• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Film and Developer for MAXIMUM grain ?

I believe William Klein used Super XX for his NYC pics-not sure what he souped it in though.
 
Printing on a harder grade of paper also exaggerates grain-see Bill Brandt, Giacomelli etc.
 

Don:

It just goes to show, it's not the film, but the photographer.

I must confess that most of my experience with the high speed GAF was vicarious. In those days, I was a student, working part time at a couple of camera stores. Most of the GAF stuff I saw was shot by customers, and I expect was generally "misused and misunderstood" as you say above. I'm also not entirely confident that the labs we were using at that time (E6 I think, or was it E4) did a particularly good job of processing it.

In those days, I would have been much more likely to have Kodachrome in my camera - I think it was Kodachrome 25 by then, but might have still been Kodachrome II.

Thanks for the alternate perspective.

Matt
 
For major grain, take Tmax 3200, shoot at 1000 (the real film speed for it), soup it in HOT dektol (75+ instead of the usual 68). I used to soup it diluted 1:3, 3 1/2 mins. You could drop it down to 1:9 and stretch the time to something like 12 mins. You'll have a VERY active developer at that point, and it will punch the heck out of the grain, but you'll still get tonality that isn't a harsh binary.
 
That's the Tri-X recipe I was looking for when I found the other.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses.

I think I am going to try Ilford Delta 3200 (at 1600) and develope it in Rodinal. I'll show the results in a week or so.
 
I've used 35mm Delta 3200 in Rodinal(at 800) and the results were surprisingly finegrained-overexposing and overdeveloping would make grain coarser however. TMAX 3200 is probably coarser.
 
Delta in Rodinal is grainy...very, very grainy. You'll most likely be pleased.

At 3200, anyway.
 

I would like to hear more about that monobath aproach. Please tell. Ole.
Cheers
Søren
 
More info in The Film Developing Cookbook (Anchell & Troop, Focal Press).
 
Yes, TFDC is where I found the monobath recipe. It's a vile, concentrated brew that develops and fixes the film to completion in about 4 minutes - then just wash it, and you're done.

There's a bit of speed loss, as the shadows are easily fixed before they're developed. There is also horrendous grain, and absolutely no chance of influencing the contrast by adjusting development times: When it's done, it's done. Any adjustments must be done when mixing the brew. Anchell & Troop's starting recommendation gave a little more contrast than I like, so I would cut the suggested thiosulfate by 20% to allow the shadows a better chance at developing.
 
Markok765 said:
Would monobaths be used for newspapers?
Click to expand...

That was one of the uses, yes. A four-minute processing, a quick dunk in water, then straight in the enlarger - still wet.

It was also used for in-cartridge processing under difficult conditions, actually processing 35mm film while still in the cartridge!
 
Hmm I must dust off my copy of TFDCB. Missed that recipy :rolleyes:
Cheers
Søren
 
Also remember Ag magazine publishing details of monobaths (not sure which issue but probably before #14).
 
I used to do max grain stuff for a few people. I tested rodinal vs beutllers and found the beutlers to be grainier. You can shoot tmz at 1000 and processing in beutlers dooesn't build a lot of density so you can print a little higher contrast which will increase grain as well. For film speed reduction in bright sun you can use a polarizer or ND filter. You will get very beautiful tonality out of that process.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register