How to get grain?

[pau3]

That's what I've been taught. Overexpose and underdevelope to increase grain.
When you overexpose, grain increases. If you underdevelope (and get lower contrast
negatives) you're forced to increase contrast in printing, which also enhances grain.
Pau

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I guess that was my case with D3200, now that I remember well... It is a low contrast film, and I finally had to print it with filter 4 or 4 1/2...

I haven't used that film in 7 years... Maybe a 120 test in Rodinal wouldn't be a bad idea for next month...

Hope if you get nice big grain we can see it here soon!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Al Kaplan]

Message to Kodak: Bring back Royal-X Pan Recording Film! Huge grain in Acufine at 3200. They haven't made that film in over forty years.

 

[Turtle]

That's what I've been taught. Overexpose and underdevelope to increase grain.
When you overexpose, grain increases. If you underdevelope (and get lower contrast
negatives) you're forced to increase contrast in printing, which also enhances grain.
Pau

Overexposure and underdevelopment actually reduces grain; however, if you are forced to print at very high contrast to get the range you need in the print it makes the existing grain much more visible. Grain is largely a function of development rather than exposure.

Try it in the darkroom - take a neg that is flat in contrast and hike to max contrast and the take a contrasty dense neg and print with soft filters. Bet you find the flat neg with high contrast filters seems to show more grain!

If you want giant grain, try experimenting with print developers for film. I hear Dektol produces golf ball grain.

 

[Trius]

If you want grain, find some old Kodak Recording Film. 😀

 

[zdav]

Thanks for your replies.

I understand you usually want to reduce grain as much as possible to get sharper images, it's not my intention to get super-grainy images all the time, but I try to understand how you to get a certain look / atmosphere in your pictures.

I learned a lot from this. I'll do some experiments with different film, overexposure/underdevelopement.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Thanks for your replies.

I understand you usually want to reduce grain as much as possible to get sharper images, it's not my intention to get super-grainy images all the time, but I try to understand how you to get a certain look / atmosphere in your pictures.

I learned a lot from this. I'll do some experiments with different film, overexposure/underdevelopement.

No - overdevelopment!

Cheers,

R.

 

[Jaans]

From my experience, the biggest/most attractive grain that I achieved was with:

A) Kodak TMZ 3200 developed in Rodinal at 1:50 and exposed at 650. I agitated once a minute for 5 seconds for a total time of 12 minutes. The look was exactly like salt and pepper - not everyones cup of tea, but some may find it desirable. Oddly enough the highlights remained in check, perhaps because I reduced agitation to once a minute.

Best,
Jaans

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

How to get grain? Put the film in the freezer for a few days. Take it out, and leave it out for a few days. Put it back in the freezer. ... rinse and repeat until you think you've crossed the OCD line.

Now you have lots of grain. Accentuated by developing in Rodinal, 1+1. Even more if you use hot developing chemicals and do a wash in cold water.

I'm not kidding.

 

[degruyl]

How to get grain? Put the film in the freezer for a few days. Take it out, and leave it out for a few days. Put it back in the freezer. ... rinse and repeat until you think you've crossed the OCD line.

Now you have lots of grain. Accentuated by developing in Rodinal, 1+1. Even more if you use hot developing chemicals and do a wash in cold water.

I'm not kidding.

Not even about the 1+1? I can't imagine using anywhere near that amount of Rodinal in one place.

 

[edodo]

Old receipe developer like Rodinal gives nice big grain if you like it. I do. Old film like Tri X contributes to that. I doubt the modern 400cn you are using will give you the old school look.