Kodak Portra 400 – Moody Creative Portraits on Film

This is the third roll of Kodak Portra 400 used for my project. I was well prepared for these moody artistic photos, had scouted the locations, prepared a mood board, and sample photos, and searched for my muse for this photoshoot. So why not make the most of it? This creative portrait photoshoot took place in the same area as my street fashion weekend in Kuala Lumpur. I used my Fujifilm X-T4 and Yashica film camera as usual.

After the Kodak film price increase in early 2022, one roll of Portra 400 now costs roughly RM120 (around USD27), which is more than double the price before the price increase, when you can easily get one roll for RM70 (around USD15). It may not be worth it if you are shooting casually or for fun, but if you are shooting for projects, commercials, or fashion shoots, you might still consider using this pricey film stock. You can check out where you can find 35mm camera films in Malaysia if you planning to vacation.

I had planned to use the Contax G1 for the creative portrait session, but I was disappointed to find that it had been returned to the seller because of camera issues. Therefore, I have to shoot with my Yashica camera instead. By the way, I still like what the Contax G1 photos look like.

Alright, let’s move on. For this creative shoot, I have done a lot of research about the shooting location and test shooting with the Kodak motion picture films before the actual shoot. The moody creative portrait photo shoot was inspired by Wong Kar Wai films, and I discovered that the site is ideal for this type of shoot, especially with the tungsten lighting. I was nervous about using the Yashica film camera to shoot Kodak Portra 400 in low light. But, in the end, the outcomes are just what I had intended.

It’s perfect.