"The kind of grain I like".. open thread

[F16SUNSHINE]

Post the grainy shots you love and how you got them there.

I'll start with 2 from a new roll. Both of these are from the same HP5 shot at 100iso and souped in R09 (Rodinal) 1:50 with stand development 9min at 20c.
I love this sort of grain when I do One can never get this look from Digital conversions. Only film

[cooltouch]

These three shots were taken back when I didn't know anything about B&W film. Bought some cheap stuff at a camera store, that I found out many years later was most likely Foma. Developed in D-76. One aspect I've always liked about them has been the grain.

[cooltouch]

Here's another I'm rather fond of. Fuji Superia 400, negative scanned with my Epson 4990 as a color negative, then converted to a "platinum" B&W image in Paint Shop Pro. I really don't care for Superia 400 as a color film because of its grain, but it ain't half bad when converted to b&w in PP.

[Katastrofo]

OM2, Arista Premium 400, HC-110B:



Konica T4/UC Hex 80-200 zoom, Fomapan 400, Thornton's 2-bath, 5+5, 20C:



Canon A-1, Series 1 70-210 zoom, Fomapan 400, HC-110B, 6 mins, 20C:

[cooltouch]

I really like that last one, Kat. Foma 400 -- gotta get me some of that stuff.

[Katastrofo]

Thanks, CT, Fomapan 400 is the one reason I still keep HC-110 in the house.

This one is a bit of a party foul, being that I didn't develop the roll and in the
Darkroom section, but like the grain in this expired KG200, using the Konica
T4/UC Hex zoom:

taken late afternoon

[Katastrofo]

CT, love this one, koto? Your wife play this?

[F16SUNSHINE]

These are all very interesting.

Bill that Arista Premium I've read is re-labeled Neopan 400 is that true? It looks great.
That second Foma portrait is a beauty. Cute subject and great highlights in here eyes.
And yes...Color samples do belong here I hope.

Michael I'm also very curious about the instrument. It's a beautiful shot. Can you tell us more about the subject here?
BTW that first pic is scary. Like Mordor at daytime. Industry is frightful

[Orio]

Interesting topic Andy, thanks for opening it.
I think that the liking of a grain has a lot to do with the subject, the lighting, the background, the lens... more than with the film or developer per se... some combinations of factors work great, others just don't... I don't think I would be able to place one film above the others with regards to grain. I't also true on the other side that I always do what I can in my darkroom choices to avoid/minimize it...

[Katastrofo]

[Seele]

F16SUNSHINE,

Rodinal was never meant to be a fine-grain developer, but gives high sharpness by attenuating the grains. This means that when matched with fast films such as HP5 or Tri-X you would get visible grains, which was something we tried to avoid at the time. However, Rodinal worked well with Agfapan 400 without obvious grain pattern.

Nowadays, the somewhat gritty look offered by the HP5 or Tri-X and Rodinal pairing is considered to be a desirable virtue, and would be hard to replicate using digital means. Still, I am the old-school type and do not deliberately go for it, but naturally it is all subjective.

[martinsmith99]

Michael - I like the industrial shots. I think grain adds to these kind of photos.

[cooltouch]

Guys, in response to your questions:

The industrial photos were taken back in about 1984 or 1985. I worked at the Kern River Field, just outside Bakersfield, CA, back then, and was able to get a lot of interesting industrial photos while I worked there. KRF is one of the US's largest oil fields. Back then it was producing about 100,000 bbls of oil per day. That giant tower you see emitting the white "smoke" is actually an SO2 scrubber -- it's a giant piece of pollution control equipment, scrubs SO2 from the steam generators' flue gasses. The white plume is basically water vapor and not much of anything else. Does look rather dramatic, though, don't it.

The instrument is indeed a koto. Played by my ex, I posed her for the shot.

[F16SUNSHINE]

Like it or don't like it. Grain is a part of film photpgraphy. Understanding the outcome of film/developer/exposure situations will help fans of film learn how to use or avoid grain in ways that contribute to the final print.
Yes, Rodinal is an accutance developer. I use it when I want grain or to add a bit of drama or to lower contrast.
Mixing rodinal 1:25 almost eliminates the grain in some films. When I need low grain I go with TmaxDev @ 1:4.
The short times with this developer at this ratio make most films look quite clinically sharp and fine.

Here is a color film I like best of all C41 films Fuji Pro 160S
The grain is subtle but says...film not digital.

Here I think it adds nicely.. texture to the oof areas. Contax T2 Sonnar 2.8/38 at 2.8

[Nesster]

I too like the Fuji 160S grain...

and have a love/hate relationship with Foma 400 (sometimes it is very very good, sometimes very very bad - it just occurred to me that my rolls may have been from different batches!)


Pace by Nesster, on Flickr
35mm/Xtol


Izzie a Turkey? by Nesster, on Flickr
35mm/D76


saggit by Nesster, on Flickr35mm/ilfosol-3, pushed to 800


mag618 1300 by Nesster, on Flickr
120/D76

[Katastrofo]

Really like the cat pic and the archer is one I haven't seen before, nice
dramatic angle. Need to peer into your flickr crib and see what other
toys you have.

[Katastrofo]

A couple more color shots, both are with the Viv XC-3 and 2.4/35 Flek:

KG200


Arista 100 color film, no longer made

[cooltouch]

Two examples of unsharp photos I just like too much to discard.

My daughter taking a self-portrait with a P&S, wifey in the background.


wifey

[Katastrofo]

Like both of these, CT, great mood (I'm not a slave to sharpness). The
wife portrait is a definite hanger.