Recipe for pleasing skin tones in B&W?

[winkalman]

Is anyone willing to disclose a foolproof recipe for pleasing skin tones in B&W? I haven't really shot film in nearly 10 years and back when I did I wasn't shooting portraits. I'd like to take some B&W shots of my infant daughter and I'm wondering if there's a tried and true 120 film + developer combination that's not too exotic for fairly low grain and good skin tones. For reference Tri-X is a little grainy for what I'm after. Should I be looking at Tmax 100, Delta 100, something else? Can I just throw it in D76 or does it pay to be picky with the developer? Any need for filtration with caucasian skin tones in window light? What about scanability; I have an older Epson Perfection scanner?

Thanks!

 

[Cholentpot]

Is anyone willing to disclose a foolproof recipe for pleasing skin tones in B&W? I haven't really shot film in nearly 10 years and back when I did I wasn't shooting portraits. I'd like to take some B&W shots of my infant daughter and I'm wondering if there's a tried and true 120 film + developer combination that's not too exotic for fairly low grain and good skin tones. For reference Tri-X is a little grainy for what I'm after. Should I be looking at Tmax 100, Delta 100, something else? Can I just throw it in D76 or does it pay to be picky with the developer? Any need for filtration with caucasian skin tones in window light? What about scanability; I have an older Epson Perfection scanner?

Thanks!

I use Tmax 100 in D-76 1:1, maybe go for slight over exposure. I scan with a DSLR so I basically have massive control in post. If I feel like I throw on a yellow filter but I've not seen much of a difference using filter or going filter free.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Any pan film and developer combo will give you pleasing skin tones.

 

[BrianShaw]

Softar filter. But might not be necessary with a baby.

 

[Alan Johnson]

https://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Mortensen/mortensen.html
If by "pleasing" you mean good separation of skin tones.