Fading Malls and Coastal Light with Kodak Portra 400
This roll of Kodak Portra 400, shot on my Nikon F6, gave me a good mix of subjects to work with—abandoned malls, lakes, bridges, and gardens. Portra 400 handled everything well, showing why it’s such a versatile film. The colors came out natural and balanced, the grain stayed fine, and the film’s wide exposure latitude made it easy to manage both tricky lighting indoors and bright conditions outdoors.
Abandoned Spaces – Sears, K-Mart, and Military Circle Mall
I started the roll at Greenbrier Mall’s old Sears, the K-Mart on Military Highway, and Military Circle Mall in Norfolk. These abandoned spaces offered plenty of texture—empty parking lots, fading signs, and buildings showing their age.
Portra 400 handled the scenes well. It kept the colors accurate but subdued, showing the peeling paint, worn concrete, and broken glass without losing detail. The film’s latitude made it easy to manage the mixed lighting, and the results came out true to what I saw on location.
Stumpy Lake – Virginia Beach
From there I went to Stumpy Lake, which was a big change from the abandoned malls. The calm water and tree line gave me a chance to see how Portra 400 handled natural scenes. The film kept the greens natural and the reflections on the water looked accurate, showing good detail without oversaturating the colors.
Oregon Inlet – Outer Banks, North Carolina
At Oregon Inlet, the wide skies and shifting coastal light tested the film in brighter conditions. Portra 400 handled the range well, keeping the blues of the sky and the lighter sand balanced without losing shadow detail. The film’s latitude made exposure straightforward, and the colors stayed natural throughout.
Lesner Bridge – Virginia Beach
The Lesner Bridge provided a mix of strong lines, water, and late-day light. Portra 400 did a good job holding detail in both the bridge structure and the surrounding light on the water. The colors stayed true without clipping highlights, which showed how reliable the film is for shooting in changing light.
Norfolk Botanical Gardens
I finished the roll at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens in late December, when most of the color was already gone for the season. The film still handled the muted tones and winter light well, but it made me want to come back in the spring when the flowers are in bloom. Portra 400’s natural color rendering would be a great fit for capturing the full range of colors in the gardens.
Closing Thoughts
This roll showed why Kodak Portra 400 is such a dependable choice. It handled abandoned malls, natural landscapes, and city structures with the same reliability—fine grain, natural colors, and wide exposure latitude. The Nikon F6 paired well with the film, making metering straightforward and results predictable. I’m looking forward to shooting Portra 400 again, especially in the spring at the Botanical Gardens when there’s more color to work with.
Here’s the full roll:
