Rolleiflex Challenge 9: Shooting Ektar 100 In Spain
ABOUT THE SERIES
Welcome back to my year-long Rolleiflex Challenge — an analog photography project using my grandfather’s vintage camera from the 1960s. This series celebrates the nostalgia of medium format film through a modern lens.
Every month, I follow a theme and shoot at least one roll of 120 film using my Rolleiflex 2.8F. Then, I share a personal story, reflect on my artistic journey, and review the photos.
This project launched to encourage mindful creativity and push my creative growth. Along the way, I aim to inspire others to slow down, connect with the world around them and discover their own creative habits that spark joy. Thanks for following along!
To support this self-funded series, you can share this post with a friend or donate a roll of film.
THE STORY BEHIND THE LENS
On a recent trip to Granada, Spain, I had the chance to finally try Kodak Ektar 100 film with my beloved Rolleiflex 2.8F. This summer in Amsterdam was, unfortunately, quite overcast, so I waited patiently to take this punchy film stock for a spin during our trip to Andalucia.
During our trip to Granada, we enjoyed a day trip to the charming beach town of Salobreña. It was so much fun to explore the historic Moorish fortress and soak up the sun on the sandy beaches. You can watch our adventure in my latest YouTube video!
LET’S CHAT ABOUT KODAK EKTAR 100
Most of this year, I’ve loved shooting with Kodak Gold 200 which I believe offers a dreamier golden tone versus the vivid high contrast punch of Ektar 100.
With a low ISO, Ektar 100 is a light-hungry film stock that is perfect for bright, sunny locations like Salobreña (and lots of places in Spain). Thanks to the super soft grain, you'll get crispy images that feel cinematic.
Ektar 100 renders vibrant, saturated colors perfectly suited for a seaside adventure. I loved how Ektar 100 captured the vibrant colors of the bougainvillea, the vivid greens of the plants and cacti, and the rich shades of blue from the sea to the sky.
Most of this roll was shot during the middle of the day, with the bold sun shining directly overhead, creating dramatic shadows. I aimed to expose for shadows, but this is sometimes a bit tricky with the Rolleiflex's built-in light meter, which is why I opted to follow the Sunny 16 rule to nail the exposure.
Salobreña has a colorful and charming old town, set upon a hill. This area was a photographer’s dream!
TIPS FOR SHOOTING EKTAR 100 — HOW TO GET THE BEST RESULTS WITH LOW ISO FILM
Proper light metering is the key to getting the best results with this film. There are a handful of tricks you can try but honestly, I think Ektar 100 is very reliable as long as you simply have enough light. I relied on the built-in meter in my Rolleiflex, but a small handheld meter or the Sunny 16 method would work just as well.
If you aren't already familiar, the Sunny 16 rule is a reliable method for exposure without a light meter. I set my aperture to a narrow f/16 and adjusted my shutter speed to match the film's box speed of 100 ISO. Or I could close up the aperture by one stop, like to f/11, and compensate with a faster shutter speed of 1/250.
You could also try overexposing it by one stop, which should retain the beautiful, saturated tones.
Above, different light settings at the beach in Salobreña. For comparison, check out the portraits below that were shot in similar light conditions using the last two frames on a roll of Kodak Gold 200.
SHOOTING EKTAR 100 VARIOUS NATURAL LIGHT CONDITIONS
For most of this roll, I shot Ektar 100 in 120 with the ideal bright, sunny conditions but as the day moved on the sun naturally elapsed from overhead to the horizon, shifting into moody tones at golden hour. I finished this set right before sunset and am quite happy with the results of Ektar 100, even in lower light conditions.
This result makes me excited to push the envelope and test out different situations. I've seen some really cool night photography using Ektar 100 with neon signs and indoor studio shots with artificial light. The daylight in Amsterdam will soon decrease significantly over the autumn and winter months and usually, I dread this approaching gloomy season. But this year, I can't wait to experiment with Ektar 100 in different artificial light conditions.
Pushing the exposure latitude with Ektar 100 during Golden Hour.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
Overall, I had a great experience shooting medium format Ektar 100. The vibrant colors and sharp details captured by this film stock were a perfect match for the sunny, colorful beach town of Salobrena. If you want to try something different, I highly recommend giving Ektar 100 a shot, especially in bright, natural lighting. And if you do, let me know. I'd love to see what you create!
CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHY INSPIRATION
Thanks for following along. If you’d like to support this self-funded series by sharing this post or donating a roll of film. With the rising price of film, it costs €50/month for a roll of film, processing & scanning. Your contributions help cover the cost of keeping this project alive all year long. Thanks for your support!
