Soret band lifetimes of the free-base tetraphenylporphine (H(2)TPP) and Cu(ii) tetraphenylporphine (Cu(II)TPP) at 408 nm have been directly measured with femtosecond (fs) resolution using the fluorescence-upconversion technique for the first time, giving tau = 68 +/- 15 and 63 +/- 15 fs, respectively, in benzene solvent.