best b&w for portraits

[jermaine_scott]

silly question but what is the best B&W film for flattering portraits?

[alexis_neel]

Agfa APX 100, if you are looking for B&W. It gives great rendition of skin tones.

 

Alexis

 

www.alexisneel.com

[sabrina_h.]

Flattering is subjective and I use different films for different needs; even the type of lens

you use may affect the outcome.

 

With that said, I find Ilford FP4 pretty pleasing for portraits. I'll also second Agfa APX 100.

I might even use Ilford Delta Pro 100 if I want very sharp images, but I wont use Delta with

all of my camera system lenses because some of my lenses are sharper than others and

pick up too much detail.

 

If I have to pick one, my vote is Ilford FP4.

[silent1]

I've been very happy with Fomapan 100 (though in 9x12 cm, almost any film will look great). It's a thoroughly conventional ISO 100 pan film, similar to Plus-X in many respects, but about half the price, and is also available in 120 and 35 mm (as well as other metric sheet film sizes).<div></div>

[jim_shanesy]

The 50 speed Efke is also a beautiful portrait film. Rate it at 25.

[jay_de_fehr]

I don't know any bad B&W films, but HP5+ is a good one.

 

Jay<div></div>

[andrew_hull]

Which car is best for commuting well?

[johndc]

nash metropolitan, hands down.

 

on an unrelated topic: ilford panf+ if you're shooting under soft light. plus-x if you're shooting in a higher contrast situation.

[andreas_weber]

Neopan Acros in Pyrocat HD

 

Andreas

[chris_waller]

Delta 100, Fuji Across 100, Kodak TMax 100, Agfa APX 100.

[vatovec]

Agfa APX 100, can`t beat that one IMHO.

[andrew_john_chapman]

Use yellow-green filter No.11 to get correct skin tone value.

[jim_appleyard]

One film isn't really better than the next; it's all how you use it and what kind of image you want. What color blue does a water-color artist use to paint the sky?

 

Try a few rolls of each in different devs and printed on different papers.

[david_beal___richmond_hts.]

What do you want to portray?

 

For our signature series, "Portraiture of the Senior Adult," I use Delta 400, full speed, in available light, and a normal or mid-length lens, so that I get half-body shots.

 

If I'm doing a conventional portrait of a younger person, under strobes, TriX (400) or Neopan 400, either at 250, with strobes, and more lens.

 

For a very young person, FP4 at 64 or Efke 50 (at 25).

 

If I want to show every line, wrinkle and furrow in a face, Acros shot at 80.

 

If there is a "theory" to film selection and portraiture, it probably relates to the fact that as we get older, and develop features in our faces, the light scatter from these features increases the net contrast of the face. Given that, you need to decide whether to pick a high contrast film to accentuate features, or a low contrast film to dampen them.

 

Ask 3 photographers this question, and you'll get 4 answers.

 

Good Shooting.

 

/s/ David Beal ** Memories Preserved Photography, LLC

[keith_tapscott]

You do not mention which type of portraits that you are interested in. If you are taking character portraits taken in strong directional lighting to emphasise the subjects features, then a slow or medium speed film developed in an acutance developer would be very useful. If taking female, child or beauty portraits, then a medium speed film developed in a fine grain developer such as Ilford Perceptol or Kodak Microdol-X would yield a more flattering result.

For studio portraiture, I particularly like using Ilford HP5 plus developed in D-76 diluted 1+1.(Medium Format).

[titrisol]

you';; get a million answers....

what type of portait? for scanning or for prinintg?

 

I pefer APX100 myself, but Ilford SFX with a red 29 filter can give astonishing results