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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...
Processing your own film can speed up your workflow and give you quicker access to your negatives. It is also typically more cost effective and best of all there is nothing like the sense of satisfaction you will gain by taking control over the full end-to-end process of your photography.
While trying it for the first time might be a daunting prospect, fear not. Below is our guide on what equipment, chemistry and method would be suitable for anyone new to processing films. For more detail, you can downlo...
Photographic prints are intended to be viewed and when looked after can remain in excellent condition for over a century. However, as they are paper-based they are prone to damage if mishandled.
Caring for a print
A print intended to have a long life should be processed by methods recommended for long-term stability. If necessary it can be retouched to eliminate blemishes. Prints that are going to be displayed should be mounted, framed and glazed to complement the image and protect it from deteriorat...
1992 - How I met Masterji
Soon after leaving my staff photographer’s position on the local newspaper where I’d been employed for the previous 5 years and with the luxury of in-house film processing no longer a convenient option I began using my local city centre professional colour lab, in Coventry.
During the accumulating hours I spent in that lab waiting for my 35mm films to process, watching small colour prints dropping from the conveyor belt from the end of the machine, I very watched a short In...
Never too young to learn about film photography
At home, one evening last week, I realised that I’d actually finished a full cup of coffee without any interruptions, a feat that happens rarely enough to lead to that moment of horror, (which can only be understood by parents of small children), when I wondered what our youngest (4) was up to.
He’d gone upstairs twenty minutes earlier. At first, I’d heard the usual sounds of teddy bear wrestling and superheroes flying through the air. Now ...
Earlier this year we agreed to take part in @EMULSIVEfilm community interviews and these are the results.
Over to you #EMULSIVE
Back in mid-May 2016, we invited you all to submit your questions to Ilford Photo for the second in a new series of community interviews here on #EMULSIVE. As with the first, the premise is simple: we collect questions from you, the film photography community, package them up and then work with the interview subject to get them answered and published.
Well, we’...
A former life . . .
Before my life as a photographer I worked in Social Services for many years advocating and caring for adults with severe intellectual and psychical disabilities. It was an aim of mine after completing my photography studies to somehow incorporate my former work with my new creative profession.
A film connection
Shortly after going freelance I was contacted by a Diversional Therapist from a Sydney hospital who had a client with a Traumatic Brain Injury who, before a tragic accident som...
Taking the plunge
I'd had this roll of Ilford HP4 for a good few months and was hesitant to put it through a camera. The fact that it was so pristine in it's condition made me feel that whatever I used it for had to be significant. I had to wait for the right opportunity.
As the weeks passed, I began putting unnecessary pressure on myself to plan a shoot around this one film. It was sitting on a shelf, judging me. At this point I decided to stop procrastinating and just shoot the roll, regardless of w...
Images with feeling
The most attractive element of analogue is its delicacy. The analogue process has remained so ingrained into my practice, I can't imagine working in any other way. Seeking images which stir a feeling within and seeing that image through each stage of the process to finally create a hand-made darkroom print.
The print may not be perfect, I do not tirelessly work on test strips creating a technically perfect image, I never leave the confines of the darkroom to inspect the print once it...
Double exposures can be really tricky to get right. Lucy Ridges shares the secrets behind her ship / nude image below.
Ship
Technical information
Shot on:
FP4 plus medium format film
Camera
Mamiya RB 67
Exposure time
Double exposure, each exposure 1/60 F5.6
Other equipment
With bowens studio flash (1 x large soft box)
I shot this image at my photographic studio in Manchester, located within Rogue Artist Studios
The story behind the image
My work for many years has encompassed a love for mul...