I have been digging in my archives and reviewing flower images shot on Velvia and various negative film stock. These photos were shot four to seven years ago, before my plunge into digital.  Normally, I would shoot using a variety of used 35mm slr’s and scan all the photos using a Nikon Coolscan V (I wish I had never sold it). I had a special liking for Minolta products, so these flowers were captured with one of the following: Minolta SRT-101, Minolta X-700, or the Minolta X-570. I purchased all these cameras used on ebay for less than $50.00 (US) each, including prime lenses. Incredible values! Sadly, I lost a box containing all my slides and negatives during a move three years ago. All I have left are the low resolution digital conversions seen below. I cannot sell any of these images because I cannot produce hi-res scans. All photos were captured at the Rio Grande Botanic Garden in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Photo: Yellow Flowers shot on Velvia

This flower image was captured on Velvia using an old Minolta X-700 I purchased on ebay for $50.00. I forgot what lens I used. The yellow color saturation appears a tiny bit ‘overcooked,’ (my scanning skills were not very good back then) but I love the shadow play in this image.

Photo: Flowers photographed with Velvia

Here is another flower photo captured on Velvia with my trusted old Minolta X-700, and scanned with a Nikon Coolscan V. Sigh . . . I wish I still owned both of those classic pieces of technology! This photo has a wonderful ‘organic’ feel that was a hallmark of film photography.

Photo: Flowers shot with Kodak Ultracolor 400 Negative Film

This photo, captured with a Minolta X-700 and 50mm F1.4 kit lens, is from the first roll I ran through this camera after purchasing it used on ebay for $45.00 (US). I was simply blown away by the depth of color and fine grain Kodak Ultracolor 400 was capable of. Plus, because it is a negative film, it is very forgiving of exposure errors and scans beautfully with low-end scanners. In fact, this roll of film was processed at Walmart. This quickly became my favorite film for flower photos. The color and personality of this film, the fact that it could be processed locally makes this my favorite film to this day!

Would I go back to film? No. In spite of my romantic attachments to film, I cannot justify the reinvestment in a dying medium. Digital offers a more efficient workflow and lower costs. Sending film to a processor in another state and waiting for results is not worth the minor aesthetic advantages that it (arguably) may appear to offer. I can produce visually pleasing pin-sharp 13×19 enlargements all day with any of the digital cameras I own. That is good enough for me.

All photos by Donald Peterson, Newark1 Web Design Portfolio