Compare & Contrast: Super 8 Film Stocks

Whenever we order film for an upcoming Hello Super 8 shoot, there are a whole lot of factors to consider: Is the event indoors or out? What will be the main light source? Will we be shooting at night? What's the color palette going to be? Does the client want a classic or retro look? One of the cool things about super 8 is that there are plenty of amazing film stocks available for us to choose from. Here's a brief comparison of the various super 8 looks that we can achieve using several different--but all beautiful!--film stocks.

• Color Negative (Kodak Vision 3; 200 & 500 ASA): This stock is ideal for lower light situations and softer colors & skin tones.
  
  
  
  
• Color Reversal (Kodak 100D): Comparable to Kodachrome, this color Kodak reversal film has a similar look to older 60s/70s stock. The processed film is highly saturated, with a lot of contrast and rich tones--perfect for capturing bold, bright colors and making a dramatic statement.
  
  
  
  
• Black & White Reversal (Tri-X): Black & white reversal also allows for a higher level of contrast than negative film. (What's the difference between reversal and negative? With reversal film, a positive image is imprinted right on the film shot; negative film gets processed into a whole new strip, resulting in the positive print & negatives.)
  
  
  
  

Reversal/Negative Stock Comparisons

Skin Tones

Reversal:

Negative:

Reversal:

Negative:

Floral

Negative:
Negative:
Reversal:
Reversal:

Bright Sunlight

Bright sunlight is the best friend of reversal film. Here are some examples of processed reversal film, which gives colors a dense, rich, high-contrast appearance.

Low Light

Low light comes out best with a high ASA, so we always opt for negative film. (Reversal requires lots of light to get that big pop of color and can't be used in low light.) Here are some examples of how negative color film performs in low light situations (i.e. when we hit the dance floor!).

Black & White in Natural Light



Black & White in Low Light

So we've got soft & classic color negative, super-saturated & retro color reversal, and the timeless look of black & white film. What's your favorite?

Coming Soon from Hello Super 8!

Today two batches of film arrived from the lab, and the footage is absolutely gorgeous! We couldn't resist offering a sneak peak into Hello Super 8's upcoming wedding films.

Sari + Holly - Provincetown, MA (Check out our full report on this incredible celebration!)







Juanita + Rehan - Wave Hill (Featured in our June weddings locations post.)






We can't wait to edit the beautiful, colorful, super-8 wonderful footage from these June weddings. Stay tuned!

Weekly Wedding Round-up: Destinations & Details

We found a lot of unique destination weddings this week, plus an anniversary shoot at our beloved Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. Check out the great eye candy--dresses, cakes, and more--we uncovered.

• This Lake Como wedding defines luxury: breathtaking views, intricate stonework, and an elegantly-attired bride and groom.
• The Ace Hotel never ceases to be the perfect spot for sun-kissed romance, and this anniversary shoot hits all the right notes--especially with this adorable shot of the couple checking out their own wedding footage on an old-fashioned projector.
• A wedding that features vintage cameras as props for the bride and groom is right up our alley.
• Michigan couple Echo and Rich chose to get married in a little black chapel in a field in Iceland. Talented Icelandic photographer Bragi Por Josefsson captures the landscape & couple in some extraordinary shots.
• Givenchy's newest collection features some dazzling numbers that would be fitting for a haute couture bride.

• Let them eat cake! Or... let us eat this berry-topped chocolate cake.
• We love bright colors, and the corals & yellows accenting this Southern wedding would be gorgeous on super 8!

Hello Super 8 team

Thanks to brilliant photographer, Bobby Sukrachand, for sending along this super cute pic of the Hello Super 8 team at last month's Wave Hill wedding. We had a blast working with him. I got a sneak peak at his photos from the wedding today and they are STUNNING! I'll be sure to send a link when they go up on his blog.

In the meantime, take a look at us (pictured left to right is assistant extraordinaire, Jessica Lauretti, me, and the lovely and talented Tatiana McCabe):

Weekly Wedding Round-up: Bow Ties & Cupcakes

This week, the magic is all in the details. Check out our favorite weddings, accessories, dresses, venues, and more.

• We're all googly-eyed over everything at this Carmel, CA wedding: the illustrated invites, the bride's gray dress, the mix CD favors in vellum envelopes, the tower of cream puffs wedding cake, and, of course, Max Wanger's gorgeous photographs.
• Once Wed spotlights some incredibly funky and cool bow ties from Forage. We'll take one of each!
• Now, you probably wouldn't think of a market as the ideal place to wed, but couple Megan and Eric prove that the most unusual spaces can be the most spectacular at their Oklahoma City Farmers Market wedding.
  
• It's always exciting when brides get a bit daring with their dresses. Janine Jarman, of Shear Genius fame, sports a funky, short, ruffly dress. What could be more appropriate for walking down the aisle to Madonna?
  
• This darling, pastel-colored Cape Cod wedding has a lovely selection of cakes & pastries. We're ready for dessert!

Weekly Wedding Round-up: Rainy Weddings & Storybook Invites

This week we found plenty of beautiful and inspirational wedding tidbits, including quite a few weddings that would look spectacular on super 8. Check out our favorite weddings, venues, tuxes, invites, and more!

• Happily for this couple, rain on your wedding day is supposed to bring good luck. We shot a rainy day wedding a while back and think "Isn't It a Lovely Day" by Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald makes the perfect accompaniment to images of in-love couples under umbrellas.
  
• This cozy Wisconsin wedding got a bit luckier as far as sunshine goes. We love the atmosphere, especially the warm evening light filtering through the trees (photographed by Jennifer Cress).
• You gotta love a man with style. Check out groom Matt's snazzy, Joshua tree suit. The bride reveals to Ruffled: "I think he asked me to marry him mainly to have an excuse to get a custom suit." We have to admit, we'd probably do the same for a suit like this.
• A simple and modern Chicago wedding at Prairie Production is flooded with bright sunlight and would be perfect for shooting on super 8.
• Adorable DIY touches abound at this retro backyard wedding. We're smitten with the colorful origami flower centerpieces.
• It's always fantastic when couples get creative, and this storybook-style wedding invitation--which details the couple's journey together--goes above and beyond. Artist & groom Giles Timms designed and illustrated his own very cool (and sweet!) invites.
  Enjoy all this great eye candy and happy long weekend!