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People often ask me why I love street photography so much, my answer is always “you never know what you are going to come across, depending on where you are and sometimes that can be from minute to minute” let me explain…
Photography is my passion
I am very lucky that after a career spanning 28 years as a professional advertising photographer I now feed my soul teaching my passion which is street photography in some of Europe’s most exciting cities, often in areas people wouldn’t norma...
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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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Hand colouring
The idea of adding colour to a monochrome image by hand dates back to the beginning of photography. At this time it was the only way to get a colour photograph.
Although colour photography using the three colour process was put forward just short of thirty years after the first photograph by Nicephore Niepce, it was, in its early years, expensive and difficult to produce a colour image. Hand colouring became a practical way to give the impression of colour and everything from Daguerroty...
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9th March 2017
ILFORD PHOTO announce the winners of their 2016 UK Student Competition ‘Pretty Ugly’
With almost 1000 entries, from schools, colleges and universities across the country, the 2016 competition witnessed an exceptionally high standard of darkroom printing which took several rounds of judging and plenty of debate before the winning images were selected.
The standard was so high this year that the judges have also awarded an additional three images as highly commended along with the over...
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Tuesday 17th May 2016
“LOVE IT – FRAME IT” - ILFORD LAB DIRECT LAUNCHES NEW BLACK AND WHITE PRINT FRAMING SERVICE
Building on the success of its already popular black and white printing service which offers film processing, scans and real black and white silver gelatin prints in sizes up to 50” wide, ILFORD LAB DIRECT is thrilled to announce the launch of its new black and white print framing service.
Neil Hibbs, Manager at ILFORD LAB DIRECT commented, “Our customers have been requestin...
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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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19th November 2013
Buy fabulous real silver gelatin black and white framed wall art photographs from the new House of ILFORD on-line store
House of ILFORD is a new and exciting addition to the services available from the well-established ILFORD LAB DIRECT photographic process and print service based at the HARMAN factory in Mobberley, England.
HARMAN technology Limited is the company behind the famous and iconic ILFORD brand of black and white photographic products.
The House of ILFORD is the pl...
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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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Although many film cameras have inbuilt light metering systems, a light meter instrument can also be used.
Light Meters can measure the amount of light falling on a subject (incident light), or being reflected by a subject (reflective light). By converting these measurements, it defines what would be the most beneficial shutter speed and f/stop to use for that given subject.
Light Meters are particularly helpful where subject matter / lighting conditions are difficult. Some light meters are also able to...
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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...
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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...
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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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HARMAN TECHNOLOGY LIMITED – PRIVACY NOTICE
HARMAN technology Limited is committed to respecting the privacy of our customers and the users of our website ilfordphoto.com (the Website). This notice is to explain how we may use personal information we collect before, during and after your relationship with us. This notice also explains how we comply with the law on data protection and what your rights are.
References to you, your and yourself in this privacy notice are to either you as an individual or...
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HARMAN TECHNOLOGY LIMITED – WEBSITE TERMS OF USE
IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE
These website terms of use are the terms and conditions under which you may use our website ilfordphoto.com (the Website).
Please read these terms carefully. As part of the registration process you will be required to confirm that you have read and understood these terms. If you refuse to accept these terms, you should not complete registration to this Website and should immediately cease ...
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Welcome to the ILFORD PHOTO online store.
Where you place an order via our website, these terms and conditions will apply to that order in addition to the general website terms of use and privacy policy. You should therefore read these terms carefully before you place your order as they explain your and our legal rights and also contain important information about our contract with you and how your order will be dealt with.
If you have any questions, please contact us before you place your order by cal...
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Introduction
I’ve been a photographer for 35 years since I was 11 in fact when I first loaded my Zenith 11 with film and set off for a walk into the wilds of South Yorkshire. 20 years later I turned professional and as soon as digital became a viable option I traded in my Nikon F90x and Mamiya 645 pro for a Nikon digital kit. Digital was for me always a triumph of convenience over real quality in those early years and not much else. It wasn’t until Canon brought out the 5D series that I found myself ...
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Zone focusing is arguably one of the quickest and most effective methods of focusing your camera. With a little forethought, practice and pre-visualisation of your shot, it's a method that can reduce problems like shutter lag. Ensure your images are sharp every time. And help you take photos more surreptitiously.
It doesn't rely on automation and, in most cases can be put into practice before you've brought the camera to your eye. I believe it's a core skill and a method that everyone who takes photograp...
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Jokulsarlon Two
For our inaugural 'How I got this picture' post, we're talking to Dave Kirby about Jokulsarlon Two. One of the beautiful images in his Iceland series.
Jokulsarlon Two ©Dave Kirby
Film Used – ILFORD FP4+
Format - 120 film in 6x6 format
Camera - Bronica SQ-A
Lens – 80mm PS
Exposure time – 57s
Other equipment – The cheapest, naffest tripod money could buy (now broken), 10 stop filter, hat!
Location
Jokulsarlon, South Coast, Iceland....
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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’...
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A black and white film community
Since film is no longer the primary domain of professionals, it’s been adopted again in earnest by passionate individuals that produce legitimate work. In this age of instant gratification, infinite dynamic range, and auto-everything, it’s nice to rely on a predictable and high-quality medium.
I shoot HP5+ almost exclusively. It’s everything I want in a black and white film. It’s flexible, widely available and fits right into my workflow. I’ve played both...
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We're always guaranteed some great shots when we ask you to share your #mediumformat film shots with us. Here are the ones that we chose for this weeks #ilfordfridayfavourites
@giacomofrullani Laos #DeltaDefJam #hasselblad #mediumformat #delta100
@MatthewJWalters Cuba and Mallorca on #FP4 #mediumformat
@timdobbsphoto"Remnants of the Coal Mines" ... Mamiya 645 on ilford FP4+ dev in Rodinal #ilfordfridayfavourites #mediumformat #Wales
@martynhphoto Ferris Wheel Repostin...
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Potential Disruption To Product Supply In The US
On Friday August 25th the US distributor of HARMAN technology products (WYNIT) suddenly and unexpectedly halted its distribution activities. This affected our products (branded ILFORD Photo, Kentmere and HARMAN, as well as for Paterson and Agfa color film products). On September 8th, WYNIT subsequently entered Chapter 11 proceedings.
Throughout September we have implemented a direct supply arrangement for retailers in the USA, as an interim measure, to...
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We didn't see the usual glut of images for our #speed themed #ilfordfridayfavourites. However, the ones that we did receive were great.
These are the ones that we liked the most
@jwgalleryuk Cross country. #largeformat #4x5 #ilfordfp4 #believeinfilm #speed #ilfordfridayfavourites
@davewooff #ilfordfridayfavourites #Morris FP4 plus on a Yashica MAT
@jwgalleryuk #wakeboarding is not my usual subject matter but enjoyed the challenge of shooting action on #ilfordpanf ;) #spee...
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Large Format black and white film
We don't think there's anything quite like an image that has been shot on large format black and white film.
These are this weeks #ilfordfridayfavourites
@duarte_photo Clay Deposits in Wellfleet. Wonderful day making this print. #largeformatphotography #darkroom #welfleet
@jwphotographyuk Fungi. Only lasted a few days and was lucky to get some sun on them for a brief period.#autumnwatch2017 #ilfordfridayfavourites #largeformat #ilfordfp4 #4x5 #bnw #i...
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Nolton Haven
Technical info
Film Used FP4+
Format 35mm
Camera Nikon F2
Lens 20mm F3.5 AI. 25A red & 2stop ND filters.
Exposure time 30seconds
Other equipment Manfrotto tripod, Weston Lightmeter.
Location
Nolton Haven is a small narrow bay on the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales. It sits between the two much larger beaches of Druidstone and Newgale. Its characteristic feature are its two almost near symmetrical headlands.
Firstly, tell us the...
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Road trip?
This Spring three friends and I piled ourselves and a months worth of gear into a 29 foot RV, and hauled it, and 4 snowmobiles into the Chugach mountain range near Valdez, Alaska.
During one month we drove roughly 10,000 miles, shot 30 rolls of film, broke 2 snow machines, destroyed a few pairs of skis, and between the four of us broke the world record for hotdogs consumed (unconfirmed). It was challenging at times, but if we’d wanted an easy trip we would never have come this far north...
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Tranquility
Alan Brock searches for a sense of calm in his images. He shares how he achieves it below
Technical info
Film Used: Delta 100
Format: 4x5
Camera: Intrepid 4x5 II
Lens: Nikkor 180mm f/5.6. Shot at f/45
Exposure time: 40s
Other equipment: Gitzo 1545T Tripod
Location: Parksville Lake Tennessee
Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it?
I like to search for a sense of calm in my images. In a lot of ways this fits my...
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We didn't set a theme for our first #ilfordfridayfavourites of this year, instead we've had fun browsing through the huge variety of images that you shoot using our film.
Below are just a small selection of some that caught our attention.
@AdyKerry One of the first pictures I took on my #Pentax67 with 135mm f4 at the Hockey World Cup 2014, using HP5. #believeinfilm
@NavalAirHistory The wonderful Bristol Scout of @ScoutBuilder at @StowAero taken on HP5 with a Voigtlander rangefinder camera
@I...
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We were really looking forward to this week's #ilfordfridayfavourites #landscape theme and rightly so.
You have shared such a great selection of #landscape images on our social media and website gallery. These are some of our favourites.
@artXchemistry One for the @ILFORDPhoto #ilfordfridayfavourites #landscape #photography #believeinfilm #filmphotography #blackandwhite Pentax 645, Ilford Pan F+ 50, scanned from film.
@ekojonnie #ilfordfilm #ilfordfridayfavourites Simrishamn, Sweden
...
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We asked you to slow down this week and share any shots on #ilfordphoto film rated at ISO 100 or below.
These are a few that caught our eye
@EJFoto Sometimes, You Need A Mask, Whitney, 2016 #PanFPlus #503CW #BelieveInFilm #fotografia #photography
fordmattford Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn, New York. #mediumformat #filmphotography #ilfordfilm #ilforddelta100 #mamiyarb67 #longexposure #ilfordfridayfavourites #slowfilm
@Benoit_Dupont bilan de la semaine sur mon @500px: vous av...
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An Interest in Large Format
Large format is an immensely rewarding and enjoyable way to make a photograph. It can also feel overwhelming when you’re just starting out, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. This article is for anyone with an interest in large format.
I got into 4x5 because I wanted to challenge myself, and to try something new. Over the last two years it has become my favourite way to take a photograph. There’s something special about slowing down and being so deliberate with each...
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No matter how tough a theme we set for #fridayfavourites, there are always a selection of great black and white #ilfordphoto #film images to choose from. These are our picks from this week's #work theme.
@timdobbsphoto "Men at work" .. Nikon F100 on ilford HP5+ @ 3200 for #fridayfavourites #work #ilfordphoto #believeinfilm
@PaulPhotographe #ilfordphoto #work #fridayfavourites Outram Rodeo @Lovedunedin 2013 @NikonUSA FE10, @ILFORDPhoto 400(?) @NZGeographic
@dsamaddar I generally don't ...
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Crumble
We always enjoy finding out the stories behind some of the images that you share with us and we couldn't resist asking David Allen about this image.
Technical Info
Film Used: Ilford HP5 PLUS
Format: 120 (6x7)
Camera: Mamiya RB 67 Pro-S
Lens: 90mm/3.8 Mamiya Sekor
Exposure time: 1/100
Other equipment: Changing bag with an extra 120 spool.
Location:
Top—Philadelphia, PA | Bottom—Bradley Beach, NJ
Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to s...
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Today is the International Day of Peace so in honour of this we asked you to share your #ilfordphoto #peace themed images for this week's #fridayfavourites.
@tiboalberny A short moment of #peace for my little guy at the hospital. Can't believe it was 2 years ago. Time's flying... Shot on @ILFORDPhoto #FP4 pushed to 800 #fridayfavourites #believinfilm #analogphotography #shootfilm #staybrokeshootfilm
@alixmatae « Par-delà les nuages » (Népal, 1996 by Matthieu Alexandre) shot on #HP5plus...
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Beginnings
I came to analog photography late. I enjoy being able to feel the film and create with my hands, and the suspense of not knowing how the final shots look until you develop the film. Shooting film changes the style of how I work. I take less pictures and think more. It is more immersive, I have more time to feel their characters, their experiences.
I shoot all my projects in medium format film. I do use digital, but only for commercial photography or for working on reports.
Materials ag...
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HARMAN technology Ltd, the manufacturer of ILFORD photographic film, darkroom paper and chemicals, has announced the ILFORD SIMPLICITY range of photo chemicals designed for convenient, easy-use film processing.
The ILFORD SIMPLICITY range of film processing photo chemicals have been created for convenience and ease of use. These sachets are ideal for photographers who want to try processing their own film but have until now been apprehensive about the process and/or may not have required the larger volum...
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Of course, we see in color - but vision is just one part of how we sense the environment and moments. In the mountains I see tremendous peaks, I feel and hear the storms, freeze, and feel emotions from success, failure and intense personal experiences. All that black + white can convey more intensively - for me this is not a reduction over colour photography, but an amplification of impressions.
This is the translation of a short text I wrote a few years back for the German Schwarzweiss Magazine.
Si...
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Mindtraveller
Technical info
Film Used: ILFORD HP5+ (pushed to 3200)
Format: 120, shot as 6x7
Camera : Mamiya RB67 Pro SD
Lens: Sekor 50mm f4.5
Exposure time: 20 minutes
Other equipment: Tripod
Location: Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada
Tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it?
In the Canadian Arctic, we are gifted with the otherwise-evasive Aurora Borealis on almost a nightly basis. On many nights, the spectacle is nothing more than a faint gre...
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Love has definitely been in the air this week and we know that you all #lovefilm as much as we do so we felt that this would be the perfect theme for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites.
@VRSeeker Coach Car Fuji GX617, Hand held ILFORD HP5+ at 800 #fridayfavourites #lovefilm #ilfordphoto #believeinfilm Film is much more rewarding, slowing down to shoot and developing makes the craft. #enjoyfilm #analog
@mattwilkinson81 I #lovefilm especially #ilfordphoto for its versatilit...
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We love it when you have shared so many images with us that we struggle to choose our #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. This week was one of those weeks.
@IbraarHussain Pashtuns - Swat Valley 2007. NWFP. Contax G2 - @ILFORDPhoto HP5+ #Filmphotography
hannibal.bass Inclusión Ilford HP5+ #pentaxk1000 #ilfordphoto #ilfordhp5 #rodinal #film_addicts_ #fridayfavourites
@MattAngleyPhoto “Taking a Blow” ? Canon AE-1 + Canon FD 28mm f/2.8 ? Ilford Delta 3200 #Firefighte...
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I always say time is the most precious commodity there is. If you are doing something you love, it flies by faster than the speed of light. And if you are waiting for something, it can feel like centuries are passing by.
If only there was a way to somehow stop it in it’s tracks and enjoy every second of it.
In the beginning
I used to be a digital photographer. It was all fun and games at the beginning. And it definitely did the job.
It stopped time!
I could keep track of my memories, look back ...
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I had just stepped out of the subway station when my cell phone rang. It was my father. “I saw on the news that there are protesters gathering in Manhattan over the grand jury decision. Be careful getting home.” “OK, Dad. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be careful.” I put my phone back in my pocket, reached for my cameras and felt the weight of them on my neck as I slipped their straps over my head. I adjusted my camera bag on my hip, turned the collar up on my old green army jacket, and took ...
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Further Film Adventures in the Future History
I've been shooting film almost as long as I've been shooting skateboarding - Delta 100 & XP2, mostly. I really got into it around 7 years ago, when I began documenting the skate scene in my hometown of Nottingham. Unknowingly I started a continuous body of work that still has no end in sight. And I was just looking for something to keep me busy when my digital kit had died!
Capturing the Community
I recently put on a new exhibition,...
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Each week you surprise us with the great images that you share for our #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme. This week's theme of #endless was no exception. These are the shots that caught our eye.
nilsscarbro Three Bridges, Hanwell, London Praktica BC1, Tamron Adaptall-2 28mm f/2.5 HP5+ ISO400, Rodinal 1+25 6min #ilfordphoto #ilfordhp5 #praktica #believeinfilm #greatwesternrailway #fridayfavourites #endless #blackandwhitefilm
METROPOLIS By Beatriz Burnay de Mendonça, entered into Frida...
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We're heading into festival season and although wellies are the the 'go to' festival wear here in the UK, we know that some of your summers actually feature sunshine! For this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites we set the theme of #music.
mattparryphotofilm Ray Barbee @r.barbee - Photographer, skateboarder, musician - this man is one talented and creative human being. Long Beach, CA, 2018.Film: @ilfordphoto #ilfordhp5 #ilfordphoto #35mmfilm Camera: @olympusuk #olympusxa3 . #ilfordphoto #fridayfavouri...
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We set you the theme of #mediumformat for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. There is so much detail in a 120 negative and in the darkroom they can be be printed big without any loss of quality. These are the ones that we chose as our favourites.
@MattAngleyPhoto?Crane Mountain summit, Adirondacks ? Zeiss Ikoflex 1C, 75mm f/3.5 Carl Zeiss Tessar ? Ilford Pan F Plus #film #filmphotography #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #ilfordpanFplus #mediumformat #believeinfilm #filmisnotdead #blackandwhitep...
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Image: Double exposure portrait series
Technical info
Film Used: ILFORD XP2
Format: 35mm film
Camera: NIKON F3T Lens: 50mm NIKOR-S 1.4 Exposure time: 1/60
Aperture: 5.6
Other equipment: -
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it?
I was attracted for a long time to the visual capabilities of multiple exposures. But I had no concept of how I could go beyond the simple multiple overlapping of frames, until I visited Marcel Ducham...
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A simple #fridayfavourites this week without a particular theme. We just asked you to share your images shot on our films. We really hoped that a couple of images would be shared on the new #orthofilm and as usual you didn't disappoint.
@Alan_R_Taylor Bronica SQAi using Ilford Delta 400 developed in Caffenol. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites
@EYNON33HOUSE #ilforddelta3200 #fridayfavourites The city at night. Scranton, PA. Pentax 645 medium format camera.
@ozalba Beech and r...
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We set a seasonal #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites this week with a theme of #winter and were looking forward to seeing different take on the theme from around the world.
As usual you didn't disappoint.
@DrMarsRover #Winter in the Pacific Northwest is dark and wet. @ILFORDPhoto HP5+ #pinhole #fridayfavourites
@MattAngleyPhoto Forest Stream ? Zeiss Ikoflex 1C + 75mm f/3.5 Carl Zeiss Tessar ? Ilford Delta 100 #landscapephotography #blackandwhitephotography #ilfordphoto #delta100 #filmphotog...
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Over the last couple of months, we have noticed an increased number of customers posting their concerns on forums and social media channels relating to our 120 roll films in which spots / mottle have appeared on the negatives.
We pride ourselves on our high quality and consistent production and want to assure you that this issue is being fully investigated as a matter of priority. We appreciate this will be of little comfort to those who have experienced the issue and for that we offer our sincerest apol...
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The Photography Show 14-17 March
There's not long to go until this years Photography Show at the NEC in Birmingham and it's going to be a great one. (If we do say so ourselves)!
There is going to be a far greater analogue / film presence at the show this year as the organisers have agreed to the inclusion of a dedicated ‘Analogue Spotlight’ area which will include some pods for smaller brands and a spotlight speaker area for those brands to do demos.
Come and see us!
We will be there on stand B93 ...
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In late 2019, we invited the global analogue film photography community to take part in our latest survey. This time we focused specifically on darkroom printing.
The survey ran for 1 month and had an incredible 5,439 responses from 87 countries around the world. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to offer your insights and share the survey for us.
Why darkroom printing?
We have seen sustained and continuous growth in film for a number of years. However, darkroom printing has not yet cap...
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A mix of Art and Science
As I write this, the UK and many other parts of the world are currently in lockdown thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus. This pandemic has meant the unprecedented closure of schools and the daunting prospect of home schooling our children – in my case 10-year old twins.
Now, I’m not sure about other parents but I’m almost at the point where I can no longer blag my way through their homework. Rather than own up to this humiliating fact, I suggested I get them involved in a l...
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These unprecedented times are a call for artists to step up and help deter against feelings of restlessness and boredom. These are just some suggested ideas that you might want to try.
Through my modest Instagram presence and blog I've tried to do something for the international arts community and here is something that has worked out quite nicely and is extremely easy to perform. This is just one activity and I know there are a plethora of others out there as well; hope this one may brighten your day an...
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We recently had the pleasure of turning the tables on one of the stalwarts of the film photography community when we asked Em if he'd be the first of our interviews in the 'Lockdown Sessions'. We're so glad that he agreed.
What made you set up Emulsive.org and what were your initial plans for it?
My-first-roll...-Of-35mm-film-Fuji-Superia-X-TRA-400-by-EMULSIVE
EMULSIVE started as an idea in early 2015. I thought I should put up a blog where I could post a few photos and blog about stuff that I'd lea...
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For the second of our Lockdown Session interviews we cornered another well known face in the film community, Hamish Gill. (We're just glad he could fit us into his hectic schedule)!
Section 1 - The Beginning
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
Image by Hamish Gill shot on HP5+
That’s a tricky question. The above image is the one that immediately came to mind. I don’t darkroom print myself, but I did print at a workshop at AG Photographic a few ...
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If you've ever held any interest in skateboarding then we're sure that you'll recognise Joe Brook, our third victim interviewee for the Lockdown Sessions. Joe also featured in one of our 1st ILFORD Inspires videos. (You can find the link in his bio below).
SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
This is my favorite photo of 2019. I was on a skate trip with the Spitfire team and we were warming up at a skate park. A local t...
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Selfish process?
It can sometimes feel that many steps in my photography process are selfish. Some of these I can take as positive, for example the way I now truly photograph for myself and not to please others. (Aside from client based assignments), as was the case when I was locked into the social media game at the start of my photography experimentation. Other times however it can feel that I’m not doing enough to use my photography somehow to produce some visceral change in the world, despite my curr...
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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 asked for all things #silvergelatin for this week's#ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. We see so many inventive people out there making beautiful images both in and out of the darkroom and wanted to showcase some of them here.
@Virgil_Roger Starting off early for this week's @ILFORDPhoto #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites ! Theme is #silvergelatin so I thought I'd share my latest darkroom collage :)One-off piece, this is a photo of the matted print as I have no digital version whatsoever. #believeinprint r...
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A bit of a different format for this week's Lockdown Session from Matt Day.
We were thrilled when Matt agreed to take part in the Lockdown Sessions and even happier when he agreed to film his responses for us.
Just in case you wanted to check out Matt's shout outs here are the links.
Give a shout out to your 3 favourite film photographers (not photography hubs) currently active on IG
Dom Jas
Laura Partain
Kyle Myles
Give a shout out to your 3 favourite photography YouTube channels (apar...
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We've been following Dan Rubin's photography for a while now so were really pleased when he agreed to take part in our Lockdown Sessions.
SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
Shinagawa Station, Tokyo, 2016. Ilford HP5+ @ 400, Leica M6, Summicron-M 50/2 (Scanned by Canadian Film Lab)
This was my first full day in Tokyo, on my first visit to Japan in 2016. The memory of wandering through the station during rush hour...
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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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Introduction
I often see echoed this absurd idea that somehow film photography is more “pure.” Anyone who has ever been a part of a film photography Facebook group has surely come across a post along the lines of “how much editing in post do you think is OK with film?” And, without fail, there will be at least one response from the analog bourgeois which goes something like “if you’re going to edit *that* much, you might as well shoot digital. Why are you even shooting film?!”
Sadly, we of...
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Guy's Instagram caught our eye, with it's mix of 'camera porn', black and white film shots, and classic cars.
We knew he was busy preparing for the launch of his clothing label, Ratino, later this year as well as publishing his quarterly car journal The Road Rat, so we were really pleased when he agreed to take time out of his busy schedule to take part.
SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
I think this shot of Chris playing...
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Balance
Like many photographers these days, I balance a busy day job alongside a family life. I try to be good a community member, share my thoughts and experiences and sometimes, perhaps, inspire one or two. In the background I have long held an aspiration to become a successful professional photographer, something i'm still working towards.
Like all of us I suspect, finding something to focus on, photographically, can be a challenge when life is so busy. The majority of my casual photography currently...
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Inherent bias
Photography has long been used strategically as a tool and method of capturing and sharing slices of truth, small morsels of reality, inherently containing the bias of the photographer. By making decisions about what to shoot, how to shoot, what to edit, how to edit, and what to share with the viewer, photographers have historically held a unique position of being able to weaponize the art of photography by crafting and even manipulating truths. In the United States of America specifically, p...
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I don't think it will be long before we need to change the title of this series! We really hope that you are enjoying finding out more about some of the members of our community. This week, for our 11th interview, we have Simon King. He is probably best know for is street photography and teaches short course on it at UAL.
SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
I really find it difficult choosing favourites, so I have to give a bi...
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We are all familiar with the more 'standard' films in our range such as our PLUS and DELTA PROFESSIONAL brands. However, some of our films are a little bit different from the norm, and these #specialistfilm shots are what we asked you to share for today's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites.
samduncan156 A peach and a nectarine on Ilford Ortho. #ilfordortho #fridayfavourites #specialistfilm #parallaxshootsilfordortho80 #homedevelopedfilm #ilfotecddx #stilllife #mamiyarb67 #mediumformatfilm #bn...
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Music. bonding and booze
Clitheroe is a small market town in Lancashire, famous for its witches, good food and drink. And, (maybe) having the smallest Norman keep in England. Each September, it hosts the Ribble Valley Scooter Rally - a gathering with music, vintage clothing stalls, and a ‘ride-in’ of several hundred scooter enthusiasts. Previously known as the Ribble Valley Mod-Weekender, the event is a melting pot of different sub-cultures; Mods, Skinheads, Scooterboys, and every other conceivable spl...
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We taking a closer look at Brett Hillyard this week who was nominated by Robbie Jeffers in our Lockdown Sessions back in week 12.
BACKGROUND
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
One of my favorite images over the last couple weeks is from a portrait session I had with Jeff Yokoyama. He goes by“Yoki” and his retail store “YokiShop” is located in Newport Beach. His shop is filled with eclectic art and cool custom clothes that he designs in the bac...
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One of our most popular films and available in 35mm, 120 and sheet film formats. We knew that setting a theme of #shotonfp4 for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites would result in lots of great images being shared. We didn't expect quite as many as we received though!
blacknwhite_matter - Dandelion - Palmas, Aveyron, France.#pentax6x7 #mediumformat #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #shotonfp4 #ilfordfp4
analog_photo_pag Mountain Contemplations. Shot on Ilford FP4+, using a Bronic...
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The big smoke
One of the greatest things about London is its multi-cultural mix. And in a city as old as London, you’re surrounded by history in the shape of the architecture of the ages. This is the reason why, even though I no longer live in London, I still return to ‘The Big Smoke’ time and time again. Paraphrasing the old saying ‘You can take the boy out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the boy’.
I can walk the streets of London for hours on end, finding new places to ex...
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We love Sandy's beautiful large format shots, they always seem to have hidden depths. We are excited that he agreed to take part in the In Focus / Lockdown Sessions series and become our 20th interviewee.
BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
There’s a few I could post that I feel encapsulate the sort of feeling or thought process I have when I’m working on photos, but for me, so far? It’s this image.
Photography means a lot of di...
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Infamous on Twitter for his enjoyment of biscuits as well as being a well known name in the film photography community, this week we talk to Sandeep Sumal for our 22nd interview in this series.
Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
This shot was taken in Covent Garden, London back in 2016. I had just recently started my film photography hobby. It was an art installation and it was there over the Christmas period. My early photos were a r...
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Interview 23 is with Michael Weitzman. A film photographer, darkroom teacher and alternate and experimental process enthusiast. Michael was nominated back in June by Brett Hillyard.
BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
Northern Line. This photograph shouldn’t have happened, but I wanted to shoot in extreme conditions. It was 5 or 10 below zero with 15 - 20 MPH wind off the Missouri River in Great Falls Montana dead of winter. I came up to ...
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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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The passion
My passion for cycling has fuelled this project, Riding the Boards surveys cycle velodromes across the United Kingdom, these spaces are a hallowed ground for cyclists.
Memories
Competitively the race depends on a good start, it can be won or lost at the first corner. However the curves on the circuit; the corners, the banking, the lines, are the vital parts in the making of a velodrome track. The projects main interest became the view of the first corner, from the start line. Framing the ...
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So many beautiful shots to choose from for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #myfavouritefilm theme. It seems you all have your favourites and after looking at some of the images that you shared with us, we can see why.
@RyanHK_ I think HP5+ is my all-time favorite... No other film has its latitude or versatility. I've shot it as low as ISO50 & up to ISO3200. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #myfavouritefilm
ps_alpine_photo Trevor Hunt on Chatyn-Tau (4412m) SE couloir (1800m, 4...
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We have known Keith for a long while and admire not just his photography, but his enthusiasm for all things film and darkroom and his willingness to share his knowledge and inspire others. We're glad he agreed to take part in this series and become our 28th In Focus interview. We hope you enjoy finding out more about him.
BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
I shot this image in La Boqueria Barcelona with a fuji 645 camera. What makes it sp...
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Known for his fantastic images of urban and skate culture. (If you're not following him already then you should be). Rafael González is the 30th interview in our In Focus series.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
I have so many photos I really like it’s so difficult to choose one specific but this one is one of my favourites I must say, I shot it during a skate session with my friends, nothing planned just cruising around th...
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We've really been looking forward to sharing this week's In Focus interview with you. We've been long time followers of Tyler's work and were thrilled when he agreed to take part in this series. As described by Allie Evans 'He makes you feel like the impossible is always possible'.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
I shared this image because it is one that without Ilford I would have never made, I fell in love with black and w...
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My kids are a bit in awe of the week's In Focus interviewee and it takes a lot to impress them! Ryan Loco is perhaps best know for shooting fights, be that bare knuckle MMA or WWE. More recently he has focused more on portrait photography and his images speak for themselves.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
This is difficult for me, as I have a hard time liking any photo I take. But, since I have to choose, I'll use recency ...
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Even when you have a love of film and traditional darkroom practices, there’s always room for alternative photo process experimentation as ecological photo-artist Josie Purcell knows well.
OVERVIEW
I am a photographer, but trying to explain that I specialise in photographic processes that may not include a camera has led me to describing myself a photographic artist.
My passion for photography began in secondary school. There was a darkroom in the art class, but it was never used; it acted like a bea...
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Growing pains
The downtown skyline of Oakland, CA sky looks different now. Everyday new cranes tower over the city, stacking up floors of new condominiums and office buildings in the blink of an eye. The constant construction sounds echo the town’s growing pains, all the while a movement of artists from the soil work to maintain and preserve the heart, soul, and true voice of this beautiful city. As you travel downtown on 18th st towards Telegraph Ave, you will catch a stunning new photo mural on the sid...
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Number 37 in this series, which started a year ago as the Lockdown Sessions, sees us finding out more about Michael Watson. Nominated by Ryan Loco, Michael is a photographer based out of Des Moines who primarily shoots musicians and pro wrestlers.
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
Favorite is tough, I’ve shot most of the important moments or biggest opportunities of my life on HP5 for over 10 years. There are portraits of my parents that are really ...
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The idea came to me after searching for companies to have a photobook made. I wanted something of the highest quality. Something that had the physical feel of Photographs: Annie Leibovtiz 1970-1990, or Helmut Newton Portraits. Two beautifully printed books that happened to be sitting in the community darkroom I own. After searching the internet for hours and looking at reviews and products of various companies, I was no further along to making a selection than when I started. My mind wandered as I stared at...
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In this blog article, Kit Young provides insight into his latest book, Where the Rain Clouds Gather (OD Books) , which was made entirely from scanning hand-made silver gelatin prints.
The Concept
At times the past year has raced past in a haze. Streets have emptied and we have retreated to our cocoons. Cooped up. Waiting for the storm raging outside to subside. The images in Where the Rain Clouds Gather, my second publication, appear as if from a dream state. Moments in time, brought to life in the dark...
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When the streets become unbearable
I’m not so good with words, but that’s probably why I love photography. I can let the photos I make speak for themselves. The death of George Floyd, back in May of last year, hit me hard. So much so that I went out a did what I usually do when stress becomes unbearable, I make pictures. I grabbed my Nikon F and Nikon FE, grabbed some HP5 and FP4, and headed out to clear my mind, and see what I could create.
While stopping at some familiar spots in downtown Colu...
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We've admired Tom Kirkendall's beautiful pinhole images and darkroom prints for a while and were thrilled when he agreed to take part in this series and allow us to find out a little more about him in this, our 38th In Focus interview.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
My favorite photo??? Now that is a difficult decision. In the words of Ansel Adams “It is the one I have not taken yet” But if I am pressed to make a decisio...
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The first roll
It is January 31st, 2020. I’ve arrived in London to document the events surrounding the UK leaving the EU. Many groups were converging on Parliament Square for this historic day. My usual workflow was interrupted when fellow documentary photographer Simon King called me aside and handed me a Nikon FG, 55mm f/3.5, and a roll of Kentmere 400.
This was the first roll of film I’d exposed in my life. Unaccustomed to the mechanical redundancies and psychological immediacy that film offers, ...
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Taking Risks
Through a series of what felt like small and inconsequential life choices I have found myself recently in positions where the logical course of action involved putting my health and even my life at risk, in service of making photographs.
I, like many others I'm sure, want to be a great photographer. To me this means that I look with a respectful eye over my own body of work, and accept it for what it is: (hopefully) the absolute best I can accomplish.
A retrospective
This is something I r...
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Earlier this year in our interview with Walter Rothwell, he nominated Kris to take part in this series. We're so glad that he did. Enjoy!
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
One of my recent favourite images is this portrait of 3 young men taken on the streets of Birmingham UK. It was one of the first outings in the city post-lockdown and I wanted to really get back into a stride with my personal photography on the streets. With ...
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Light in the Dark
Most fine art photography starts with the photographer and finishes in the darkroom. For me it’s the other way round. My story began with seeking out the light in the dark and becoming one of Britain’s most respected black and white printers. Today, I look for the dark in the light, as a photographer in my own right.
I have put together a show to mark 50 years in my Fitzrovia darkroom which opens (and closes) at the Fitzrovia Chapel on Wednesday, June 30. Then again on Monday 26th-...
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Perhaps best known for his engaging YouTube content and Instagram channel, this week we talked to Ribsy about his film photography
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
London South Bank on FP4
This is my favorite image shot on Ilford film (FP4). This shot was taken during a lovely Saturday afternoon on the South Bank in London, the week the final lockdown was eased. Immediately I think about the joy of walking around in the su...
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Interview number four in our Behind the Film series is with International Sales Manager and relative film newbie Alex Hancock.
Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here?
I am Alex Hancock and my role is International Account Manager. I've been with HARMAN for 3 years now.
Tell us a little about your day to day role.
My role is to support our international partners who manage the brand and sales in countries around the world. I work directly with all of thei...
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We hope that you are enjoying learning more about some of the film shooters that we have working here at HARMAN. This week's interviewee (our 5th) is our MarComms Manager Matt Parry. We think he has a bit of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) what do you think?
Who are you? What is your job title at HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here?
My name is Matt Parry and I’ve been the Marketing Communications Manager at HARMAN technology since June 2016.
Tell us a little about your day-to-day role.
...
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My better half
When my friend, who knows little about cameras, presented me with the 35mm Olympus Pen FT, it was a total surprise. Quite literally as a gift, but moreover, the camera’s function was what was most surprising. When I picked up the Pen FT for the first time, I observed how light the compact camera was. I immediately put my eye to the viewfinder and was confused. I silently thought to myself, “This is so weird…” I had never encountered a viewfinder that wasn’t horizontal. I had to lea...
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It's strange how sometimes the simplest of themes can produce the most amazing images. We have seen so many great shots for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #concretefilm theme. Thank you so much for taking the time to share them.
faz.io allied pinnacle #pentax67ii #ilforddelta400 #fridayfavourites #concretefilm #bnwphoto #bnwphotographer #ilforddelta #mediumformat
poloczanski_mikolaj M93 #hasselbladxpan #xpan #monovisions #a1 #ilford #ilfordfilm #ilfordphoto #ilfordxp2 #ilford...
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The star of this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #35mmpanf theme is the slowest film in our collection. Rated at ISO 50, PANF+ is a high contrast, super sharp black & white film with exceptionally fine grain.
vaughnmphoto #35mmpanf @ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites canon iii, voigtlander 25mm/ pan f 50#ilfordphoto #longexposure #staybrokeshootfilm #grainisgood #bnw_captures #blackandwhite #35mm
@EJRFoto In Pieces Emily 2021 #FilmFriday #35mmPanF #1v #BelieveInFilm #fotografia #photo...
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The logical Course
I think it is adequate to say that the pandemic provoked many changes for everyone. From the upheaval of our everyday lives to the anxiety over our health as well as that of our loved ones, we all quickly realized that things would not be the same.
For us analog photographers that didn’t develop our own film there came another obstacle: how would we continue our craft when everything was folding around us? The logical course of action was to learn to process at home. After many YouT...
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Today's #handsonfilm must have been a tough #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme as we saw far fewer images than we usually do. However the ones that you shared with us were great.
z.allaire Ilford XP-2 Hasselblad 500 C/M #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #handsonfilm #ilfordxp2 #120film #hasselblad #hasselblad500cm #analogueportraits #blackandwhite
@timdobbsphoto "Hand print" .. Minolta X700 on ilford FP4+ for #handsonfilm #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #believeinfilm
@steve_...
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Some subjects seem to go hand in hand with black and white film photography and boats in one of them. Which is why we chose #boatsonfilm for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme.
poloczanski_mikolaj Kąty Rybackie.Stary Port #hasselbladxpan #xpan #ilfordphoto #ilforddelta100 #bnw #fridayfavourites #birdsinport #ilfordphotopl #friendsinbnw #wschódsłońca #kątyrybackie #boatsonfilm #foggyday
@JevonCarey Took this one one at Southwold Harbour, Ilford Delta Pro100 135 and pr...
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In our digital age, film photography can appear to be expensive and risky but it has challenged me to learn the process involved in taking a photo that captures my intent and tells a story, creating a real sense of achievement.
Over the past year, my confidence in using the medium has grown which is driving me to experiment more. In a world where the media can manipulate colours to affect the audience’s perception, black and white film uses alternative techniques. For example, in colour, red often conn...
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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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A well know part of the film photography community, especially on Twitter where she goes by @justgispy We were thrilled when Margaret Fitzgerald agreed to be the subject of this week's In Focus interview.
Section 1 Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
I can't really say that any one photo I've taken over the years is my favourite, but this one is very memorable.
Rolleiflex-TLR,-Ilford-HP5--Church-of-St.-Philibert,-Tournus,-Burgundy
I...
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Since we started sharing these Behind the Film interviews with you earlier this year, we have spoken to people from all different parts of our business. All are part of the team responsible for creating and manufacturing the products that you love. Today we talk to Matty, who works within our research and development department.
Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here?
My name’s Matty, I’m a 4th year product development scientist apprentice and I’ve b...
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Connection Over a Century
Hanna Heinilä (née Hermonen, 1890–1981) was born to a vicar’s family in the small town of Luvia on the west coast of what at the time was the Grand Duchy of Finland. She had her first camera in around 1906 when she was sixteen years old and began photographing without any formal education. She bought dry-plate glass negatives from the nearby towns and learned to develop them at home by herself.
Nothing was known of Hanna’s extensive work as an early photography pion...
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And suddenly, something that looked like a dandelion head floated into view, and I stood mesmerized as it hovered before me. When I peered inside, I realized that I could see a tiny winged creature within. I turned to my mother and said, “Look at that!” But all she could see was a dandelion head.
Inhabitants
Thirteen years ago I lost my father to Lung cancer, three years ago I lost my best friend to breast cancer. Besides cancer they both shared the same belief, that when we die, it’s lights out, th...
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A regular contributor to the film and analogue community and always helpful and encouraging to other photographers out there. This week's In Focus interview is with "photographer” Morag Perkins who, "just takes pictures".
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
I’ve chosen this one because it’s represents a process that has been very special to me recently.
Over the last 2 or 3 years I’ve found a way to use photography to ...
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For our first #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites of 2022 we set you the theme of #anewstart and asked you to share images of things that were new to you. Either subjects that you hadn't shot before, a new film or a new technique.
@mattweddis Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park, Sydney (@anzac_memorial ). 4 image, in camera, multiple exposure on @ilfordphoto HP5 in 35mm. I’ve been enjoying the incredible multiple exposures of @frankmachalowski and have been wanting to try to create some interesting multiple exposure...
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It’s after 5 on a Sunday in December and I’m deep into the 11th frame of my camera and cup number 6 of a house blend of coffee. I’ve put off writing this piece for long enough. I’m grateful to ILFORD for reaching out and as a long time user of HP5 Plus, this is a milestone that I’m excited to share with my children, family and friends.
A thirst for life
My name is James aka @dirtykics and I’ve toyed with cameras for the better part of my 20’s into my 30’s, until a difficult point in my ...
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Wow! You shared so many images for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #2021favourite theme! It's obvious to see why they are you favourites too. Thank you for taking the time to share with us and making it such a hard job this morning to choose our favourites.
You can join in with #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites by sharing your images on Twitter or Instagram and using the #'s along with telling us which of our films or papers you used e.g. #ilfordhp5 #ilfordMGRC
@sdotpelt #hp5 #ilfordphoto ...
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A regular contributor to conversations on film and analogue photography and always happy to share her knowledge and support other photographers. This week's In Focus interview is with Paula Smith.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
One of my favourite images. This was taken in New Zealand on a crisp sunny winter’s day. The light was beautiful and I loved how it picked up the chicken wire on the jetty. It brings back great memo...
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Hi, my name is Daniel. I am a family father, creative director, and amateur photographer, so you might say I make my living by telling stories and I feel fine when things get emotional ;-). I am based in Heroldsbach, Germany. That’s a small village which lies on the edge of the so-called Karpfenland, a natural landscape transformed by man for pond farming.
Until 2013, this cultural landscape was utterly unknown to me. Today it has become my home. Yet one question nags on me:
“Who shapes whom more:...
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We have been privileged to be able to follow Rita's journey as she started out shooting film and moved through the formats from 35mm to medium format and found her own unique style.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you
This image is entitled “SANCTUARY”. I came across this couple while double dutching with a friend at Grant Park in Atlanta, GA. I was frozen by their apparent love for each other. It was pure and could be fel...
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Our 57th In Focus interview is with Simon Smars from Stockholm who is a professional fine art photographer. Simon works exclusively with limited edition handmade black and white silver gelatin fiber prints, using traditional darkroom techniques. He creates a mixture of minimalistic scapes paired with a melancholic somber, with scenes often stripped to its bare essence.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD Film and tell us what it means to you?
C I G (1: f.13 · 10-sto...
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International entries
This year we opened the annual student competition up to entries from all around the world. We knew that many educational establishments had still not been able to fully return to darkroom printing but we wanted to give as many students as possible the chance to get involved. We are so glad that we did.
With over 500 entries from the four corners of the world, this year’s competition theme of ‘Natural Light’ was one of the toughest that we’ve ever had to judge.
A difficult...
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Allysse Riordan is our 58th In Focus interview. An image maker, writer, sound artist, and microadventurer (not necessarily in that order). Allysse's work takes us on a journey in a particular space and time, noticing the small details of life, meeting strangers, exploring new landscapes, and delving into their inner world
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
It is difficult to choose one favourite image. They shift and change as ...
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I have not ever owned a digital still photography camera; therefore, my entire life as a photographer centers on 25 years of loading & unloading film cameras, processing & developing film while embracing a love that taught me how to listen to the harmonious sounds of a darkroom. My volition to stay with film does not have anything to do with being against or disliking digital & everything to do with loving the process of film ever since I was a teenager. At the age of 44, this is a tangible pro...
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We recently shared Trevor Hong's photograph 'The Last Empress of Vietnam' on our Instagram and the response was fantastic so we got in touch to find our how he made it.
Technical Info -
Film Used
ILFORD Delta 100
Format
4x5 Large Format
Camera
Toyo 4x5
Lens
Schneider Kreuznach 150mm f/5.6
Exposure Time
1/30th second
Other Equipment
Octagon softbox, Sekonic lightmeter
Location
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The Last Empress of Vietnam
Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired...
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Introduction
My name is Marjolein Martinot, and I’m a Dutch photographer, based in France. The prime focus of my photography is on everyday life: my immediate surroundings - family and friends, and the places & things that touch me. My work consists of personal (longterm) photo-projects, as well as commissions (portraiture, family, lifestyle and documentary).
'White Horses, 2020'.
'Girl on Slide', from Riverland.
My Photographic Approach
I’m quite sensitive to moods, with a tendency towar...
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For this weeks #fridayfavourites, we allowed any shot made on our ILFORD or KENTMERE films can be entered for #filmfreedom.
@PhotoStephens Replying to @ILFORDPhoto Skater, Charlton #SE7 #fridayfavourites #filmfreedom HP5 35mm
@mattweddis DOUBLE JUSTIN An in-camera double exposure on 4x5 film. Portrait with 180mm Nikkor W. Silhouette with 90mm Super Angulon. It’s a bit creepy, but so is he. ?: Chamonix 45F-2 ?: Ilford FP4 #doubleexposureonfilm #doubleexposure #multipleexposure #...
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Monika Danos is our 60th In Focus interview. When not taking care of daily life, her love for trees and gardens means that she can be found chasing shadows with her pinhole camera, or printing in the darkroom. Patterns and lines that are created by light and shadow influence her style of work. Photography and the cyanotype prints gives Monika the opportunity to share what she see's in nature and in her daily life.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us wh...
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The theme for this weeks #fridayfavourites was #summershots. The sun has been shining, everyone is starting to go on holiday and break up from school, so we want you to share your photographs taken in the sunshine.
@KennethWajda @ILFORDPhoto #believeinfilm #fridayfavourites #summershots #ilfordhp5 #rolleiflex #colorado
@Matthewburt_ #ilfordphoto #summershots #fridayfavourites C: Kodak VR35 F: Ilford HP5plus iso 400
@lemonidasg Nothing feels more like summer, than jumping in the sea. @ILFORDPhoto...
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Community Grant Shortlist
We received hundreds of applicants for the grant and choosing just 5 for you to vote on is always difficult. Once the new submission window closes at the end of February 2026 we will shortlist the projects here for your vote.
Shortlist
VOTING FORM WILL BE HERE
The first award of 2025 went to Sebastian Machado Batenero fro his 'Ashed from the Riverbed' project.
We ar in the process of shipping his prize and will cath up with him later in the year to see how the project is pro...
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Introducing our 61st In Focus interview with Torz Dallison. Torz started shooting when she was a teenager, but it wasn't until she started developing and printing that she became hooked. Through her work, Torz explores life's traditions and connections which reflects on her own personal stories and events.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
The Robin - 2019
This is the central image to my project The Robin. I began the proje...
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We speak to Jim Mortram, who is this week's In Focus interview. Jim is an award-winning Social Documentary Photographer and the creator of these photo stories: Small Town Inertia.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
This portrait with Carl, as always for me, was made with HP5 Plus pushed to 800. When I first met Carl & began collaborating with him on sharing his story he was in a bad place. We would talk often but it was mayb...
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For many years I have been disillusioned with what direction my photography career was moving in. The overwhelming abundance of images from digital capture. The demise in a true art (in my mind anyway) of images being overcooked and very unnatural at times. However thankfully I got back my Mojo by selling every bit of digital kit I owned. It felt like a total weight of my shoulder. I needed this new direction and to learn a totally new discipline.
Taking my work that extra step further
I decided to go to ...
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Our 63rd In Focus interview is with our ILFORD Master printer, Andrew Sanderson. Andrew has been a professional photographer for over 35 years, and has established an international reputation as both practitioner and teacher of the photographic medium.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
Walk,walk,walk. HP5, Nikon F3.
My favourite picture changes quite often. Usually it is the last print I made where everything came together ...
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Perhaps best known for his role in the Netflix show The last Kingdom, we talked to James Northcote about his film photography for our 64th In Focus interview this week.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
This is a shot I took during the final season of the Last Kingdom. After Season 2 I started tying a point and shoot on the inside of my costume so that I’d always have a camera with me wherever I was. It didn’t matter if I w...
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Whether intentional using filters, (or a smear of vaseline), or by accident, soft focus images all have a certain 'feel' to them. It was this that we asked you to share for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #softfocus theme.
It was a popular theme with a lot of entries which we've enjoyed looking through this morning. A huge thank you to everyone who shared their images. Our favourites are below.
@LaurensWillis Perhaps a pinhole image for #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #softfocus ? Zero 45 w...
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Shooting 35mm film Sprockets with Kentmere 400 and a medium format TLR
Including sprockets in scans is nothing new but has increased in popularity recently. While the inclusion of sprockets showing the film name looks great, as the photographic emulsion covers the full 35mm width of the film in your cassette, it is actually possible to expose your image beyond the standard 24x36mm frame and cover the entire sprocket area with your image.
I thought I’d give this a try with my TLR, so read on below to f...
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Our 65th In Focus interview is with film photographer and laboratorist Amanda Monasterio, who used multiple exposures in their work to represent feelings and temporality.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
My favorite image ever photographed with ILFORD is definitely this one and it's from my project called "Asterismos" (Asterisms). This project draw parallels between the imaginary of being and inhabiting a body. My ancestors, t...
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We thought it would be a great chance to chat with Ben Hawkins & Liza Kanaeva-Hunsicker about their book 'Shooting Film'. This book is a beginner-friendly book which introduces curious individuals to the world of analogue photography.
A little bit about yourself
Liza: My name is Liza Kanaeva-Hunsicker, I was born and raised in Moscow, got my Bachelor’s degree in California and have been living and working in NYC for the past 11 years. I’m a multidisciplinary artist working primarily in photography...
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Wednesday Afternoon
I remember the message on Instagram from Clare one wet Wednesday afternoon whilst I was halfway through my maternity leave… “Julie & I are getting married on Sunday, any chance you’re free?!” I was absolutely thrilled to get to shoot Clare & Julie’s wedding day and knew they’d make it absolutely their own. They had just 4 guests (their two best friends and their two sisters) and it was such a special and beautifully intimate day.
The Most Loving Ceremonies
Alth...
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A huge thank you to everyone who shared an image for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites, with the theme being #themefree. This theme was popular with many entries, which we enjoyed looking through. Our favourites are below.
@konduplenka#themefree #fridayfavourites #ilfordphoto
@mattweddis Up close and personal with Kirk. This is the first digitised image from the large format photos we took to document @thisiskirkjenkins and his latest mural. Taking a close up portra...
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Join us while we chat with self-taught photographer Khoi Minh Nguyen, who is our 70th In Focus interviewee. Khoi tries to approach his photography as a still image in a movie and uses this medium to document life.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
Hasselblad 503cxi - ILFORD SFX 200
The image of my mother is my most proudest moment I had made last year. It felt like I was making work that I have been trying to make for a lon...
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Our 69th In Focus interview is with poet, former university instructor and high school teacher Lorraine Healy.
Section 1 - Background
Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you?
I took this image in January 2022. We had been having a lot of fog that was lasting longer than the usual early morning ‘til sunrise. I knew where I wanted to go. This place, Indian Slough, is some 70 minutes away from my house. I could tell when I got there that the sun was beginnin...
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You all have been incredibly busy printing in the darkroom for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme #madeinthedark.
@sbills15. Split toned Sepia and Selenium print on ILFORD MG RC paper. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavorites #madeinthedark
@elland_in. Great to get back in the darkroom this week. Kentmere fine lustre paper. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. #madeinthedark #believeinfilm
@Shelby2003. Some darkroom prints on Multigrade RC Pearl for #ilford...
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«If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things. » Henry Miller
Community Of Male Bathers
Lanterna “Beach” is a long-term project (2015-2022) that documents a community of male bathers in a town in Southern Italy, where I was born and raised, before leaving my country. The work explores the relationship between this peculiar community and the nature of the Pier where they sunbathe...
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It's amazing how sometimes the simplest of themes can produce the most outstanding images. We have seen so many great shots for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #emptyspace theme. Thank you so much for taking the time to share them.
@davejsherwood. Here's my #emptyspace shoot for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. A small boat travelling up the River Douro in (you guessed it) Porto, Portugal. This one was shot on #delta400.
@MattAngleyPhotoEmpty Staircase? Zeiss Ikoflex ...
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'Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of volumes brought together in light'. Le Corbusier, 1920
Concrete Photography
Brutalism as a style has received bad press. When we first hear the term, we all feel a logical rejection. The handbooks go on to explain that it comes from the French term béton brut, although the inventors of the term undoubtedly played on confusion, leaving an after-taste of je m’en fous, of bloody-mindedness, not giving a damn, in short. As a movement, as an a...
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What it’s like to be a penguin
Possession Island is a rock in the Southern Indian ocean, about the size of the Scottish Isle of Rùm. It harbours a small French research station (a couple dozen people year round), and half a million seabirds. We have been monitoring King penguin populations there for the past decades: fascinating birds, King penguins. They may look clumsy on shore, but each of these little characters has been scouring through the wildest seas in the world, year in and year out, weatherin...
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Brutal & Beautiful
In June of 2022, I set out on a 3500 mile motorcycle trip with my close friend David Wright. We left from Los Angeles, CA with our end destination being Glacier National Park, searching for the space in-between life’s brutal & beautiful exploration of our short time upon this world. I personally have gone through life altering changes these past few years; death, a divorce, more death, the on going pandemic and having to confront life, loss and the overwhelming notion that time...
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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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We asked you to share you having #funonfilm for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites.
These images were our favourite picks from those who submitted them on Twitter and on Instagram.
@PhlStrchn. Taken while setting up to take a photograph in Perth a few months ago, someone wanted to have #funonfilm ?. I'm sharing the shot for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites . Film: #IlfordHP5. Camera: Mamiya C220 #ilfordphoto #believeinfilm #filmphotography
@MattAngleyPhoto. Shooting Th...
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A History on the Road
In May of 2023, I loaded up the car and I headed off to the North Cascades. The freeway had just reopened after a long, icy winter. I was desperate to break out of my work routine and follow my creative pursuits.
Growing up in the American Southwest I spent my childhood in the back of my father’s pick up on our family’s retreats. Being from a blue-collar middle class family, we were never going anywhere fancy. We made pilgrimages to Arkansas in my youth where abandoned and di...
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Our 72nd In Focus interview is with Brazilian lab technician and teacher Samanta Ortega. Samanta focuses on empowering and fueling the resurgence of film photography in Brazil from the inside out.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE IMAGE/PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU.
Invasão | ILFORD Delta 400 | Yashica Zoomate 76
There is so much I could say about this image, but no description I elaborate will ever do it justice. This was one of the frames in the first eve...
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#ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites, theme is #smallonfilm 2023. A big appreciation goes out to all the photographers who have contributed this week. Whether it's product photography or the beauty of nature, here are some of your interpretations of capturing this week's theme.
@PhlStrchn. I took this shot of a sycamore seed sitting between the patterned paving outside the Fergusson Gallery, Perth. The seed cast a shadow, it doesn't contrast well, however it's my take on #smallonfilm for this week's...
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#printedinthedark was the perfect theme for all our darkroom enthusiasts for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. You are all extremely talented and, we can see the passion in your prints. Take a look at a few of our favourites this week:
@PlymouthDarkro1. Taken with a Ihagee Duplex on FP4+, then onto you FB Classic. #Fridayfavourites #printedinthedark
@sbills15. Prints from last Sunday's Darkroom session. Printed on ILFORD's MGFB Classic 11x14 paper and toned i...
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One Specific Speed Rating
Us film photographers are used to the limitations of our medium. In fact, we often regard them as strengths, and not weaknesses. But even we can’t really take issue with the suggestion that as soon as we begin to expose a roll of film we are limited to one specific speed rating, making it more difficult to adapt to quickly changing light conditions. On digital: no problem. Just whack the ISO up to some implausibly high number, and keep shooting. Sadly we just can’t do that mid...
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We are grateful for the amount of incredible #hp5notat400 images you've shared with us for this week's edition of #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. The task of selecting our favourites was nothing short of a delightful challenge, and we invite you to join us in celebrating the talented individuals whose work has made it this week.
@mattoriousphoto. For awhile there I was always pushing HP5 a stop. :) #hp5notat400 #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites.
@BalkonFrom. My ...
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This week's theme for #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites is #allonkentmere. Kentmere, with its exceptional quality, is not only an excellent choice for those venturing into film photography for the first time but also a preferred film for seasoned photographers.
@hannibal.bass. Pentax MX? Kentmere 400...#pentaxmx #shootpentax #kentmere400 #ilfordfilm #kpan400 #allonkentmere #fridayfavourites #35mmfilm
@uk_filmfanatic. Repost for @ilfordphoto #fridayfavorites. Sleepy Jack Russell. Nikon F100 wi...
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When I Was A Teenager
Mine is a common story with photography in that my dad gave me his 35mm camera when I was a teenager. I shot his Minolta until I dropped it a few too many times and the light leaks became punitive. Soon after, I stumbled into the darkroom just as casually after I found my dad’s enlarger in the back of a closet and my friend, Joel, taught me the basics of printing in a few hours (I didn’t realize how difficult that would be). I didn’t have or know about filters and had no techniq...
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My First Child
I got pregnant with my first child in early 2020. Our 12 week scan took place three days before the announcement of the first lockdown in the UK. I spent the majority of that pregnancy in isolation, with no face to face appointments with any health professionals and barely any contact with friends and family beyond WhatsApp or the occasional video call.
This New Chapter
To make matters worse, I fell at home at around 30 weeks pregnant and broke my left wrist. I spent the best part of 1...
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This week's theme for #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites is #shotwithdelta400. ILFORD DELTA 400 film is a autumn favourite, thanks to its adaptable ISO. It lets you seize every moment, no matter the weather.
@peter_durst. For this weeks #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme of #shotwithdelta400 my submission is: Icelandic Coastline and the Greenland Sea Hasselblad 500CM Zeiss Sonnar 150mm f4 Delta 400 Miklavatn, Iceland ??. #believeinfilm #filmphotography #blackandwhitephoto.
...
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Concrete Jungle
At the crack of dawn, the sleepless vagrant remains glued to the stone of the pavement. A long road with no intersection, apha indlela ayibuzwa kwabaphambili. As the light creeps into the skyline, all a city dweller sees is blood and grime. With so much dog shit in the streets, beggars are still scrapping for bones to chew. A muffled groan & moaning of a trapped miner, buskers are constantly offbeat & in a permanent state of gloom and cynicism. The nostalgic aroma of the community...
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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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Pain or Peace
There are some moments in a man's life that are truly capable of changing him in the depths of his being. Whether through pain or peace, sadness or joy. For a photographer like me, the feelings that arose in my heart over the years also became part of my photographic language.
13 Years Old
On February 9, 2020, my younger brother, Pedro Henrique, passed away while battling cancer. He was only 13 years old. At first I felt that I had lost all my motivation as a photographer and as an individu...
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The Love Affair
I didn’t even really like racing when we planned our trip to the Monaco Grand Prix. Not racing, not Formula 1, not any of it. But I did have a very long ongoing love affair with the south of France and any opportunity to spend time along the Mediterranean was a go for me.
Something Was Unlocked
As my husband Mark and I were planning this trip to celebrate a milestone birthday, something happened to me in the lead-up; something was unlocked. It’s Mark who has the life-long love of ...
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We asked you to share your best #hp5in120 shots with us this week for #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. You definitely delivered this week, so take a look at some of our favourites.
@MattAngleyPhoto. King of the Backyard. ? Pentax 6x7 + SMC Pentax 6x7 90mm f/2.8. ?️ Ilford HP5 Plus. #fridayfavourites #ilfordphoto #HP5in120 #pentax #filmphotography #believeinfilm #blackandwhitephotography #bostonterrier
@robinferand. Right is Left. Up is Down. First time shooting #hp5in120 in an origina...
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The Greatest Gift
In 1984, at age of 10 my foster parents, to whom I was never close, gave me a camera. It is the greatest gift they gave to me. Since then, I have photographed the world to make sense of it and my place in it. Now, forty years later, I respect photography to the extent it should be respected. It has become an integrated part of who I am, it has shaped me into what I am and I have shaped it - we are one and I would arguably feel nothing in life without this powerful mechanism. I come from a...
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'HOME' Winner announced
For the 2023/24 ILFORD Photo student photography competition we set the theme of 'Home'. We asked students to show us what home meant to them. That could be a person, place, object, or hobby that embodied the feeling of 'home'.
As always, they rose to the challenge and entries started coming in within weeks of the competition being launched. By the closing date of 31st January 2024 we had received hundreds of entries from students based all over the world showing us their version...
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Oh, crap! What have I done?
Let’s see. I committed to do a solo photography show, with twenty-seven images. All twenty-seven are 4x5 black and white negatives, so they need to be darkroom printed. And those will be 20x24 prints. Yeah, and I need to have them matted and framed. The icing on the cake? I have just under three months to do this.
Yep, this is going to be an interesting project. But let’s back up to the beginning.
The Event
It was April 2023, three years after the pand...
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The Truth Is
It is always with regret when I say that I never had a formal arts education. The truth is, growing up, I devalued the ability of taking a ‘decent’ picture along with whether I could kick a ball with my left foot (I can) or produce a winning back hand on the tennis court (I can’t). Photography was for holidays and special occasions and not much in between. In the days before social media and personal websites, a work colleague once asked me for printed copies of my photos after a trip to...
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Join us while we chat with freelance photographer Dominik Friess, who is our 76th In Focus interviewee. Dominik's main focus in photography is portraiture, as it is the form of photography that resonates with him the most because of the uniqueness and depth that each person carries within themselves.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
I don't believe I have an 'all-time favorite' as such. I've taken many photos on ILFORD fil...
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We indulged our nosy side for this week's Friday favourites theme of #frommywindow and asked you to show us the view from your window.
@PlantingCabbag1 Morning visitor outside our window in Kolkata #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #frommywindow Leica M3, Leitz Tele-Elmar 135mm f/4 HP5 Plus in ID-11 I'm @midtonegrey on Instagram ?
@MattAngleyPhoto I like those calm, late nights in summer when the world seems to slow to a crawl. The roads are barren, everything is still, and all you hear are n...
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Finding Your Niche
I never expected to be doing what I do today. For some reason, it never crossed my mind that I could photograph people for a living. I struggled a lot through university. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy my classes, but I truly had the hardest time finding my niche until the last year or two. I knew I loved working with film. Digital was nice, but too sterile for my taste, and I felt that I could never achieve the look I was aiming for. 35mm was a step in the right direction. It provide...
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The Dynamic
There is something distinctly different about photographs of cities versus rural areas. The variations of negative space, the intensity of nature versus people, and the rhythm of light that exists in these places; all contribute to the dynamic of a photograph.
Personal Goal
Last March, I made a trip to Colorado and the Grand Canyon to visit two of my best friends. I went on this trip carrying more black and white film. My favourite ILFORD film is HP5+. It’s my personal goal to photograp...
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I Instantly Fell In Love
My photography journey began while I was studying graphic design. My course tutor handed me a camera & a roll of ILFORD HP5+, and sent me out, with no real brief, to ‘take some pictures’. Armed with a macro lens I roamed around the cities’ botanical gardens and became lost in a close-up world of symmetrical patterns, found in the plant life. When I returned, with my roll of film, to the photography department darkroom, I instantly fell in love with the process and the res...
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There were so many brilliant images shared for today's Friday Favourites that it took longer than usual to choose. You've also given us some great ides for upcoming themes:)
@1brsc1 One of my favourite retired hydro-turbines to photograph. Canon F-1 new, ILFORD HP5plus film. #fridayfavourites #ilfordphoto #hydropower #freetheme #blackandwhite #filmphotography
@MikoPoloczanski The old fishing harbour. Kąty Rybackie. Hasselblad Xpan II +45/4; Ilford sfx; f22/0,5 s. Polska panoramiczna. #ilf...
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From hiking to darkroom printing, discover how Macy Lee created this unique print in our latest 'How I Got This Picture' interview.
IMAGE TITLE
Izzy at the Canyon
TECHNICAL INFO
FILM USED
ILFORD HP5+
FORMAT
120
CAMERA
Hasselblad 500C
LENS
60mm
EXPOSURE TIME
5.6 F stop at 60th of a second
LOCATION
The Grand Canyon, South Kaibab Trail
FIRSTLY, TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THIS IMAGE. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO SHOOT IT?
Izzy is one of my best friends, and this was during a long running trip we ha...
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Wilber (@ccs_wilber) wheelies down a hill in Medellin.
BikeLife
The first time I learned about Bikelife was at Parque Nacional, Bogotá’s most emblematic park. It was a Sunday and there must have been at least a hundred of them. They almost all fit the same profile: very young, baggy clothes, no helmet. A disproportionate number sported ‘El 7’, a kind of neo-mullet that’s popularity in Colombia predates the current mullet resurgence in the rest of the world.
12-o’clock wheelies...
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This week we interviewed Berlin based, portrait photographer Jakob Stolz for our 'In Focus' series.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
To me this is my most personal photograph I've ever taken. It's my grandfather Kurt who passed away last year at the age of 87. All his life he lived in Duisburg, Germany and worked as a carpenter. I started photographing him 7 years ago and continued so to the very end. These photos are very clo...
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The lessons I’ve learnt
I would like to start this blog by stating that I consider myself a relatively inexperienced photographer. I’ve been taking film photos for around eight years and have only ever done so as a hobby. However, something I have spent many of those eight years doing is experimenting with double exposures. In this blog I’d like to share some of the lessons I’ve learnt in that time.
If you have any questions
I could talk about double exposure for hours and go into a huge amount o...
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In this 'Behind The Film' interview, we head back to R&D to speak to Kieran Collings who joined the company in 2023.
WHO ARE YOU? WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE HARMAN TECHNOLOGY AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
Hi my name is Kieran Collings, I am a Scientist II in the Research & Development department. I joined in August 2023 straight from University.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR DAY TO DAY ROLE.
I work in the early development team, specifically on sensitising dyes that are needed for the films to b...
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Dancing in the rhythm of the waves
The dark, silky, smooth waters of the canals are silent now, only a few late boats are disturbing the lights that are dancing in the rhythm of the waves. Where there were armies of city guests, only a few hours ago, clucking happily excited about everything and nothing, now only the locals and the (not so few though) night crawlers of touristic persuasion are to be seen, slowly parading the centuries old worn narrow streets, stairs and bridges. La Serenissima is tired, bu...
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All the way from Los Angeles, our 83rd 'In Focus' interview is with music and surrealism photographer, Laura Moreau.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
This photograph features my friend Samira, taken on ILFORD SFX200 with my Mamiya 645. I was in the ocean, hoping to capture the glimmers, as I have an obsession with them. Suddenly, a massive wave came out of nowhere, and I still can’t believe I managed to jump and take the sho...
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Pushing The Limits
Hello, my name is Jaylon Cooper, but I go by “Quality Lenz”. I am a photographer from St. Simons Island, located off the coast of Georgia, but based in Atlanta, Ga. I moved to Atlanta to attend college at Georgia State University. I started doing photography in 2019, when I was given a camera by a relative. In 2021, my passion began to fade, so I took a step back to study renaissance painters. Those are the ones I call, “The first photographers”. After seeing the way these artist...
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'PRIDE & PREJUDICE' Winner announced
For the 2024/25 ILFORD Photo student photography competition we set the theme of 'Pride & Prejudice'. Borrowing the title from Austen's classic novel, we wanted to see how you interpreted its central themes of Pride and Prejudice and how it is reflected in the today's world. Could be morality, social standing, race, religion, or sexuality that embodied the 'Pride & Prejudice' through your lens.
As always, they rose to the challenge and entries started c...
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This week, for our 84th In Focus interview, we speak with Austrian photographer and writer Birgit Buchart, who made the move to New York City in 2018.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
In my early 20s, I spent a lot of time on the road with musicians, shooting a lot of concerts and festivals. And while they appreciated the documentation of the shows, I never truly loved the photos. To me it was not very interesting to photograp...
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Our next Community Focus interview takes us to Berlin, where we had the opportunity to chat with Queer Analog Darkroom. They've created an inclusive space for individuals who face barriers to accessing knowledge about analog photography due to discrimination and marginalization, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to learn and create.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
LET’S START EASY. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE DARKROOM, WHAT IT’S CALLED AND HOW IT STARTED.
Queer Analog Darkroom (QAD) - is a self-organized, ...
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Next up, for our 85th In Focus interview, we spoke with freelance event and project manager, Ali Monk.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
This has probably been my favourite image I have taken since it was shot back in 2021. I had been spending the day with one of my favourite people in Brighton. Lockdown was over and we could spend time with loved ones again doing all the things we hadn’t been able to do for a while. My frien...
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Film Photographers survey 2024
At the end of 2024 we asked you to complete and share our film photographers survey. We wanted to understand what's important to you, the film community, irrespective of which film brands you shoot. We hoped that the results would provide us with an invaluable insight into the behaviours, expectations, and preferences of film photographers around the world.
The results
Over 14000 of you from more than 110 different countries completed the survey.
We saw film shooters of ...
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This week’s #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites product focus was all about #aprilondp3200. We’ve picked out some of our favourite Delta 3200 captures, take a look!
@simon_diamond. April on Delta 3200 for #fridayfavourites Leica M6 TTL Summicron 35mm F2 V4 ("King of Bokeh") Delta 3200 #believeinfilm #photography #ilfordphoto #aprilondp3200.
@timdobbsphoto "Ollie" .. Nikon EM, 50mm f1.8 on ilford Delta 3200@1600, dev in LC29 for #fridayfavourites #aprilondp3200.
@matt...
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Connected
Shooting film is an act of patience, a commitment to slowing down in a world that moves too fast. With digital photography, you can take hundreds, thousands, of images in a matter of minutes.
There’s no real cost to over-shooting, no pressure to be deliberate. But film demands something different. Each frame is finite, precious. You select before you shoot, considering light, composition, and emotion in a way that feels more meditative, more connected.
The Beauty of Imperfection
There’s an...
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Up next in our Community Focus series: we're in London with Rapid Eye, founded out of love for printing in 1996! Find out more below.
SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND
LET’S START EASY. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE DARKROOM, WHAT IT’S CALLED AND HOW IT STARTED.
Rapid Eye started in 1996 by Lee Williams, born out of a love for printing. I was printing myself with a small team for a few clients but I also loved hosting other printers and photographers. Eventually a small community started to form and we let out som...
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Push it to the limits
A brand new film is a wonderful prospect in the current analogue photography marketplace, and I am always eager to discover what a modern emulsion, concocted in this decade, can bring to my documentary photography workflow. When Kentmere 200 was announced, I knew I had to time my first efforts carefully in order to have something more than street snaps and mundanity to show for it, to really push it to the limits of what I demand from the film stocks I have become used to.
Versatil...
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A Timeless Story
This editorial came from a desire to tell a timeless story. Through mood and atmosphere, using the expressive tools of analog photography, I wanted to create a visual world that felt both intimate and slightly surreal. One where the character and setting merged to suggest a narrative without spelling it out. Working with ILFORD FP4 Plus allowed me to craft this vision with precision and texture, embracing the constraints and beauty of natural light and medium format film.
Each Frame M...
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For the 7th interview in our Community Focus series we're heading to Oslo to chat to Cyan Darkroom.
Let’s start easy. Tell us a little about the darkroom, what it’s called and how it started.
Cyan darkroom is part of Cyan studio that is a co-op community photostudio and workspace. The studio was opened in 1998 and has always had a darkroom attached. In 2020 we got hold of a separate space where we built a much larger darkroom, hoping that the timing was right to attract enough new users. After a...
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Whilst on a road trip from Lake Isabell to San Francisco, Eugene Nikiforov came across this beautiful scene and chose to capture it on ILFORD SFX 200 film. Learn more about his technique in our latest 'How I got this picture post below.
Image Title:
Central Valley, California
Technical info
Film Used : Ilford SFX 200
Format: 6x17
Camera: Linhof Technorama 617s III
Lens : Schneider Apo-Symmar L 180mm f/5.6
Exposure time: 2 seconds
Other equipment : R72 Infrared Filter
Location: W...
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This week, we invited you to share any images captured with our products using #fridayfavourites, or to join in with this week’s #shotinthedark theme, letting you know we'd give a little extra love to the themed entries. The incredible response showed us just how much you’ve missed our themed weeks, so you can expect plenty more coming your way in future!
@kellachrome.bsky.social Cornwall Corner Store, Bellingham, WA ? Crown Graphic ?️ Ilford HP5+ 4x5 Sheet Film #fridayfavourites #shotintheda...
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We're now 10 interviews into this series and its been fantastic to hear about so many community darkrooms and the work that they do. This time we're heading to Turkey to speak to Fotohane Darkroom.
Let’s start easy. Tell us A little about the darkroom, what it’s called and how it started.
The project is called Fotohane Darkroom. It’s a mobile and analog photography workshop based in Mardin, in southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border. We work mainly with Syrian, Iraqi, and Turkish Kurdish child...
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How it all began
“So what’s your next project?”, my friend David asked me over lunch one day in the spring of 2024.
Unprepared for the question, my focus still on my second book, Fragments, which had just been published, my answer was quick and nochalant.
“I think I’m going to dig out my 4x5 and shoot some street portraits of total strangers”.
I surprised even myself with the answer. It was as if I was sitting in his chair and hearing that response for the first time. I can remember the conv...