I'm looking for that high contrast, grainy look from 35mm street photography. I don't print my own stuff, yet. Any recommended films and techniques? I tend to underexpose and tell the shop to overdevelop (is this "push"?) but get varied results. Thanks Examples of my work at http://www.tidalwave.net/~crag/

-- crag (crag@tidalwave.net), January 14, 1998

Answers

HP5+ or Tri-X, pushed two or three stops, will be about as grainy as you get with D&P shops.

For consistency, find a lab you like and stick with it.

Developing your own B&W films is really cheap and simple, and you get all the consistency you need. And you can experiment, with techniques like reticulation. After developing the film, you can still take it to a shop to get it printed.

PS. I love the guy on/off the bike, and the chap in the background, totally unconcerned.

-- Alan Gibson (gibson.al@mail.dec.com), January 15, 1998.