35mm for magazines in the 80's-90's

[Shootar401]

I never really paid attention to the fashion industry back in the 80's & 90's. But I've been curious about what format most of the fashion magazines were shot with. I know most covers were done in MF, but I was wondering about the photos for the articles and things. I remember my friend working at Vouge in the mid 90's and getting a tour of their offices and I saw a lot of 35mm contact sheets. Of what, I don't remember.

Does anybody know where 35mm was used in the big pubs? And what the common film types (EPR, VPR, EPT, etc..) that were used?

Thanks

[Chris Lange]

35mm was the norm up until the early/mid 90s when the switch to 6x7 was mostly made. My father was shooting editorial and covers from the 70s through the 2000's and always shot a mixture of 6x6, 6x7, and 35mm the entire time. Although from 1998-2004 it was mostly 6x7 in RZ67 Pro IIs, and almost always Portra 400NC or 160NC.

[Shootar401]

Thanks for the info! Last I remembered everything was shot on chromes, this was back when I was in college in 1993. I guess a lot has changed.

I assume the RZ's and Portra are still used quite a bit even now? And why the switch to Portra anyway? quality issues?

[awwsheeet]

im pretty sure they used this piece of crap

[elekm]

I thought they liked medium format, specifically the Hasselblad, because of the flash synch up to 1/500, the large 6x6 negative and the ability to crop without worrying about film grain becoming an issue.

[CGW]

Worth poking around here for who used what:

http://whouseswhatcamera.com/2012/04...erb-ritts-use/

[Ric Trexell]

I have zero inside info on your question, but my guess would be that the fashion shots were done with Nikon or Canon 35mm cameras with motor drives. You always see the gals swinging from side to side and the photographers are clicking away like crazy. Perhaps in later years the went to 645's with an assistant changing the inserts every so often. I think I have seen assistants changing the film in 35mm's by first disconnecting the camera from the strobes and handing a newly loaded camera to the photographer. Speed was and still is very important I suppose when you are paying a model by the hour.

[Chris Lange]

For laughs here's a video of my dad shooting for the SI swimsuit issue back in 1993... all Nikon F4s and FE2s with motors, and lots of Ektachrome.

His segment begins at :30 seconds in...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpV2c2UZ3_o

[Chris Lange]

By the time my father left the fashion industry, he had amassed an arsenal of Hasselblads, RZ67 Pro IIs, Pentax 645s, Pentax 67s, Nikon F4s, Nikon FE2s, and had ditched his Nikon Fs, and ELWs (not that they were in readily operable condition at that point any way...)

[Chris Lange]

Also, the girl at 6 minutes in, Ingrid Seynhaeve, is a total sweetheart, I haven't seen her in about 6 years, but I last saw her on a shoot I assisted my dad with in 2006. She was a fairly regular face around the studio from the 90's through the 2000s though.