended up muddying the bricks in post since they were blown in the exposure and were distracting otherwise.

The sleeping man on this frame might be a member of New York improv troupe Death by Roo Roo, but I'm not certain.

Almost didn't post this one; in fact, I did leave off the first shot on the roll because it was way too overexposed.

Janus Films?

This was just a tricky exposure even under the best of circumstances. This also kind of reveals the slightly 'off' colors that might be attributed to hand-processing.

Amuse Bouche in North Carolina under an obelisk

Fences are neat motifs, but I can never seem to hold my camera level.

This exposure would've been better suited to negative film.

Leaving the hotel.

That wall again.

Pulling in highlights actually revealed some detail in the stumps, which was nice. Apparently someone migrated this tree into someone else's room, cops were called... I don't fully understand the details.

An average shot, but I needed to finish the roll and get back to work.

Amuse Bouche visits NCCAF - 2010

Some photos from Amuse Bouche's visit to the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival (a.k.a. Dirty South Improv Festival). This is Amuse Bouche's third year attending. I once more attempted to process this film for improved shadow density; results were still contrasty but not unusably so. Several exposures were scanned twice and merged.

Ilford D3200 - rated around E.I. 1600-2000, over-developed and under-agitated.

A shot of Boston Improv (at least I think that's their name). Really nice fluid scene transitions and a fantastic group dynamic. They had a really good showing last year as well, though this year they had more people (by contrast, most troupes sent fewer this year). The crowd went nuts after their set, chanting "Boston!" Truth be told, I don't remember many of the montage specifics, but they were truly outstanding even among a bunch of really good acts.

I'll update this post when I remember this group's name.
A party we went to between sets, hosted by UNC's improv team. It was a really neat chance to meet and make friends with other college troupes; I met a guy who knew my best friend from elementary school in Charleston, SC. Small world.
I have more than one portrait of this man in this pose making this face. But this was the first such portrait that I took with this camera.
Zach Ward, coordinator of the festival, introduces the late set. One scan for highlights, one for shadows.

Again, I'll update this when I look up the group's name. The scene had a photographer character in it, and that coupled with the 'stage picture' made for a really nice photo. Again, two scans; I'm beginning to have some faith in my shadow-detail processing method.

Yes, that's MC Frontalot, performing an opener of Yellow Laser Beam before the BeatBox set. Live and a capella, with the guy on the right as a beatbox. Frontalot didn't play in the scene, but he sure enjoyed it. By contrast, MC Chris was a guest the past two years, and attempted to perform in scenes. That attempt was probably misguided. (2 scans).

Frontalot again, making a funny face. I didn't process this scan very well (2 scans).

Here are members of BeatBox, which we began to suspect might have a rotating membership. This set was not nearly as strong (no offence though, it was a good set) as last year's, and I didn't really recognize anyone from BeatBox last year. Notably present on the far right is Jill Bernard of Drum Machine fame... an incredible solo longform improv act. More on her later. (2 scans, actually 3 but 2 of them were very close together)

Neat stairs in the parking garage. Processed a bit too flat.

Meeting before workshops on Saturday.

We commented that it was rather early in the morning to hold a meeting. This is evidenced by the fact that almost everyone in this shot is apparently falling asleep. Which is in itself a pretty good joke.

I met a friend from high school who was overseeing the building that day; I had sent her an invitation to our show on Thursday but she had given up Facebook for Lent and not received it. She did, however, recommend Cosmic Cantina to me, which I then proceeded to visit for lunch. It is well hidden.

Official Product Placement of Amuse Bouche. Also, apparently I can't focus and/or I was thirsty.

Exterior of Cosmic Cantina (which is kind of interior in a covered alley). Too flat as a result of hastily trying to pull in the neon sign, I guess I could re-export it if I felt like it.

400VC - Roll C

The last roll I have (though not the last chronologically) from the 2010 Amuse Bouche trip to New York. Also encompasses part of a landscape assignment for class this semester because the roll wasn't yet finished. Some of them came out well, but again the color was difficult to work with.

I'm pretty sure my parents got engaged in the Rainbow Room.

In the full-size scan you can see everyone's face and read the license plate on that taxi.

I think I knew I was underexposing this.

Still, slightly more underexposed than I wanted.

Perfect, except for the color, which I've gotten pretty close and which I may fix if I decide to print it.

Not a very good sunset photo.

Overlooking the High Line.

We are nomads again; somehow I am able to carry all my things and my camera at the same time.

This was a great shot, but the film wasn't flat on the scanner. It seems like the photofinisher didn't let the roll dry flat, but hung it up by the middle, and the crease was around this frame. I'll probably rescan it.

This has been cropped to correct for rotation, but I could've cropped it further if necessary.

Before getting on a train to Penn Station.

Back at UVa, I just could not get the color on this frame right.

This one is closer, and I like how the sky pulled in.

I really like this one; it's the same tree from the first roll I shot last semester.

Colors are still wrong.

And the film couldn't handle the range of this scene, though it was pretty close.

The moral of the story is to buy new film.

More 400VC

A couple of these were good, most were bad. Some of these were just bad enough to cut... there's something wrong with the flash, the camera's flash sync, and/or the film. Or my ability to operate them...

Kodak 400VC (expired) - Roll B - Fuji GSW690III

On the roof

Still on the roof

So many people in one apartment

This was great, but underexposed...

It holds up okay in daylight

Again, good but negative was too thin to play with the color enough.

A fantastic shot... again somehow underexposed in broad daylight (possibly a metering error on my part), but the shadows aren't holding up. This leads me to suspect the film.

And now the 'problem' is gone again.

I think I knew I was underexposing this one.

At a workshop

Scene

Scene and spectator

Back in the apartment. Whatever I was doing wrong with the flash before, this time, it seemed to work well.