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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...
This guide focuses on the photo chemicals you can use for processing film. We also have a guide to processing film as well as some handy tips on loading a developing spiral.
Choosing photo chemicals
We have a range of photo chemicals designed to give different results with our films and papers. The choice of stop bath and fixer is limited but we have several film developers you can use.
Film developers come in either liquid and powder concentrate form and have a range of attributes. Some developers giv...
The first stage of making a darkroom print is to determine the exposure time.
If you have already created a contact sheet of your negatives, and they appear correctly exposed, then you should have a rough idea of the necessary exposure (provided you haven’t moved the enlarger head or aperture setting after exposing the contact sheet). Note: If you change the degree of enlargement you will also need to adjust the exposure. Some enlargers have scales printed on their columns to make this easier.
Another...
Retouching is normally done to remove blemishes from the negative or the final print. It can also be used to change the tone or remove unwanted detail. As retouching can be difficult, care is required.
Advice for retouching
The most risky retouching techniques involve removing parts of the image, by bleaching, cutting, or scraping with the edge of a sharp knife. The addition of density is generally less risky, and can be done using dye, paint etc, or a suitable soft pencil. When retouching prints from o...
Split grade printing
The version of split grade printing described here is that taught to me by the ILFORD head printers, Mike Walden and Terry Offord, and is the simplest, fastest way to make good darkroom prints from pretty much any negative. (The exception is really underexposed negatives to print these you usually only need high contrast).
This is a very powerful technique that can be used routinely with variable contrast (VC) papers, such as ILFORD MULTIGRADE. It makes use of the differing performa...
A lifelong hobby
One of my lifelong hobbies is photography. I have been taking photographs since I was about 10 years old when I was given an old Kodak folding pocket camera that had belonged to an uncle, Bertrand Perrett, who was a professional photographer and painter in England. I learned to develop and print black-and-white film at school when I was a teenager back in the 1970s.
The Slower Pace
When digital photography came along I moved to that medium, but recently I’ve come back to film aga...
My name is Charles, I do film concert photography since September 2014. I chose analog over digital because I like to do things with my hands instead of using a computer. I mostly use HP5+ film (pushed to 1600 ISO) which I find very powerful in difficult light conditions, it’s a good compromise between precision, grain, and dynamic range.
Concert photography is easy and difficult at the same time. It’s easy to take a picture of a charismatic singer on stage, but is this enough to have a great photo...
How I work
I believe in self-learning, and I’m always up for something new to explore.
I adhere to a strict code of conduct and don’t believe in photoshop, or do much if any post processing. It has to be an exceptional day for me to crop an image.
I use Ilford’s Delta 400 for most of my work and use XP2 Super when I need my results fast.
Changing times
I was born in 1988, which meant that I got a first class ticket to experience the world converting from analogue to digital during m...
Choosing Photo Chemicals
We have a range of photo chemicals for printing/processing all of our resin coated and fibre base papers in trays/dishes as well as in processing machines.
If you are new to printing the choice could appear excessive yet each liquid or powder paper developer has its purpose or strengths. For an overview of the whole range and what they do we have pulled together an introductory overview. If you are a beginner* and wondering where to get started then read on.
*While thi...
All ILFORD Inspires content has a common goal: To inspire people to try traditional analogue black and white photography by showcasing the power and potential of this highly creative medium.
New York Silver Stories
Working with the talented team at Exploredinary, this series features four short documentaries telling the stories of silver gelatin darkroom printers in New York City.
The Bronx Documentary Center - Turning Negatives into Positives
Founded by Michael Kamber, the BDC is a non-profit aimed at ...