When I was deciding on which film to use for capturing the essence of where I lived in Bangkok, I found myself contemplating between Portra 400 and Ektar 100. The Portra 400 has always been my go-to colour film, but on that particular day, the weather was exceptional, and I had a desire for a more vibrant look. So, I opted for Ektar 100 instead. I took the shots with my Leica MP à la carte, paired with a 50mm 1.4 Summilux Version 1 lens.
Initially, I thought that the strong and almost "slide-like" Ektar 100 would result in highly saturated and contrasty images, especially with my trusty 50mm Summilux lens. However, the outcome turned out to be quite intriguing. The 50mm Summilux lens, designed for black and white film in the 1960s before color film existed, has a relatively lower contrast. When combined with a character-rich film like Ektar 100, it creates a distinctive and captivating effect.
One interesting observation I made was the difference in sunrise colours between Bangkok and Hong Kong. I believe this disparity is due to the varying angles at which sunlight strikes the ground, depending on the sun's position in the sky. The sunlight in Bangkok tends to have a yellowish hue, while in places like Japan, it leans towards a bluish tone. This explains why Portra 400 yields remarkable results in Japan. I appreciate the unique charm of both colour renditions.
In the end, choosing the Ektar 100 for that particular shoot allowed me to capture the vibrant essence of Bangkok with a touch of nostalgia brought by the lens-film combination. It's these little nuances and discoveries that make the art of photography so fascinating and enjoyable. DD.