Lowering contrast on Velvia 50

[Bill Burk]

A graduated ND filter is a great thing to use with Velvia 50. Galen Rowell worked with Singh Ray to develop a set of these that fit the Cokin holders.

Has anyone tried the patented Tiffen contrast-reducing filters developed for cinema?

[wildbill]

A graduated ND filter is a great thing to use with Velvia 50. Galen Rowell worked with Singh Ray to develop a set of these that fit the Cokin holders.

Has anyone tried the patented Tiffen contrast-reducing filters developed for cinema?

No, but I dropped one on the ground once while working on a movie. Several hundred dollar mistake.

[coigach]

Used plenty Velvia years ago for landscapes (mostly now dr5 b+w transparencies) and ND Grads are the way to go - Velvia has little latitude.

[Ambar]

ME Super
I actually did do that! I generally use a Polarizer for that exact purpose.. It brings down the light intensity of the blue sky to a more manageable mean.. Thus reducing contrast however, Bright white clouds remain unscathed by it's effect..

GNDs really seem like the only solution to aptly control that.

[DREW WILEY]

Velvia pulls poorly. Flashing will muddy the shadows. If you use neutral grads they it will probably look just as
corny and phony as when Galen did it, but whatever. I'd carry more than one film so you can match the lighting
of the specific scene. If I had to use it in bright sunlight (and have), you often just have to let the shadows go
black and compose accordingly. Generally a lesser evil than blocking up the highlights. I prefer Velvia in diffuse
lighting where its higher contrast and saturation is warranted. Can't imagine using it without a spotmeter, however.

[keithwms]

Well yeah any technique will yield crummy results if overdone. People just need to experiment and see what works for them.

[DREW WILEY]

Agreed. I own polarizers but haven't used one in the field for decades. ND filters are inevitably going
to get overdone when someone is marketing them, and get kitchy results. Less is generally more.
Take time to actually see things, study the light, appreciate it, learn how to capture it. I personally
have little patience with those who have to smear honey and jam on everything to make it look like
a postcard on a rack opposite a shelf of ceramic chipmnunks.

[Poisson Du Jour]

Velvia pulls poorly. Flashing will muddy the shadows. If you use neutral grads they it will probably look just as
corny and phony as when Galen did it, but whatever. I'd carry more than one film so you can match the lighting
of the specific scene. If I had to use it in bright sunlight (and have), you often just have to let the shadows go
black and compose accordingly. Generally a lesser evil than blocking up the highlights. I prefer Velvia in diffuse
lighting where its higher contrast and saturation is warranted. Can't imagine using it without a spotmeter, however.

A spot meter isn't necessary for RVP 50 in diffuse light; incident or reflective is fine. In ideal diffuse illumination conditions spectrals are relatively flat and the tone is even. A SPM Would be very necessary in contrasty light though, but that would be maxing out the film and begging for ginormous swathes of black nothingness or blown highs.

I never found Gaelen Rowell's photography appealing chiefly for the conditions in which he shot that were unsuitable for the film, but appealed to his taste for "Disneychrome" saturation.

[benjiboy]

I suggest if you need less contrast you use a less contrasty film like Fuji Provia 100 F for instance.