5 Frames with Fujichrome Fortia SP and Yashica FX-3

A while ago, I got hold of a couple of 35mm Fujichrome Fortia SPs expired in 2008. It came from a photographer who promised it had been kept frozen when they were still fresh. If you have never heard of Fortia SP it is because it was only sold for a short period of around two years in Japan. It is a color reversal film with native ISO of 50. Rumors on the interwebs is that these were a batch of Velvia gone wrong in manufacturing and repackaged as Sakura(Cherry Blossom) limited edition film stock for its strong pink color cast.

The opportunity to shoot this film came early 2023. I will be visiting Kyoto early spring. What better to shoot the Fortia SP film on than actual Sakura trees! Well except when I am there in early March it isn’t exactly Sakura season yet in Kyoto.

Luckily, Sakuras are not the only spring blossoms in Japan – Kyoto is quite well known for Ume/Japanese Plum Blossoms viewing. The hot pink Ume flowers were perfect for the film. I eventually managed to find in a temple with a couple of rogue Sakura trees that decided to bloom early.

Here’s a summary of my experience with the film:
• Film has more of an orange tint with hints of pink. I do not know if age of film comes into play here.
• The greens look absolutely stunning! Check the bamboo water fountain photo
• Highlights were easily blown out compared to modern Provia and Velvia. Again, can’t tell if caused by age of film.
• Would not use to shoot portraits as it makes skin tone extremely Orange.

Overall, I find Fujichrome Fortia SP unique with its color offering and had a lot of fun shooting and viewing the slides on a light screen. I think the film stock is more suited for landscapes with lots of greenery. Would jump at the chance to get more rolls in the future.

********

I am a social documentary photographer based in Brisbane, Australia.
Check out my other photo projects and more photos of Fortia SP on my site
ZhanTehPhotos.com

Share this post: