Your favourite B&W portrait film

[modafoto]

Hi

If you are shooting portraits/people I want to know what films you are using and how they are rated and developed.
Please mention whether you are using the film in studio with flash, studio with tungsten or in natural light, please.

Greetings Morten

 

[Soeren]

Although I don't do portraits yet I find the question interesting and would also like to know.
How does the film-developer compinations differ. Which qualities do you consider important e.g. skintones, contrast, big or small grain etc.
Or am I threadjacking Morten ?
What do you use yourself ?
Regards Søren

 

[modafoto]

Or am I threadjacking Morten ?
What do you use yourself ?

You are not thread-jacking at all. I think your questions just helps people elaborate further.

Myself I use Pan F+ and Delta 100 in Rodinal 1+50 in the studio with flash heads a lot (very small grain and great sharpness for portraits). And Tri-X in Rodinal 1+50 (sometimes HC-110 or T-Max) when shooting outside (wonderful tones!). If I want the dirty and gritty look when shooting in low light I use Delta 3200 in HC-110 (nice grain, good for grade 3½-5 printing (my coarse art! ).
I see the difference in developer/film-combos that you can get more speed from a fast film when using a certain developer (T-Max is good for pushing, Rodinal is not). Rodinal is good for slower films and faster film if you go for the (IMHO beautiful) grain. Fine grain with faster film is achieved by i.e. Microphen.

Greetings Morten

 

[djklmnop]

I shoot mostly Pan F+ for portraits. In fact, I made a print from it tonight and I could hardly focus the enlarger being such fine grain (microsight grain focuser). I like Microdol-x best. I find Rodinal too grainy for portraits, even when coupled with Pan F+. Usually, I reserve Rodinal for abstract and landscape when I need the harder transition between values.

You can see my developing times here:
http://www.vermillionstudios.com/cgi/wiki.pl?My_Film_Testing_Chart

It all depends on your lighting ratio as well. All my lighting is usually very flattering, so I have to make up for it by doing an N+1 to get the most from the film.

I find that APX 100 is really great for portraits as well. I find it is best used on delicate whites.

 

[noseoil]

Efke 25 & PMK

Mort, here's an example of a grab shot with Efke 25 & PMK. I usually run it at asa 12 and develop for 7:00 at 70f. The tonality is very nice with skin tones, but light can be problematic if there is a lot of overcast. I have to shoot nearly wide open and watch out for dof and shutter speed, but the results are there when everything is working well.

The shot was taken a few weekends ago, during the K9 trials in Tucson. The scan doesn't do justice to this print (obligatory p.o.s. scanner). It was taken with a Mamiya C330F and 135mm lens in full sunlight. I didn't record the exposure, but most likely 1/60 @ f5.6. The print looks like a 3d image with the off-white stucco wall out of focus and the edges of the subject crisp and sharp.

 

[removed account4]

i have shot many different films for portraits, but my favorites right now are expired tri-x ( olde emulsion + 5x7 ) tmax 100 and tmax 400 (4x5) all developed in ansco 130 diluted 1:5 +/- @ 70º for about 8 mins. i develop by inspection so my times and temps may not be exact ... the trix i expose with studio tungston lights in soft boxes, and the tmax i shoot with avail light mixed with a strobe (lumedyne).

 

[blackmelas]

In last night's printing session I got nice results from 35mm HP5 shot indoor in natural light at 400iso. I developed it in Rodinol 1:50 for 12 minutes. The negatives were low contrast with great tones with a hint of grain on close inspection when printed on 5X7 ilford MGFB in Centrabrom S 1:15.
James

 

[titrisol]

APX100 in Rodinal 1+50
I guess it doesn't matter the kind of light it goes through, natural light or flash (yellow-green filter), tungsten light (no filter)
It always gives "creamy" skin tones, very pleasant IMHO.

 

[modafoto]

APX100 in Rodinal 1+50

that I will try. I have some rolls in the fridge so it is easy to give it a try (and Rodinal is always on stock (at the time 2 litres of concentrate!)

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

My favorite--Ektapan at EI 50 for studio portraits with strobes in 8x10" in ABC pyro targeted for Azo, at least until I run out. When I do, Efke PL100 is looking like a likely replacement.

Otherwise, it's usually Tri-X or J&C Classic 400 at EI 160 in various formats, in ABC pyro for 6x7 and larger (6x7 or 4x5 enlarged with a cold light head, 5x7" and up contact printed on Azo), PMK for 6x6, unless I need more speed for available light, in which case I might use Acufine and rate at EI 640.

 

[titrisol]

Morten, since you are going to try that my advise is to bracket between ISO 50, 80, 100 and then develop to decide which of those "speeds" suit you best and match your development time/temp/technique combo
As a starting point develop your film for about 1 less minute that agfa's reccomended times

that I will try. I have some rolls in the fridge so it is easy to give it a try (and Rodinal is always on stock (at the time 2 litres of concentrate!)

 

[modafoto]

Morten, since you are going to try that my advise is to bracket between ISO 50, 80, 100 and then develop to decide which of those "speeds" suit you best and match your development time/temp/technique combo
As a starting point develop your film for about 1 less minute that agfa's reccomended times

Thanks for the advice! I will go test the stuff on sunday (I hope...)

Morten

 

[Cheryl Jacobs]

I'm boring. Oops, I mean consistent. Tri-X in 35mm or 220, developed in Tmax. If it ain't broke, I don't fix it.

 

[Will S]

I think I'm boring too. I use HP5+ with a developer called prescysol (or something like that, I can never remember how to spell it.) It is pretty amazing stuff though.

 

[blansky]

In 6x6 I use FP4 dev in Zonal Pro Gamma Plus.


Michael

 

[psvensson]

XP2 at 250! Amazingly fine grain and excellent midtone separation. I don't think it can be beat at that speed.

 

[Ole]

When I did portraits semi-professionally, I used FP4+ and Ilfosol-S. This gave me the tonality I wanted as well as grainless sharpness in 6x4.5.

I also used EFKE R14 (now R50) in Neofin Blau; a combination that can blow your socks off, but really demands that the subject's skin is flawless.

 

[BradS]

35mm in natural light: Plus-X dev'd in D-76. Just love the flesh tones. T-max 400 is a close second.

 

[Eric Rose]

First choice is XP2 at 200 asa in MF. Second choice is FP4 at 125asa souped in HC110 Dil B. The skin tones with XP2 in subdued light are magical.

 

[Black Dog]

I'm a big fan of XP2 as well (especially till my darkroom is finished). Other faves-APX/PMK, Delta 3200/rayco UFG (trying PCAT HD) for those unavailable light shots and Polaroid Type 55 (needs a sunny day or flash).

 

[Dean Williams]

Inside with umbrella flash I shoot Plus-X or FP4 for 35mm, either one in D76. With 35mm in natural light it's FP4 and D76 or PC-TEA. For 645 or 6x6 natural or flash I use J&C 400 and APX 400, all in PC-TEA. If there's plenty of light outside, I also use Maco or EFKE 100 (same thing) for MF and D76. I'm sure PC-TEA will work well with this last one, but I haven't got around to it yet. Tri-X is good in D76 for any portrait situation I can think of too, but I don't use as much of it as I used to.

 

[TPPhotog]

Hi Morten, Thinks I'll have to get a rubber stamp for this next reply but depending on the light and effect I'm after either FP4+ (rated 100) or HP5+ (rated between 200 and 1600). All souped in the sacred Rodinal but I have used DD-X for 800 and above in the past.

 

[djklmnop]

I know I posted this image a while back as an attachment, but I'm thinking the attachment was too small to give a good feel for what the film can do.

You can view a larger scan here: Copy and paste it to a new browser if it doesn't load up properly. Ilford Pan F+ in Microdol-X 1:3 @ 75F ISO 20

http://djklmnop.tripod.com/temp/tiffybwbig.jpg

Andy

 

[waynecrider]

Isn't the film and developer just half the equation?

 

[VoidoidRamone]

APX100 and Rodinal 1:50 and my other favorite is PanF+ in Rodinal 1:50... I think these two are pretty much my favorites for any type of shooting. And I like to print on Oriental VC, my portarits are generally around grade 2.5-3.5.
-Grant