 BetterPhoto Member |
Best film for a wedding? Hi there, I'd really appreciate your advise on this! I'm shotting a wedding with another friend, he's doing colour, and I'm doing black and white. I was just wondering what you would advise is the best film to use, I guess I need low grain, for blowups etc, but I also really love the grainy 1930's look (I've used Iilford xp 400 in the past, and blown it up, grainier than a desert!) Also, could you please explain to me what "Pushing" you film means, I have been advised by a number of people to use ISO200, and "Push" it to achieve the grain I want... what exactly does this mean? Thank you so very much!
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John A. Lind |
Kodak Tri-X Pan: An ISO 400, true B&W film, it's been around for decades and is relatively grainy. Its round grain is a little softer with more graceful degradation of image detail into its grain compared to the harshness of the newer tabular grain (T-grain) films (e.g. TMax 100 or 400). Tri-X also has a very wide latitude, is very forgiving of exposure error as a result, and is noted for its smooth tonal range in the mid-tones (mid-tones aren't "muddy" looking). Developed and printed properly it renders a "classic" look with some of the graininess you want and is one of the reasons many still use it for portraiture. I recommend shooting it at its rated speed (ISO 400). See my remarks about push processing and wedding photography to understand why. Pushing Film: Wedding Considerations: I assume you're not in the professional wedding photography business, and that this wedding (ceremony and reception) is indooors. Your posting didn't make it clear one way or the other. If so, one of your major problems in doing this shoot will be light: being able to create enough of it. and have enough reserve in your flash that it recovers very quickly for the next shot. It's also a reason I recommended Tri-X (ISO 400). If you haven't shot weddings before I have an on-line tutorial geared for helping the non-professional survive it: -- John
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John A. Lind |
Steve, Forgot about this before hitting the "send" key. One additional film to consider *if* (and only if) you need to shoot some during the ceremony using only available light. ISO 400 Tri-X is very marginal for this at best. I did this once and it was a nightmare running 1/30th second shutter speed with a 50mm lens wide open at f/1.4. For available light inside a church or synagogue consider using Kodak's TMax P3200 and shooting it Push-1 at EI 1600 (*don't* use it Push-2 at EI 3200). TMax P3200 actually has an approximate ISO 800 rating (hence the "P" in "P3200"). It is a multi-speed film that Kodak specifically designed for pushing. At EI 3200 (Push-2) it is contrasty which is OK for some things but not weddings. At EI 1600 it has the approximate granularity of Tri-X and Push-1 opens up the film's latitude making it less contrasty. I've had good results using this film recently for shooting a local monthly "blues jam" using only available light from a relatively poorly lit "stage." Inside a church or synagogue, available light using EI 1600 will likely end up with exposures done using 1/60th shutter speed at f/2.8 or f/4 depending on how brightly lit it is. Focus accuracy will be critical with a lens that wide open. 1/60th should be enough to freeze nearly all motion during a wedding ceremony. If it's a daytime event and there are a lot of windows with plenty of indirect daylight coming through them it might allow you to stop the lens down more or increase the shutter speed. -- John
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Jeff S. Kennedy |
I second John's recommendations. Tri-x is a good film (but it has grain issues if that bothers you for enlargements). Kodak's Tmax films or Ilfords Delta films (my preference) are very good. If you have plenty of light one of the best (and finest grained) films you can use is Ilford PanF ISO 50. Great tones and fine grain. At my weddings I usually use Delta 3200 (at ISO 1600 if I can get away with it)for the ceremony and low light candids. When there is decent light I use Delta 400 or Kodak Portra 400BW. I don't worry too much about grain because on those rare occasions when big enlargements are needed I shoot medium format so grain is not a problem. For the most part, though, enlargements seldom exceed 8x10. Albums are the norm so 8x10 is about the max you need.
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Jeff S. Kennedy |
(this is the first time I've uploaded an image here so we'll see it I screw it up or not) ;-)))
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BetterPhotoJim.com - Jim Peak  Contact Jim Peak Jim Peak's Gallery |
Welcome to the wonderful world of Image Uploading, Jeff! It looks fantastic - I love the sentiment, and it's perfectly executed. Wonderful :)
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Jeff S. Kennedy |
Gosh Jim, you're making me blush. ;-)))
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John A. Lind |
*The* film for Steve would probably be Kodak's Verichrome Pan which was introduced in 1956. Available only in 120 size, Kodak is completely discontinuing it this month (was VP ever avaiable in 35mm??). Introduced in 1956 it replaced Verichrome, which was introduced in 1931 and is likely the 1930's "look" Steve is after. I've been experimenting with an even older pre-1930's "look" using a cyan (minus red) filter. I'm not certain exactly when panchromatic B&W was first created or by whom. I believe it gradually overtook and replaced orthochromatic B&W between 1912 and 1930 (??). When used with a pan film, a cyan filter emulates ortho film spectral response (zero red with some green and heavy blue). Modern ortho films are intended for very specialized applications (document copy, astro-photography, etc.). They're not suitable for continuous tone photography. The B+W 470 is the only screw-on cyan filter I've found. Filter factor is 2X and had to special order it. Thus far I've only used it with Agfa Scala 200X, but will be using it with some Tri-X soon. Might also run a couple rolls of Verichrome Pan through the M645 to bid it farewell (if I can find it). It was the first film I used (in my father's 620 Kodak "folder"). -- John
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John A. Lind |
P.P.S. Great shot of the boy Jeff! -- John
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Pamela J. White |
First of all, oh my god Jeff! That is such an amazing picture of the little boy! I can't get any contast, and I'm not sure I understand the push process. I develope my own everything (except color, thats next sememster...) so If I shoot 3200 speed and I Push 1, that means I shoot it at 6400 speed, or 1600? Isn't push 1 makeing it twice as fast? so it seems like it would be 6400, but I'm not sure. Also when I develope it...The last time I developed 3200 speed, the roll turned out practically blank, You could BARELY see any shadows or anything...come to find out I was supposed to ask for T_Max developer. So my question is would I still need a special developer to push process, and would anyone know for how long? Thanks
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Jeff S. Kennedy |
I don't develop my own b&w any more so I can't give you specifics but if I'm not mistaken the 3200 speed films are actually ISO800 films that can be pushed to 3200 (and beyond). So when you shoot it at ISO1600, as John alluded to, you are actually pushing it one stop (even though the name of the film suggests it would be a one stop pull). As far as development chemical and time recommendations you might check out Kodaks website and look at the data sheets for the film.
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John A. Lind |
Jeff's memory is working very well. Kodak's TMax P3200 is rated with a nominal film speed between ISO 800 and ISO 1000 (depending on specific developing chemistry used). Ilford rates its Delta 3200 with a nominal film speed of ISO 800. Both are nominal "Push 1" if used at EI 1600. They can also be pushed well beyond EI 3200 (with the expected contrast and grain shifts). If you are developing your own film, and as Jeff mentions, see Kodak's and Ilford's respective data sheets for film developing recommendations. Both have tables showing developing times for various EI's and chemistries. For critical work, calibrate your specific developing process using test rolls first. -- John
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