Shooting Portra 400 in grey November light

September 14, 2026

Flat light is underrated. Portra handles overexposure gracefully, so I rate it at 200 and meter for the shadows. Skin tones stay warm, and the greys turn into a soft pastel palette instead of mud.

The one thing to avoid is underexposure: the scans get grainy and green very quickly. When in doubt, open up.