5 frames with Kodak Portra 160 and an Olympus XA – By Ted Ayre

If you know the North West of England you will know that sunshine can be a rare thing! So when the sun came out for the bank holiday weekend I decided that it was time to use my first ever roll of professional film – Kodak Portra 160.

However, I currently only have one camera – the Olympus XA, that I bought from Skears Photographic, Northampton a few weeks ago. My other camera purchases including family hand-me-downs were in a box to be traded – I’m currently on the hunt for my first ever SLR. I was honestly feeling a bit jaded about the whole photography thing, having been ripped off on eBay (you’ll maybe know the feeling!) and the XA was available fully serviced, with a warranty from a proper shop. That weekend the sun was shining, I’d just taken a chance on yet another new camera, and I was hoping Kodak Portra 160 and a walk into Manchester City Centre might cheer me up!

The Camera…

The XA is small enough to fit in my shirt pocket, is easy to operate, and has all the necessary options for aperture priority shooting. I love using the XA for street photography, just stick it at f/5.6 or f/8 during the day and zone focus. However, if you have more time you can use the tiny rangefinder patch to compose shots too if you like.

Compared to SLRs I’ve borrowed, the experience is very different using this little rangefinder camera. I’ve found that I feel less obtrusive to folks in the street, and I am able to capture more candid moments.  I want to become more confident and less self-conscious about using a camera publicly, and the little XA is the perfect tool to build that confidence. The rangefinder is a useful tool on this camera, but is very small/faint in the viewfinder. To be honest, I was zone focusing most of the time and would highly recommend Hamish’s in-depth article for the Ilford website here, as a point of reference. By using this method I was able to be faster and more spontaneous with my camera as I walked through the city.

The Film Stock…

I have to say, there is a lot of hype around the Kodak Portra range, and in my opinion it is well deserved – this film stock is the best colour negative I have ever used. Portra 160 has very fine and smooth grain, with a neutral colour palette, and its sharpness suits the legendary F. Zuiko 35mm f2.8 lens in the Olympus XA. This was my first time ever using a professional emulsion film, so I was shooting at box speed, and trying to maintain an even exposure throughout the day. The combination of the accurate light meter on the camera, and the infamous wide latitude of this film stock meant that my results came out just as I’d planned. I know it’s a bit more expensive, but I think it is worth it for the reliable results.

My 5 Frames…

I’m sharing these photos because I’ve never used a professional film stock before. I’ve always been a photography enthusiast, mainly enjoying the work of others, but have recently been trying to sort myself out with a decent camera  and some professional film to have a go for myself. So did my last-ditch attempt at getting a decent compact camera make the grade for a photo walk? Absolutely! I was very impressed, and I’m looking forward to going on the hunt for an all mechanical SLR sometime soon. How did I feel about using a professional stock? Well when I got the scans back I couldn’t believe the fidelity of the image! Portra has this beautiful neutral colour rendering, and was flexible enough throughout the day as the light changed to handle most things. I’m no expert, but this film made me feel like one!

The Science Park Bike Sheds were an afterthought walking home.
I’m impressed how Portra 160 handles the fluorescent light well in balance with the dwindling daylight.

Finally, I had to share this shot of two ladies in front of Empire Exchange Vintage – street photography serendipity I think!

All scans were developed and processed by Come Through Lab in Ancoats, Manchester
Find them on instagram here: @comethroughlab 
No post-processing or cropping was used for these images.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to share more of my photos and experiences with this community soon.
You can find me on Instagram: @tedayre

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