“The Cutting Room Floor” is a phrase in the film industry used to describe the unused footage in a film or movie. It’s a fitting title for my next two posts. I was surfing through some unpublished pictures on my Flickr page when I came across some film images that I actually liked, but for some reason or another I never published. These reasons include problems with composition, lighting, light leaks or the image just did not turn out the way I saw it. At a second glance, I actually like some of these very well. My next two posts will showcase these discarded images. This post displays some portraits and the next will show some landscapes and architecture.
I’m not a portrait photographer, but I’ve improved over the years. This series of photos are shots of my wife and family taken a while back. These were just impromptu shots, so there was no special lighting or preparation. One of the things I have learned through shooting film is to overexpose a stop or two depending on the film stock. It’s the opposite when shooting digitally. With my DSLR, I try to protect the highlights while I protect the shadows with film. These are just general rules because the final scene is ultimately dependent on what the photographer is trying to convey. The color shots were shot with my Olympus OM1 and 50mm f1.8 lens on Kodak Portra 400 and the black & white shot was shot with my Mamiya 645 1000s and 80mm f2.8 on Kodak TRI-X 400.
Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak Portra 400 / Film Box Lab
Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak Portra 400 / Film Box Lab
Mamiya 645 1000s / Sekor C 80mm f2.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / Film Box Lab
Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak Portra 400 / Film Box Lab
I really like these captures. I believe there is something to be said about detaching yourself from your work for a while. I have learned that it helps me be more critical of my own work. That’s one of the things I love about shooting film. I might not see my shots for weeks or months. When I do finally see the image, it’s like seeing it for the first time. The emotional attachment to the photograph dissolves overtime allowing you to be more critical. In this instance, I actually like some of the shots that I had originally discarded. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I would love to hear your comments on these shots. Stay tuned for part 2!
Images Best Viewed in Lightbox Below!
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4 Responses
Very nice portrait photographs! These pics have a feeling of kindness and are very realistic.
Thank you for your kind words! I really love the look of film. I plan to do more serious portrait work in the future where I plan a little better for the lighting and possibly use some flash. Thanks for stopping by!
Nice portraits. Agree on re-visiting images for a fresh perspective.
Thank you for your comment and taking the time to visit my site!