Looking for the right BW film.

[antonio_carusone]

Im looking for a very high contrast black and white film that isnt very sharp, less grainy. I

want bright whites and dark blacks. It needs to be 120 film as well.

 

Thanks.

[tony_wood2]

I've been very happy with Efke films, especially Efke 25. White whites and black blacks,

and a grain that just melts. BTW, can't wait for your new website to be up and running -

I've dug your photo work on your n-gised site and would like to see your new stuff.

[antonio_carusone]

Tony, thanks a lot man. Ill definitely post when my site is ready.

 

Ill check out those films. Thanks.

[antonio_carusone]

By the way, where can I find that film? I checked BH and they dont carry it.

[troyammons]

They sell it at J+C. I just shot some of their microfilm too, and it is super clean. Both are very nice.

[titrisol]

Either JC Pro 100, or any of the MACO films that have clear base will serve your purposes.

 

JCPro is a film made specially fro jandcphoto

[antonio_carusone]

Im basically looking for this look.<br><br>

 

<img src="http://www.altphotos.com/images/altphotos/4269045c5-e604-4052-ad4a-

c941ee02169c.jpg">

[amund_aaeng]

I`d say Tri-X 400 pushed to 800 would do that. The push will increase the contrast, developmnet in straight D76 or XTOL will keep the grain fine...

[michael_j._kravit1]

So that's the look you want?

 

Try this;

 

400TX 120

No. 25 Red Filter

Presoak your negatives for 3-5 minutes

Process in Dektol 1:4 4 minutes.

 

Want a really cool look, use black lipstick and black nail polish.

[lex_jenkins]

Keep in mind that scanning and digital manipulation can alter and even distort what you see online. My photo.net self portrait has this "look":

 

http://www.photo.net/shared/community-member?user_id=172915

 

It's all digital, from the color photo taken with a P&S digicam to the digital editing that converted it to monochrome. The rest was incremental tweaking and sharpening as I downsized the original. The larger original image has a more conventional broader tonal range.

 

However this look can be achieved with traditional materials and methods many ways. You could try some ISO 25 or 50 films but you might do as well with 100 or 400 films.

 

I wouldn't "push" the film too much, whether underexposing and overdeveloping or simply overdeveloping. Instead I'd go for the extra contrast during the printing stage. This is one example where true "split filter" printing could help. By that I mean selectively using magenta filtration here, yellow there, etc., while dodging and burning. Bleaching and intensifying might help as well. So would a cold tone paper and selenium toner.

 

BTW, I don't see any point in presoaking most films at all, let alone for three to five minutes. I repeat myself so often on this issue I'll simply quote myself from another thread:

 

"Why are you presoaking for three minutes? Ilford recommends no presoak at all. According to an Ilford representative this is because Ilford films include a wetting agent designed to facilitate rapid and even absorption of developer, making presoaking unnecessary and possibly detrimental.

 

"Even films that may benefit from some presoaking in plain water to remove excess water soluable dyes (such as Agfa APX and Efke films) no more than a minute is needed.

 

"In my experience Ilford and Kodak have no readily water soluable dyes so they don't benefit from presoaking and I've seen absolutely no evidence that presoaking these films improves development."

[jerry_friedman]

Hi Lex!

 

Very nice self portrait!

 

and.......jeeesh, all these years,..... if I had known you were such

a cutie! :>)

 

Jerry