Best B & W Portrait film - MF

Andysnap

Andysnap

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Andy Grant
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As in the title really. As I have a somewhat poorly mojo at the moment I have decided to set myself a project of producing 18 medium format portraits to go in a book and I'm a little stumped over the best film to use. I do have 6 rolls of Adox CHS 50 which I think will work but I wondered if anyone else has any suggestions.

Cheers

Andy
 
I know what you mean about the Mojo - it seems to be a bad year for them I reckon. Mine's sulking big time. I'm blaming the POTY competition - it seems that every time I decide to shoot something it has to be for the flaming competition - purely to get something of an acceptable level within the time-frame. I'm thinking that I might miss next years... I never realised how stressful trying to get 1 half-decent picture a month could be!

Anyway - rant over - and back to trying to be helpful...

As you know i'm not a big portrait person, but I personally like the "smooth and classy" look rather than the "rough grainy and edgy" one, so I'm going to suggest Fuji Acros 100. Danny (Mahoneyd187) certainly got some nice stuff with it...
 
Thanks Mark, yes Danny is proving to be something of an inspiration at the moment.

Mojo, mmm well, it sometimes needs a kick and I find a personal project with no time limit can work wonders.

Andy
 
Yeah - I started a personal project early on in the year - bought some studio lighting heads and resolved to start to learn how to use 'em properly. By the time I'd shot "So Cold" and "Be Still", I was being accused of being a little warped in my subject matter, and it's been easier since the weather's been better to just go outside and ride my bike instead. Dunno what she meant about being sick and twisted though... even if I Have just booked my tickets to see Alice Cooper in october :LOL:
 
As TBY says, Fuji acros 100 is a stunning film, but if you prefer something with a different look, you could try Fomapan 100 or rollei retro 100 :)
 
I'm still learning what films I like for portraits, but Acros 100 is one of my fave's, panF50 is also good but I'm shooting a lot of fomapan100 in large format at the moment and I'm liking the look. I guess its a case of suck it and see.

Mart
 
Tri-X 400 for grain

Ilford Delta 400 rated at 200 gives a nice tonal range wehn deved accordingly.
 
I use either Tri-X or FP4, either do a great job, depending on how you will light them.
(TRI-X grainy?? Depends how you process it)
 
Knikki said:
Photographer Of The Year competition

Click here POTY
Click to expand...

That's the baby - still not too late to enter for June 2011, if you've got something that'll fit the topic of "Lights Camera Action!" that was shot after 10:20am on 8th May 2011 - the more the merrier.

Just goes to show how badly promoted this on-going competition is, really :(
 
Cheers for all the suggestions guys. I think a little experimentation is required I have the Ross 12-20 and 16-20 so I might run a few test rolls before I make a final decision.

Thanks

Andy
 
Wow! I got mentioned in a thread! lol.

If you were closer I'd say we should meet up Andy, I love projects like the one you're mentioning here and love being involved/helping.

As you probably know mate I have little experience with film, I've tried TMax 400 and acros 100 so far, and for me Acros has run away with it. I love the stuff. I've just received an order of film and I've bought more Acros 100 but also some TriX 400 to try...if you're interested in my results then I can most certainly post them up when I've shot them :)

All the best

Danny
 
Cheers Danny, yes I would be very interested in seeing the results and it is a shame we couldn't meet up (well not easily anyway). Who knows maybe should think about a Cotswolds film meet sometime. (y)

Andy
 
Cotswolds?!?!? My geography is exceptionally poor but I'm pretty sure thats not hear me lol

I'm shooting a model portfolio on the beach on Sunday using these films, and I'm going to TRY to dev them myself (for the first time), so I should have examples for you soon,I just cant promise they're any good lol

Similarly, I'm very interested in the Adox 50 results...and Pan F for that matter. If you have any examples please link me up

Dan
 
Will do mate.

You southerners think anywhere north of Watford is bandit country.....:LOL:

Andy
 
freecom2 said:
That's already too far North! Apparently civilisation extends past Zone 5, although I've been advised to tread carefully :D
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Everyone knows that everywhere north of the Thames is filled with dragons and other mythical beasts, as well as lacking any civilisation! ;)
 
No room for the Noble Dragons etc... it's all too full with you bunch of poncey shandy drinkers!

;)
 
Ilford Pan F would be my choice for finest grain , although it's a mite slow at 50 ISO - otherwise I'd probably go for FP4
 
There is no "best film" for portraits without qualifying the type of portraits you are wanting. Studio, environmental, candid, raw, glamorous, low/high key, etc, all can be used effectively by a variety of different films. And if you're wet printing vs scanning, things like extended red sensitivity of the film can be a factor to hide blemishes, for example, where you could simply edit them out in the figital work flow using a film contrary to that.
 
^^^WHS^^^ There's too many variables to be able to give you a definitive answe. Do you have a particular photographer's style in mind?
 
Thanks guys, I see your point. I'm thinking sort of Robert Mapplethorpe type of thing.

Andy
 
A lttle Googling turned up this discussion on APUG

http://www.apug.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-6899.html

It seems to think this was his regular set up for b&w portraits

Hasselblad w/ 150mm lens, Tri-x (probably exposed@200), Rodinal 1:25 or 1:50, subjects lit with two umbrella'd strobes, and printing sometimes done with pantyhose material stretched over the enlarger lens for slight diffusion.
Click to expand...
 
Also note a yellow-green filter is handy to have with BW facial portraits. It's not a common filter though.

Here I used a center spot filter and a simple one flash setup. The filter is clear in the center and diffused around it. The amount of diffusion is a function of the aperature you're shooting at.





Pentax 6x7, SMCP 165mm LS, Kodak 100TMX, PMK Pyro

​
 
Thanks Nick, very interesting and useful.

Thats a lovely shot Tuco. I shall have a look for a yellow / green filter but I will be using my Ross Ensign 12-20 and the filters for that, when you can find them, are quite expensive. Still, this is a project that I'm not in a hurry with so I shall get everything I need before I begin. My portraits will not be of such beautiful people though, I'm thinking more character, age lines etc. although if I knew people as attractive as in your picture I may change my mind. :)

Andy
 
Andysnap said:
Thanks Nick, very interesting and useful.

Thats a lovely shot Tuco. I shall have a look for a yellow / green filter but I will be using my Ross Ensign 12-20 and the filters for that, when you can find them, are quite expensive. Still, this is a project that I'm not in a hurry with so I shall get everything I need before I begin. My portraits will not be of such beautiful people though, I'm thinking more character, age lines etc. although if I knew people as attractive as in your picture I may change my mind. :)

Andy
Click to expand...

Thanks. What is interesting about doing raw character shots is that we as the photographer like them and they make for interesting pictures but often the people you shoot may not feel the same when they see them. :D
 
That is so very true. I've actually had a bit of a change of plan and decided that I would like to do a book of photos of my friends, same format 6x6 on the Ross 12-20 but I will try and be a little kinder as I want to keep them as friends.

Andy
 
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