From the Arch Club Journal

Underrated film for the studio, and the case for very slow black and white

Most photographers reach for a 400 speed film. Under studio lights, that habit leaves some of the most beautiful stocks on the shelf.

Written by Arch Club, which shoots only on film. Sources are listed at the end.

Underrated stocks for the studio

I
Kodak Portra 160.Portra 400 gets the attention. Portra 160 has the finest grain of the common colour portrait films and the same gentle skin tones. With studio light, you never miss the extra speed.
II
Fujifilm Acros II.Smooth, quiet tonality that photographers single out for portraits. Skin reads as soft gradation, not texture.
III
Ilford Delta 100 and Kodak T-Max 100.Modern fine grain black and white films with excellent sharpness. Reliable, and favourites for medium format portraits.
IV
Kentmere Pan 100.Inexpensive, versatile and better looking than its price suggests. A good stock for practice and tests.
V
Fomapan 100.Very fine grain with pleasing contrast, especially in Rodinal. Cheap enough to shoot freely.

Why very slow black and white is underused

Films rated at ISO 50 and below, like Ilford Pan F Plus 50, Rollei RPX 25 and Adox CMS 20 II, can produce negatives with almost no visible grain and detail that rewards huge enlargements. So why do so few people shoot them?

I
They need a lot of light.Outdoors, that means slow shutter speeds, wide apertures or a tripod.
II
Cameras get in the way.Many bodies can't set an ISO below 25, and cameras that read the film can's code may set the wrong speed. A handheld meter fixes this.
III
They are less forgiving.Contrast can run high, and the slowest films want specific developers. Adox publishes detailed instructions for CMS 20 II, and they're worth following.
IV
Habit.A 400 speed film handles almost anything, so most people never try anything slower.
In the studio, the light is yours to make. Slow film's one weakness disappears.

Strobes deliver more than enough light for ISO 25 or 50 at the apertures we use, and the flash freezes motion regardless of shutter speed. What remains is everything slow film does well: dense, fine negatives that hold the curve of an arch and the texture of skin without a trace of grain.

White marble stilettos with red marble straps on a black marble plinth
Shot on film at Arch Club

ARCH CLUB

A members' club for foot photography, shot only on film.

Every Arch Club photograph is made on a Canon EOS-1V, a Mamiya 7 or a Fuji GW690II, with real models in New York and never AI. Members receive new film photographs every month, and collectors can own the original negative, sealed in display resin with a print of their choice.

Membership$49.99/mo
Polaroid$111
4×6 print$200
Negatives$1,100 to $2,000
Cameras35mm, 6×7, 6×9
Become a MemberBecome a Model

Anyone can find a picture. Few will ever hold a photograph.

Visit Arch Club

Sources we read

Published by Arch Club, Brooklyn, New York.