peterm1
Veteran
Incidentally I would not say very that very many of the photos on this site have a film noir characteristic. The over riding characteristic of film noir is that it must be moody and brooding. This feel is about as important as the visual characteristics (dark, strong contrasts, highly directional lighting etc.)
---f
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The wet look...
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
The whole "The Third man" is an example of the Film Noir look - and also one of the masterpieces of black/white photography. I have it as a DVD and you can just sit and watch it frame by frame. Master of light and composition.
Oh. it was shot mostly on Double X too! A film stock still around too.
skibeerr
Well-known
Have a look at the "Comics 
" (Bande dessinée) of the French author Tardi.
" (Bande dessinée) of the French author Tardi.
raytoei@gmail.com
Veteran
here is a combination.
F1.5 and 1/15 on the Prakitca Mtl5B with Super Takumar.
Plus-x with Ilford PQ Developer + Overdeveloped and then digitally pull back in Photoshop. 7mins at 30C.
here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150230145321451.318751.703791450&l=72cd97a438
F1.5 and 1/15 on the Prakitca Mtl5B with Super Takumar.
Plus-x with Ilford PQ Developer + Overdeveloped and then digitally pull back in Photoshop. 7mins at 30C.
here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150230145321451.318751.703791450&l=72cd97a438
Chris101
summicronia
The picture from that set that looks Noir to me is the one of the plate and utensils shot from directly above. I conclude that the Film Noir effect in that photo is based on the shadow that goes diagonally across the round image.
peterm1
Veteran
Tom you are so right this film is worth watching over and over. Its an absolute classic visually and as a story.
raytoei@gmail.com
Veteran
I love this look.
I used LED light to the face, measured at iso 800, 1/30 and f4.
Did this on the Nikon FM with Nikkor 50/f2.
The lens was too sharp, I had to reverse the negative and scan it (and flip the image).
raytoei
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
gilgsn
Established
Colin Corneau
Colin Corneau
Contrasty, dark, grainy. That spells "pushed film".
That's the technical side of it. The real side to that 'look' is how you shoot and how you use light and shadow.
That's the technical side of it. The real side to that 'look' is how you shoot and how you use light and shadow.
Darthfeeble
But you can call me Steve
Don't forget.....
Don't forget.....
Don't forget the guy in the trench coat and fedora.
Don't forget.....
Don't forget the guy in the trench coat and fedora.
Darthfeeble
But you can call me Steve
This is actually the pixels noir look.
Darthfeeble
But you can call me Steve
or:
znapper
Well-known
Film noir has to do how you light the scene. In my head, that is dramatic angled light, hard light sources, deep shadows, some kind of city environment or indoor dark environment. Mainly rim/accentuating light as main light on any persons, use of silhouettes, stylish women/dangerous women and some kind of six-shooter and also a fedora at one pointl
You need to use hard light-sources and use the shadows
But since you ask about the style and not the media....
IMO it's just as much about shadow that it is about the light parts. Also, in the old days, they used a lot of hard light-sources, which meant harder shadows and more dramatic light.
Most film-noir films in the 40's to the 50's were indeed shot at night, they often used hot-lights and they lit the whole scene they shot.
- In the 60-70's they started using filters to re-create a night setting during the day, which suck donkey tail imo, look at any cheesy cowboy spaghetti thing from the 70's, awful
That's how I interpret the "look" of Film-noir anyway, IMO it has to end up looking "old" (or at least not modern), so use film that has an older look and has less sensitivity to red (like Foma 100).
If I was to shoot such scenes using film, I would use Foma 100 and light the _whole_ scene, it would simply not be possible to do this in the examples below.
These three are my attempts in the past to recreate a film noir look, all are shot at night and all were shot using artificial light-sources along with the street-lights in the area. Since I was one photographer with 2 flashes, I needed to use the existing light in the area.
This meant that I needed to use high-ISO (ISO 1600-3200) to get the natural (artificial) light-sources in the area strong enough, while still being able to shoot a living person. Since I wanted clean shots, it meant that all of these are shot using d*gital. (medium is not important, I just happen to want clean high-iso and dark shadows etc etc, since I don't have a whole staff to light up a neighborhood )
First shot is the latest, personal project, the two latter shots, are student projects shot a few years back, where I initially tried out my own technique, to get a feel for this kind of shooting.
Femme-fatale
There's the femme-fatale -and the guy in the fedora lol
Femme-fatale with gun, off-course
At least that's how I interpreted the subject, mimicking the old style film noir.
You need to use hard light-sources and use the shadows
But since you ask about the style and not the media....
IMO it's just as much about shadow that it is about the light parts. Also, in the old days, they used a lot of hard light-sources, which meant harder shadows and more dramatic light.
Most film-noir films in the 40's to the 50's were indeed shot at night, they often used hot-lights and they lit the whole scene they shot.
- In the 60-70's they started using filters to re-create a night setting during the day, which suck donkey tail imo, look at any cheesy cowboy spaghetti thing from the 70's, awful
That's how I interpret the "look" of Film-noir anyway, IMO it has to end up looking "old" (or at least not modern), so use film that has an older look and has less sensitivity to red (like Foma 100).
If I was to shoot such scenes using film, I would use Foma 100 and light the _whole_ scene, it would simply not be possible to do this in the examples below.
These three are my attempts in the past to recreate a film noir look, all are shot at night and all were shot using artificial light-sources along with the street-lights in the area. Since I was one photographer with 2 flashes, I needed to use the existing light in the area.
This meant that I needed to use high-ISO (ISO 1600-3200) to get the natural (artificial) light-sources in the area strong enough, while still being able to shoot a living person. Since I wanted clean shots, it meant that all of these are shot using d*gital. (medium is not important, I just happen to want clean high-iso and dark shadows etc etc, since I don't have a whole staff to light up a neighborhood
)First shot is the latest, personal project, the two latter shots, are student projects shot a few years back, where I initially tried out my own technique, to get a feel for this kind of shooting.
Femme-fatale
There's the femme-fatale -and the guy in the fedora lol
Femme-fatale with gun, off-course
At least that's how I interpreted the subject, mimicking the old style film noir.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
znapper's got it down!
That's what it's all about, and I like it!
That's what it's all about, and I like it!
grouchos_tash
Well-known
I was wondering if anyone was going to mention this! Apparently Wells had the crew constantly spray the pavements with water to increase the contrast/reflections so the OP may want to consider carrying a watering can
Gary
semrich
Well-known
Noir enough?
kuuan
loves old lenses
not sure if this one counts, but imo it fits in here nevertheless, 'Admiral Kino' in Vienna:
admiral kino hall by Andreas, on Flickr
OP had said not decided if smooth or grainy, concensus seems to be grainy, this one looks smooth but may count:
Untitled by Andreas, on Flickr
admiral kino hall by Andreas, on Flickr
OP had said not decided if smooth or grainy, concensus seems to be grainy, this one looks smooth but may count:
Untitled by Andreas, on Flickr
kbg32
neo-romanticist
"Though film noir is often identified with a visual style, unconventional within a Hollywood context, that emphasizes low-key lighting and unbalanced compositions......"
- Wiki
Some examples in film -
"The Maltese Falcon"
"The Killers"
"The Postman Always Rings Twice"
"Brute Force"
"The Naked City"
"Touch of Evil" (Excellent Orson Welles BTW)
- Wiki
Some examples in film -
"The Maltese Falcon"
"The Killers"
"The Postman Always Rings Twice"
"Brute Force"
"The Naked City"
"Touch of Evil" (Excellent Orson Welles BTW)