Unwanted film grain

Ben johns

Ben johns

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Ben
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Went to Dorset recently and took some photos 645 photos on fp4 at box speed. Developed as normal, 10 secs agitation every minute, but I'm getting a good amount of grain in the highlights. https://www.flickr.com/gp/145197982@N02/63w452
Not sure how to post photos.
It was a very bright day, very contrasty so not sure if that has anything to do with it
 
To increase grain:

Overexpose (more exposure = more grain, so highlights are most susceptible)
Over develop
Use too high a developer temperature
Use a developer that enhances grain
If scanning, use a drum scanner to pick up the granular detail (on LF, the Epson flatbeds do better than a Flextite)
Use sharpening on a digital file

Without knowing the developer used (was it your normal one?) and how well you monitor the temperature I can't be more specific. N.B. slight reticulation (cracking of the emulsion due to sudden changes in processing temperature) can look like grain.
 
What developer did you use? FP4 is quite grainy in my experience, even more so if the developer is something like Rodinal.
 
I wouldn't describe FP4 as grainy (nor as creamy smooth) but I've never tried Rodinal.

EDIT: I hadn't checked the image... that is way more grainy than I'm used to...
 
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FP4 and Rodinal works for me in 6x7 and 5x4; I haven't used it in anything smaller. I did check the sky areas on (admittedly, a 5x4) scan without being worried by the grain.
 
FP4 is a bit grainy.
Since we don't know what developer was used I'm just gonna cut to the obvious, the frame looks digitally over sharpened, whether the appearance of grain would be diminished to any noticeable degree by laying off the sharpening......I dunno.

I don't like grain much, I don't shoot fp4 anymore but if I accidentally did, I'd soup in Xtol cos that really smooths things out..:)
 
Ilfosol 3 is the developer I used. And it probably was over sharpened, I think I had the automatic sharpening on when I scanned it, I don't usually scan as tiff unless there isn't enough contrast.
 
Sounds like you have access to your own scanner - rescan it with sharpening off, and see if there is a difference? Ilfosol 3 is neither a particularly fine or grain-prone developer, so it could just be subtle grain that has been oversharpened.
 
I would expect that look from HP5, but not FP4, and I also use Ilfosol 3. I agree that over-sharpening is contributing; there's even a hint of halo along the cliff top. West Bay?
 
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