In this video I will show you how to do your own exposure testing with Kodak Gold 200, Provia 100F and Kodak Ektachrome. This will act as a guide for you whether you are shooting Medium Format or 35mm. 

5 reasons why you should exposure test your film: 

1. If you’re a beginner film photographer this will help you understand the fundamental basis of exposure 

2. If you want to get better scans and images 

3. You will find the best exposure that YOU like the most at the settings you like best

4. You may be an experienced photographer so you may want to test out some rolls and compare to previous images you have shot at different exposures. Making those little tweaks will help you to get the desired look! 

5. How you use your light meter will affect what settings you input and therefore the results. Try and keep the processes consistent to get the most accurate results possible

Pre Shoot: Five things that you will need to take with you when shooting a test roll

1. Your desired film camera [you can also do this on digital too!] 

2. Your chosen film on 35mm or Medium Format

3. A light meter 

4. A pen

5. A little notebook paper or notepad on your phone

On a side note, consider the location you will be shooting as well as whether you are shooting landscapes or portraits. 

Knowing as much about your location will give you a more detailed idea about the reason why the film may perform the way it does later! 

Exposure Testing on Kodak Gold

I shot these images on the Fuji GSWiii which is a 6x9 medium format camera. The conditions were overcast at the time I was shooting with Lia in these London streets. 

You can see that Kodak Gold performs quite well at higher shutter speeds with a low aperture set to f5.6. 

However as the shutter speed drops below a sixtieth of a second the tonality begins to fray quite noticeably!  

Don’t Forget to Do This During The Shoot

You are at your shoot, before you take out your camera, take out your notebook/phone notepad. Write down a description of the location you are in and describe the light for your reference. 

Depending on what camera you are using, write down the number of frames you have to shoot with. In my case I was shooting on Fuji GSWiii which gives eight extremely large negatives. 

My light meter was calculated for me to shoot a f5.6 at 125sec so I set that as the midpoint base line. I then adjusted the shutter speeds to either side of that position and shot away. 

When you are doing your own exposure test, use the light meter to set your mid point baseline and depending on what camera you are using adjust either the shutter speed or aperture. Ofcourse, if you are using digital you have the additional choice to adjust the ISO if you wish! 

Exposure Testing on Provia 100F

On Provia 100F we were in a bit more of a shaded position with tall buildings on either side. The film pushes towards the shadows at 500sec and 250sec. The sweet spot in these conditions seems to be at or between 125th and 60th of a second. I should really get these printed off to see which one looks best in print to make a final judgment. 

Important Things To Consider After the Shoot 

If you are not developing or scanning the film yourself make sure to tell your lab to scan as is. Otherwise they will calibrate the scans for each frame and you won’t know how the film actually performs at different settings. 

After the scanning your film negatives or positives

Look carefully at your negatives. Each frame needs to be reviewed carefully and you may want to use a magnifying eye loupe to get that extra closeup. 

Regardless of whether you are exposure testing or not you are looking for three key things in film negatives:

1. You have well-balanced range of tonalities from the highlights to the shadows;

2. There is a good level and structure of grain; and

3. Thirdly, there is an absence of damage and defects.

For the purposes of exposure testing pay attention to the first two. 

As a rule of thumb, you should print your photos. This will help you to see how the images look physically in comparison to on screen. 

Your images will look different on your phone or on your computer. Each time the colors will render differently. 

Side note: This rule applies in both digital and analog. There have been many times when I have shot on both mediums and found the color and contrast looks different in print compared to on screen. 

Ultimately doing this will help you understand what your image really looks like and help you choose more accurately your perfect ‘image’ or ‘look’ 

Exposure Testing on Kodak Ektachrome 

With Kodak Ektachrome the shadows are even more prominent than the Provia albeit I have changed locations so its not a like for like comparison. However once again performs quite well at 125th and 60th of second. The push towards the highlights at a 60th of a second adds a but more of a dreamy look, however, printing these two off to see them comparatively would be the best thing to do! 

This Is How You Can Setup Your Exposure Testing

In this video, I have shown you how to set up your own exposure test for film photography. You can cross apply this for digital photography too, just remember to print your images off. 

I have learned how slide and negative films perform in low light conditions with a wide aperture setting and faster shutter speeds. 

Having said that the results may be different if shooting in sunny sixteen which is not common here in the UK but if an opportunity presents itself I may take it up!

If you want to see more detailed images hit my journal at ahsanabbas.com  

Let me know if you have any questions about exposure testing in the comments below, punch the subscribe button and watch my last drop right here.