Portra 400 in autumn light
Autumn light is low and soft, which suits colour negative film. I shot a roll of Portra 400 on a walk along the river with a single 50mm lens.
Exposure
I rated the film at 200 and metered for the shadows. Negative film forgives overexposure far more than underexposure, and the extra stop keeps the greens from going muddy.
What worked
- Backlit leaves, metered for the trunk rather than the sky.
- Close-ups at f/2.8, where the background turns into soft orange blocks.
- Waiting for people to walk into the frame instead of chasing them.
Scans came back slightly warm, which I left alone. It looked like the afternoon felt.