Why do you push film???

[stradibarrius]

What are the reasons for pushing film. Obviously one is when you make a mistake and shot the film at a fast ISO. But I guess I'm asking what are the artistic reasons?

 

[FormulaJay]

There are several reasons that I push film. One is strictly from a utilitarian point of view and that is because occasionally I require a higher ISO than the box speed of the film, I have with me, can give. I also do it for artistic and experimental reasons. I enjoy seeing what kinds of looks I can achieve using the same film at different ISO ratings, different development techniques and developers.

 

[MattKing]

To increase highlight contrast.

Matt

 

[Leighgion]

If it's dark and flash isn't an option and you're still insisting on shooting B&W film instead of packing a DSLR, then you push your film. That's the utilitarian side.

On the artistic side, an entire era of photography, especially photojournalism, was defined by the look of pushed B&W film. One might want to push film simply to evoke the old school PJ look. Personally, I often simply like the increased contrast and grain that comes from a push. There's a harder edge to it I find pleasing for many purposes.

If I wanted smooth images, I'd reach for my D300.

 

[photovestad]

I push film to hook new photographers. I know if I can get them to taste some 35mm Tri-X it's just a matter of time until they move on to the hard stuff ;-)

 

[moouers]

Most of my photography is done on a tripod, so in those cases my decision to push the film is generally for the look it gives - the obscurity of the details for an added sense of mystery. Once in a while I'll push it according to the environment I'm in (i.e. indoors where flash is banned and tripods are frowned upon).

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Usually because I want to shoot handheld and don't have enough light to do so without pushing, and since I'm usually doing this with medium or large format, my fastest lenses are likely to be f:2.8 or f:3.5, and the grain penalty isn't so severe with a larger neg.

Sometimes I do it for the look, but I rarely "push" in the sense of using extended development times with conventional developers to make myself believe I'm getting more film speed. I usually use a speed developer like Acufine or RAF Pyro-Metol, which really increase film speed measured as shadow detail when the film is developed for normal contrast.

I do extend development times in flat light for higher contrast, but I don't consider that "pushing," because I'm not rating the film at a higher speed (or at least not significantly higher--maybe 1/3 or 1/2 stop in some cases).

 

[Anscojohn]

What are the reasons for pushing film. Obviously one is when you make a mistake and shot the film at a fast ISO. But I guess I'm asking what are the artistic reasons?

********
None, as far as I am concerned. One does it to mitigate a potential exposure disaster: like the time I decided to nudge an extra shutter speed out of a roll of Tri-X; then, to my horror, found that there was FP-4 in the camera! Dumb, Dumb.
Of course, there shall be times when added contrast in a negative is helpful, but in my opinion, pushing is not done unless it is to correct a mistake or a vital necessity to get some extra contrast. Ohers will disagree.

 

[markbarendt]

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[TheSohnly]

Because I loves me some contrast

 

[nick mulder]

I suspect I'm pushing the heck outta my negs - not really sure, but if its box speed is 100ASA then I know that my lighting set up, bellows extension, iris, exposure, developing time and temp all add up to a neg that will print well in Pt/Pd without too much contrast fiddling in the print - haven't used a light meter in a long time

 

[JBrunner]

Generally I try to avoid pushing film, actually I always error toward over exposure. When I do push film, which is basically over development, it is because of a situation I found myself in where my film wasn't fast enough, not an aesthetic for its own sake. Sometimes I overdevelop fim which hasn't been "pushed" (underexposed). I tend to enjoy those negs the most because I love to print expanded negatives..

 

[Laurent]

Several years ago, this was because I could not accept the reality : I always wanted high speed (was a wanna-be birds photographer, with a proven track record of thousands of smallish birds silhouettes usually undistinguishable from the background)

Now, it's when I want to get more contrast (usually in large format) when the light (or subkect) is dull.

 

[edtbjon]

In my mind there is no such thing as "pushing" the film, i.e. believing that you can get e.g. 1600 from a roll or TriX. There are some developers which can get maybe 640 or so out of a TriX or HP5. So pushing as such is a myth.
What I do is the good old simple: "Expose for the shadows --- and develop for the highlights.", which sometimes make me develop for up to 50% more than my "standard" developing time.
Others have mentioned that they push their film to get that particular grainy image which comes with longer development times. Even though it's been a while since I last "over-cooked" a roll of film, I don't think todays films (TriX, TMY or even HP5) react in the same way as these same films did some 20 years ago. The grain is different and much "softer" and I really don't like the look of it. I recon I'd rather reach for a bottle of Rodinal to get a sharper more defined grain. Hmm, time to play??? (Other options would be to test the Foma and Efke 400 films. I never tried over-cooking the Forte 400, but it would have been a very good candidate, as it was quite old-fashioned with quite large grain to start with.)

//Björn

 

[funkpilz]

Simple. The film I use is the one I get at a good price. This means bulk loading from 100ft rolls, and that in turn means ISO 400. Because 400 is not enough for shooting indoors under less-than-perfect lighting conditions, I push.
Also, I like contrast, but that's just a side effect.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I usually don't push film, I'll get some high speed film if need be. If I ever going to push film, it's because I had to.

Jeff

 

[Harry Lime]

Because Ilford has raised the price of Delta3200 to a point that I can no longer afford to shoot it in the quantities I need to.

So, now I push TMY-2 400 or Tri-X 400 to 1250 or 1600 in Diafine etc.
Not a perfect solution and certainly not as good as Delta3200, but I don't have much of a choice.

 

[markbarendt]

Because Ilford has raised the price of Delta3200 to a level that I can no longer afford to shoot it in the quantities I need to.

So, now I push TMY-2 400 or Tri-X 400 to 1250 or 1600 in Diafine etc.
Not a perfect solution and certainly not as good as Delta3200, but I don't have much of a choice.

This is a great point Harry.

Not every shot needs the quality of Delta 3200 or SFX or whatever.

We may even simply need to shoot a specific situation and not have our preferred film on hand.

 

[removed account4]

i tend to overexpose AND over develop my film
it is part push and part pull and eventually
"developed to completion"


i do it mostly because i got tired of thin negatives, and
somehow mr mortenson found his way into my darkroom.
it's kind of fun because a lot of the time i can't see through the film
and it is a treasure when i make the contact print and see what is actually
on it ... and as an added bonus, i get to see and experience
the flaws of the film. it is the flaws / imperfections, tonal grain, that
ARE the photographic process, not eye cutting sharpness and flawless images.
leave that stuff to the sensor crowd ..

 

[fotch]

I never have pushed film. Just never thought of it as a solution. Maybe I will try it sometime, as an experiment. Usually, I either grab a faster film, or use a tripod, or faster lens, or add light.

 

[eddym]

I do it when I need to shoot dancers on a stage.

or performers in a dark venue.

 

[pgomena]

I haven't pushed film in years. It serves no artistic purpose that fits my creative wants.

In years past I exposed Tri-X 35mm at EI 1600 to make sports or other indoor photographs without a flash, or when I couldn't use flash or there was no ceiling low enough to bounce flash. I processed in Diafine, and it produced images good enough for newspaper work. I prefer the smooth tonal qualities of well-exposed, adequately processed film printed on a #2 or #3 paper or its multigrade equivalent. Pushing film is for must-do or make-do work as far as I'm concerned.

Peter Gomena