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Whether you are new to film photography or picking it up again after a number of years, it is very easy to get started and a rewarding activity regardless of your level of expertise.
Introduction to film photography
To get you started we've created a series of animations that will introduce you to the world of film photography. These short 60 second animated videos cover a range of topics and terminologies to quickly get you up to speed. From f-stop to film types, these videos are the perfect entry point...
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4th December 2013
BORN, ESTABLISHED, DEVELOPED! … A NEW ILFORD MULTIGRADE FIBRE BASE FAMILY
ILFORD PHOTO announce a new range of variable contrast Baryta Fibre Base papers, a completely new and improved MULTIGRADE FB and a new COOLTONE FB paper to complement the existing MULTIGRADE FB WARMTONE.
For 20 years the best selling ILFORD MULTIGRADE IV FB paper has been the product of choice for creative photographers and printers the world over. BORN following extensive R&D, significant improvements hav...
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Photographic Paper FAQ's
Which paper product is best/suitable for photograms.
All of our ILFORD photographic papers will easily produce photograms, so the choice will depend on which surface finish you prefer and whether or not you want fibre or resin coated. Resin coated paper is lower cost, easy to process and dry flat and would be a good choice for starting out.
Does reciprocity affect paper?
Paper products are designed for much longer exposure times than film and are less sensitive to reciprocity...
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ILFORD PHOTO offer an extensive range of black & white photographic paper. A photographer's choice of paper is a subjective decision based on personal tastes and preferences. It can also be impacted by the type of images you shoot and the final look you want to achieve.
Papers all have different characteristics and purposes and so this guide will walk you through the terminology and choices available to help you pick the perfect paper for your darkroom printing.
Base: Resin coated versus Fibre base...
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One of the best things about film photography is that the creative process doesn't end in the camera. Processing your images in a darkroom is not only great fun, but it also allows you to exercise complete creative control over the final look of your image.
We cover some of the essentials needed to set up a darkroom in our beginner's guide and have also developed a series of short animations which cover essential darkroom equipment, darkroom safety tips as well as how an enlarger works.
Below, we cov...
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Lifelong love of black and white
Growing up in the late fifties and sixties, one of my favourite movies was The Day the Earth Stood Still, a lot of which was shot at night in black and white. That early exposure to film noir inspired a lifelong love of black and white photography, especially at night.
When I first started shooting pictures in 1967, though, the only option for night photography without a tripod was “pushing” 400 ASA film and using specialized developers. While what was essentially un...
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For today's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites we asked you to share your #darkroomprints with us.
There is something special about taking your negatives into the darkroom and creating a print. I don't think that anybody forgets the first time that they saw the 'magic' happen.
If you haven't printed before but fancy giving it a go check out our simple how to video and then find a local darkroom and put it in to practice!
@tiboalberny Here's an old one on Ilford MG4 RC De Luxe paper painted with Ilford...
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When we held our first Lockdown Session with Emulsive, we asked him who he'd like to see us interview in future and he suggested the very lovely Aislinn. (AKA The Film Pusher).
SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
I have tons! But let me share my recent favourite, the one that I had printed and hung on my wall. It’s a pinhole image of the Natural History Museum in London. It means a lot to me, as the NHM is a favourite visit ...
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We first met Ray nearly 2 years ago when he agreed to be part of our 'Legends of Skateboarding' ILFORD Inspires YouTube series. We were blown away by not only his talent as a musician, photographer and artist but also his genuine humility as a person.
He was one of the first people that we reached out to, to take part in the Lockdown Sessions and we were so pleased when he agreed. Read on to find out how he has been spending his time.
SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON...
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Is it really 10 weeks since we started this series? It feels so much shorter than that. If you have an Instagram account we are sure that you will recognise our 10th interviewee Jahan Saber, if not by his name then by his tag @doyoudevelop.
Jahan was nominated to take part by Dan Rubin in week 6 and we're so glad that was happy to get involved.
SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
There are so many, so here’s a recent ...
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When we saw that Kit Young had chosen Tyler as his nomination it definitely made us smile. We've shared several of Tyler's IG images in the past and enjoy browsing his feed when we get the chance.
Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
Picking only one is an impossible choice! A favourite of mine is a contact print made from an 8x10 negative using FP4+, Ilford MGFB Glossy paper and selenium toned. I used my Chamonix 810V field camera and the ex...
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When you hold a hand printed FB darkroom print there is something special about it. It has been so amazing to see how many of you are making FB prints in your darkooms today. It was hard to choose just 5 images for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #fbprint theme but we got there in the end. (Nearly)!
@Virgil_Roger @ILFORDPhoto makes the nicest paper, it was my go-to choice for my first ever hand printed solo show a while back. Let's throwback for the #fridayfavourites! Collages, a composite ...
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As well as being a photographer and darkroom printer, our 27th 'In Focus' interviewee Max Bedov also custom makes darkroom equipment based on his years of experience.
Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
This frame was taken in Provence on Ilford film Delta400 exposed as 640. Generally I am not keen on an astrophotography but this particular shot is very memorable to me for a several reasons.
2016 -Alpa SWA 6x9 -DELTA 400 -Provence - MG...
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Nashville born Joseph Patrick or Photojojo was nominated by Laura E Partain back in October of 2020. Known for his creative shot choices and great use of light, we're excited to find out more about him.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
This is one of my favorite shots. Here it was a combination of a few things coming together perfectly to create an image that perfectly aligned with my vision. The model is a friend I met the ye...
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A dark legacy
To say that this project got away from me would be accurate. It morphed and changed as I shot more film, but the more film I shot, the more it changed. It wasn’t until the end that I could feel it becoming cohesive. I started out with a relatively easy goal. Take some basic street photos of Salem, Massachusetts and document how much it comes to life during Halloween.
Salem is best known for the witch trials that took place in 1692. Many people were wrongly accused of being witches an...
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We had no idea when we originally started this series in April 2020 with Em from Emulsive that it would still be going strong 50 interviews later. This week's interviewee Debra Wilson was already on our radar before being nominated by Margaret Fitzgerald last month.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
I chose this image of Another Place on Crosby beach. I don’t often get to the sea so although the setting is not typical for m...
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We asked you to show us your #sprockets for our latest #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme. It's fantastic to see so many of you shooting black and white 35mm films in such variety of cameras and formats.
@itsnotaphoto A 126 cartridge reloaded with 35mm FP4 Plus to make a diptych complete with #sprocket holes, shot in a Kodak Instamatic 25. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #sprockets
@bsanfordjr Captured my son pole vaulting using HP5 Plus. Then made a print on Ilford MGRC 8x10 glossy ...
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We chose #madeinthedark as today's #fridayfavourites theme so we could shine a light on all of our talented darkroom printers, and give them a chance to show off their beautiful prints.
@Vochoben Some more prints from the darkroom under the stairs on Ilford Multigrade RC Deluxe Pearl #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #madeinthedark #filmphotography
@McIntosh141 Inverness castle on infra red film. Printed on @ILFORDPhoto glossy fibre paper #fridayfavo...
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This weeks #fridayfavourites has turned out incredible, you all impress us more and more every week. Take a look at which photos were selected for #ilfordphoto #dodgeburn. We wanted to see prints that you spent so much time and dedication on creating.
@justgipsy Replying to @ILFORDPhoto #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #dodgeburn Film Ilford #delta100 rated at 50asa. The highlights required considerable burning in, while dodging the shadow areas.
@jakebehindthescene Tangle Wood Book Swap Apr...
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'Something Special'
There is a unique rendering to photographs made with Multigrade enlarging papers. It's difficult to define, maybe it's the timeless mood or perhaps it's the mystical feeling, or even a haunting aura... it's certainly there for me I like this very much!
Add to this, it's super economical and can be visually handled via darkroom safe-lights. No more fussing around in total darkness which often requires the use strong language! Humour aside, I find the physical involvement of handling the...
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There was a lot of interest in this shot when it was shared on our Instagram feed, so we asked Kim Mimnaugh & Jess Martineau to tell us a bit more about it.
Image Title
Water Goddess:Triple Exposure
Technical Info
Film Used
ILFORD HP5+
Format
120
Camera
Hasselblad 501 CM
Lens
150mm
Exposure time
3 exposures on one piece of film 1/60th at f8
Other equipment
Studio stand, sekonic flash meter, black velvet for the background Speedotron location lighting kit, one strobe set at 400 WS with...
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We are heading to R&D to speak to Calvin Carey, our 13th Behind the Film interview. Calvin is a Physicist here at HARMAN Technology. Find out more about what his role entails.
Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here?
My name is Calvin Carey, and I work as a Physicist here at HARMAN. I started in 2019.
Tell us a little about your day to day role.
My day-to-day work is hugely varied, depending on which projects in R&D (research and development) or m...
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Introducing our 15th interviewee and one of Film Finishing's newest team members, Paul Cliff.
Who are you? What’s your job title at HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here?
My name is Paul Cliff and I have been with the company since February 2023.
Tell us a little about your day to day role.
I work on our 120 roll film spooling machines. I love everything about it. It’s been like taking control of a classic car, learning all its idiosyncrasies and intricacies; it’s an absolute mar...
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Laura Cogan grants us an exclusive glimpse into her creative process and the techniques that brought forth this beautiful masterpiece.
Image Title
Isolated Church
Technical Info
Film Used
ILFORD DELTA 100
Format
Medium
Camera
Hasselblad 500cm
Lens
Hasselblad 180mm
Exposure time
f4 at 1/500
Other equipment
Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 tripod and Sekonic flashmate L-308S lightmeter
Location
Snæfellsnes, West Iceland - the church is called Breiðabólsstaðarkirkja
Firstly, tell us the story behi...
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“I’ll just fix it in the darkroom.” is the motto I’ve lived by for decades.
I Was Too Deep Into Analog
Studying photojournalism in the late 80s, I was taught to print well but never learned advanced printing techniques because we were being prepared for quick turn-around journalism assignments. Commercially available digital photography was in its infancy, so it wasn’t on my radar, and even when it became standard, I was too deep into analog to have any interest. I shot for a local paper for se...
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The Nod
The rope is thick and heavy, and coated with resin applied to heat it up and make it sticky. The cowboy wraps this bullrope around his right hand and ties himself in. A thin leather glove protects him from burning his hand if the rope slips. He settles himself on the back of the 1500 pound Brahman bucking bull named Spooky Lukey, and Spooky Lukey hasn’t been ridden yet this season, or last year for that matter. When he’s set, he gives The Nod. The Nod starts off one of the greatest sequences in...
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Stave Lake Historical Powerhouse
One of the genres of photography that I seldom get to experience is that of industrial photography. However, there is one exception in my vicinity at the Stave Lake Historical Powerhouse - a national historic site of Canada, which started producing hydro-electric power in the early 20th century until a modern replacement in the year 2000 took over the job. Perhaps growing up on the prairie has instilled in me an affinity for industrial machinery and when I found a historica...