Adding film grain to digital photos

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957
Name
Ben
Edit My Images
No
Having moved away from 35mm film and into digital I’ve started using Mastin labs ilford pack for my black and white as the delta 3200 mimics hp5 pushed to 1600/3200 which i used all the time. It just seems a little pretentious to add grain to a digital photo to make it look like film.
 
I don't think that it's the sort of thing that should be done routinely. If it works for certain images, then fair enough. Otherwise it seems to me that it would become formulaic.
 
No, I only really do it when you would get it in film, at higher ISO’s and such.
 
I'd see it as just another tool for creating a feeling. Worth noting that lightroom often gives images a fine film-like grain, though with some cameras more than others.
 
I don't know if there are any plugins that would allow you to do that but in general digital noise doesn't even get close to replicating grain
 
Use a camera that makes images with less noise/grain than film then add noise/grain. Pointless.

It's not pointless if you own such a camera but wish for a certain effect in the end result of some of your photographs.

Some folk will severely crop 5x4 inch LF negs ( 50% or more) ..........Perhaps that is pointless too as why not shoot 6x6 MF instead.
Answer: To obtain a result that they wish for from any given exposure with the kit that they have available.

In response to the OP's question, I'm afraid I can offer little help as I very rarely shoot digital.
 
It's not pointless if you own such a camera but wish for a certain effect in the end result of some of your photographs.

Some folk will severely crop 5x4 inch LF negs ( 50% or more) ..........Perhaps that is pointless too as why not shoot 6x6 MF instead.
Answer: To obtain a result that they wish for from any given exposure with the kit that they have available.

Whatever happened to using the right tool for the job? :D
 
Whatever happened to using the right tool for the job? :D
Money and cost is what happened. As much as I’d like to be able to justify it I can my justify owning a different camera for every situation
 
Money and cost is what happened. As much as I’d like to be able to justify it I can my justify owning a different camera for every situation
Then use what you've got the way it's intended to be used. (y)
 
I spent decades trying reduce grain with my film/darkroom based photography and was generally glad to see the back of it. There are occasions now where I want a special effect but this would normally be a texture rather than grain (using say Topaz Texture). So, although I would not use it myself, I have one or more plug-in which produces a film grain effect. Nik Silver Effex Pro, DX0 film package 3 and I think ON1.

Dave
 
I spent decades trying reduce grain with my film/darkroom based photography and was generally glad to see the back of it. There are occasions now where I want a special effect but this would normally be a texture rather than grain (using say Topaz Texture). So, although I would not use it myself, I have one or more plug-in which produces a film grain effect. Nik Silver Effex Pro, DX0 film package 3 and I think ON1.

Dave
I do use silver fx pro sometimes actually, but mainly when I do landscape and want more control, I wouldn’t add grain in a landscape photo.
generally I’d only add it when the digital cameras noise is going to be noticeable. If it’s going to be there I’d rather it looked as much like higher speed film as possible
 
Whatever happened to using the right tool for the job? :D
Bens response pretty much covers the reason:
Money and cost is what happened. As much as I’d like to be able to justify it I can my justify owning a different camera for every situation

However even those of us who may be in a more fortunate position with several different outfits, we're not forced to have the "best/ ideal one for the job" with us when an unplanned photo opportunity arises.
 
Oly Pen-F can do it in camera
 
Some folk will severely crop 5x4 inch LF negs ( 50% or more) ..........Perhaps that is pointless too as why not shoot 6x6 MF instead.
Answer: To obtain a result that they wish for from any given exposure with the kit that they have available.

Whatever happened to using the right tool for the job? :D

Hmmm.... well - how about the 5x4" was the right tool for the job, as the job required lens and film back movements to manipulate focus - which wasn't available on that particular 6x6MF camera. I can certainly think of dozens of job's i've had in the past where we shot using the 10x8" in the studio, using a particular lens length to get the desired neutral image, under the direction of the client's art director, but ended up cropping (or, more accurately, a cropped section only of the transparency was scanned by the client) for the eventual advert or magazine print.
 
Then use what you've got the way it's intended to be used. (y)

I'm not sure if this was meant the way it sounded - there was a guy recently that got some breathtaking images of F1 cars racing using a large format camera - would you tell him that he shouldn't have taken them because it's not the right tool for the job and he should have used a DSLR instead?

I add grain to my digital images - I prefer them to look a bit more textured and have a bit more "tooth" than be clinical and clean - I also shoot a lot of film.

At the end of the day, what you add or take away from your images is entirely up to you - I have never bought into a camera system to eliminate noise in my images - as it happens, my camera is practically noiseless at most ISO's, but that clinical look is pretty lifeless imo.
I don't feel I'm doing myself or anyone else an injustice by sometimes wanting to shoot digital over film for convenience, but I really (really) prefer the film look over digital any day of the week & if I can approach that with the convenience of digital, then I will. Doesn't mean I'll stop shooting film though :)

I would say "Shoot what you've got to get what you want" ;) my clients don't care if I've added grain or if I've shot on film - they only care that they like the final result.
 
@Ben johns You do seem to post a lot of threads about camera choice and image processing. My only advice would be to just go out (err perhaps later in the year) and shoot some photos and ignore the miniature of gear.

I shoot across both film and digital and the things that really matter for a good photo are light, subject and composition. The medium is secondary.
 
@Ben johns You do seem to post a lot of threads about camera choice and image processing. My only advice would be to just go out (err perhaps later in the year) and shoot some photos and ignore the miniature of gear.

I shoot across both film and digital and the things that really matter for a good photo are light, subject and composition. The medium is secondary.

Very good advice ;)
 
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