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HARMAN technology Limited, trading as ILFORD PHOTO, is a global market leader and the only manufacturer in the world to provide a full range of black & white film, darkroom paper, photochemistry and ancillary products. For over 137 years, generations of customers have demanded the very best. And this is why they continue to choose ILFORD. Operating from our manufacturing headquarters in Cheshire, UK. Our products are shipped around the globe and into the discerning hands of beginners, enthusiasts, stud...

The 1800's Alfred Harman 1879 founded by Alfred Harman making Dry Plates 1891 became the Britannia Works Company making 4 kinds of plates and 6 kinds of paper 1897 record profits 1897 sold by Alfred Harman who retired due to ill health 1898 became known as The Britannia Works (1898) Limited 1899 first Ilford Manual of Photography 1900 to 1940 1902 changed name to Ilford Limited 1912 Ilford started to produce roll films 1920 Selo Limited formed incorporating Ilford, Imperial, Gem and Amalgam...

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...

You have loaded film into your camera, composed your image and pressed the shutter. You have now captured an image on your film. When that film is processed, it reverses the tones of the subject. In simple terms, the image is dark where the subject was light, and light where the subject was dark. That resulting image is known as a negative. What do I do with them? Negatives are normally then used to make prints by reversing the image a second time to restore the light and dark areas to their original tone...

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...

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...

29th March 2016 Buoyed by the fantastic response from the film photography community around the world, HARMAN technology Limited are delighted to be offering film photographers the opportunity to place orders for a range of specialist film products for the 11th consecutive year. With the continued revival in film photography, it is vital to have film available for photographers using ultra large format alongside previously popular film formats for antique and collectable cameras. By consolidating order...

26th July 2016 ILFORD Photo (HARMAN technology Ltd) are delighted to introduce 'ILFORD inspires’, a series of events aimed at broadening the appeal of black and white film photography to a wider audience. The first of these events takes place on August 4th in Philadelphia, PA and features an insight into and showcase of the incredible work of artist, educator and master printer Chuck Kelton. Chuck’s feature talk will describe his experiences working with some of the most iconic photographers of...

30th January 2015 The results are in from the ILFORD PHOTO film survey and they are positive. At the end of 2014 we conducted a comprehensive international survey to help us better understand film users. Thousands of users from over 70 countries completed the survey for us and the results were inspiring. Our belief that support for traditional film is growing was confirmed by the 30% of respondents who were aged under 35, with 60% of them using film for less than 5 years. For many of those the...

8th April 2015 HARMAN technology Limited for the 10th year in succession is making available to end users around the world a range of specialist film products. By consolidating orders HARMAN technology can supply products that would not normally be viable to manufacture. With analogue photography enjoying a revival it is vital to have film available for photographers using ultra wide format film for field cameras and other applications such as the base for specialist alternative photographic processes. Ad...

5th April 2017 Buoyed by ongoing global resurgence in photographic film use, HARMAN technology Limited is delighted to be offering film photographers the opportunity to place orders for a range of specialist film products and formats for the 12th consecutive year. To enable this film photography revival, it is vital that a wide range of film formats are available including film for ultra large format and collectable cameras. By consolidating orders HARMAN technology can supply products that would not n...

20th August 2014 ILFORD PHOTO confirm no plans to discontinue XP2 SUPER Film following the recent announcement that Kodak Alaris is discontinuing KODAK PROFESSIONAL BW400CN Film.   ILFORD PHOTO can confirm that there are no plans to discontinue ILFORD XP2 SUPER. This product continues to be in free supply throughout the world from ILFORD PHOTO Distributors and Photographic Retailers, and is available in 35mm and 120 formats as well as a 35mm Single Use Camera. ILFORD XP2 SUPER is an ISO 400/27�...

Film and single use cameras How long after exposing can I leave my film before processing? For best results, we always advise processing soon after exposure although in practice most films can be left for several months. One exception is ILFORD PANF Plus, we would always advise processing this film as soon as possible and certainly within 3 months of the film being exposed. How do I account for film reciprocity during long exposures? This information can be found in the Film Reciprocity Failure Compensa...

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...

Advice for vegans  Do your ILFORD Chemicals contain Animal products? No. Do your film or paper products contain animal products? We use animal gelatine in all our film and paper products. The gelatine we use is a by-product of the farming industry and no extra animals are used to make it. Why can’t Gelatine be substituted for something else? Gelatine has unique characteristics which act as a membrane matrix for the silver crystals but also interacts with the crystals as they are formed. Substitu...

This guide focuses on the photo chemicals you can use for processing film. We also have a guide to processing film as well as some handy tips on loading a developing spiral. Choosing photo chemicals We have a range of photo chemicals designed to give different results with our films and papers. The choice of stop bath and fixer is limited but we have several film developers you can use. Film developers come in either liquid and powder concentrate form and have a range of attributes. Some developers giv...

ILFORD PHOTO offer the biggest range of black & white films on the market today. While this is perfect for experienced film photographers who love having a choice, we appreciate that it can be a bit confusing for people new to film photography. If you are looking to try film photography for the first time and are wondering where to start, then you have come to the right place. We should start by pointing out that there is no ‘wrong’ choice when it comes to ILFORD films. They are all fantastic,...

Processing your own film can speed up your workflow and give you quicker access to your negatives. It is also typically more cost effective and best of all there is nothing like the sense of satisfaction you will gain by taking control over the full end-to-end process of your photography. While trying it for the first time might be a daunting prospect, fear not. Below is our guide on what equipment, chemistry and method would be suitable for anyone new to processing films. For more detail, you can downlo...

Why print? When you can get excellent prints from your black & white negatives by sending them off to commercial processing laboratories, why make your own? For many photographers, making a photographic print is as much a part of the process as shooting the image itself. For a start, it is a creative process that is both enjoyable and fulfilling and, much like the role of a post processing tools such as Photoshop or Lightroom in any digital workflow, (although much more fun) a darkroom provides film...

The first stage of making a darkroom print is to determine the exposure time. If you have already created a contact sheet of your negatives, and they appear correctly exposed, then you should have a rough idea of the necessary exposure (provided you haven’t moved the enlarger head or aperture setting after exposing the contact sheet). Note: If you change the degree of enlargement you will also need to adjust the exposure. Some enlargers have scales printed on their columns to make this easier. Another...

Having shot a roll of black and white film it now needs to be processed to create the negatives. At this point your film is still light sensitive so should not be exposed to light. Processing your own film can be highly satisfying and cost effective. It is also easy to learn. The most common method for hand processing film is undertaken by using a Daylight Processing Tank. This piece of kit needs the film to be loaded on to a ‘spiral’ or ‘reel’, in the dark, and then enclosed in a light tight co...

Contact sheets are a great way to review and record your images. They allow you to view all the negatives on a roll of film before deciding which ones you want to print and how you may want to crop them. They also provide a permanent record of those negatives for filing purposes. How to make a contact sheet To make a contact sheet we recommend using ILFORD MULTIGRADE RC DELUXE Set the enlarger head to a height that gives a 40cm (16in) wide rectangle of light on the baseboard Put a MULTIGRADE fil...

When photographic material is exposed to light it begins to darken. The more light the material receives, the darker it becomes. This opens up a range of possibilities for making fun, creative and artistic images without a camera. Making a picture without a camera couldn’t be easier and is a fun activity to try with children. However, for many, exploring and experimenting with different effects of light on photographic /blog/the-luminogram-process/materials can become an art form by itself. Where to sta...

Silver halide has been used in photographic film and paper for over 150 years and remains a vital ingredient found in all high-quality products. Silver halide crystals in gelatin form part of an emulsion which is used to coat the paper or film. On exposure to light (i.e. in a camera or darkroom), the crystals react turning into silver and forming the image. Silver halide prints There are many ways to produce black & white prints with options varying in quality. Traditional black & white silver ha...

Filters have long been a popular accessory for photographers and offer a number of different functions or effects. In both analogue and digital photography it is possible to recreate some of these in the darkroom or digital darkroom. However there has always been a benefit to getting it right in camera. In black & white photography, colour filters in particular are useful as they can control how the colours in a scene are reproduced as greys. Normal black & white films are sensitive to all wavele...

General health and safety advice This section provides advice to our customers on the safe handling, use and storage of our photochemical solutions, best practice for waste disposal and specific advice to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding a child. If you are looking for information on the chemical safety of HARMAN photochemistry solutions, please refer to the Safety Data Sheets (known as SDS or MSDS) 24 HOUR OHES emergency line for advice on chemical incidents Safe working practices It is essen...

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...

A black border often enhances a print and does not involve any sort of mounting or overlay. Ink or tape borders The easiest way to produce narrow black borders is to rule them with a pen directly onto your finished print: an India-ink pen gives the most solid line, but most permanent (all surface) spirit based markers are much less expensive and will do the job. For slightly wider black borders, narrow, self-adhesive strips are available from graphic arts suppliers. Supplied in dispensers, of various w...

Mounting your Prints Even the most stunning print can look better when it has been properly mounted. Mounted prints are also better protected as they are kept flat with the image separated from the immediate surroundings by unobtrusive margins. There are no hard and fast rules about mounting prints; the most suitable results will depend on individual preference, the nature of the image, the intended use and other circumstances. It is recommended that only boards and other materials intended for the p...

Testing your Safelights Safelights are an essential component in any darkroom set up. We recommend testing them annually, as ageing can change the transmission characteristics of the filters. This can cause visible fogging of the print or, more likely, a subtle but noticeable drop in contrast. When setting up your safelights always read the instructions and don't exceed the recommended bulb wattage. Fitting a brighter bulb or mounting your safelight too close to your developing dishes,  may cause degra...

Split grade printing The version of split grade printing described here is that taught to me by the ILFORD head printers, Mike Walden and Terry Offord, and is the simplest, fastest way to make good darkroom prints from pretty much any negative. (The exception is really underexposed negatives to print these you usually only need high contrast). This is a very powerful technique that can be used routinely with variable contrast (VC) papers, such as ILFORD MULTIGRADE. It makes use of the differing performa...

What is the luminogram process? The Luminogram process is light, directed onto photo paper in the darkroom. About as basic as ‘photography’ can get. It has been with us for a long while. László Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) started using it in 1922, while Gottfried Jäger described it as "the result of pure light design; the rudimentary expression of an interaction of light and photosensitive material… a kind of self-representation of light." And yet it has always seemed to sit on the sideline...

1992 - How I met Masterji Soon after leaving my staff photographer’s position on the local newspaper where I’d been employed for the previous 5 years and with the luxury of in-house film processing no longer a convenient option I began using my local city centre professional colour lab, in Coventry. During the accumulating hours I spent in that lab waiting for my 35mm films to process, watching small colour prints dropping from the conveyor belt from the end of the machine, I very watched a short In...

I always loved celluloid pictures. Maybe I was drawn in as a baby, while the 8mm camera whirred (and the handheld light blinded). Maybe it was being so thankful to my big brother for lending me a 35mm rangefinder and showing me how to use it at age 10. Might have been the Minolta-16 he gave me (as a graduation present?). What a sweet little 16 that is, and I’ve still got it. Can you get those cartridges now? I envied his Pentax Spotmatic as I shot 8mm motion pictures on the point and shoot family camera,...

I’m a passionate film photographer. There are plenty of us about and indeed plenty of reasons for choosing film as a medium. Many of these reasons are quoted ad nauseam by any and every film photographer. One of the biggest problems I have with digital photography is that it's given film photographers a soap box to waffle on about how much better film is… Yawn… I’m going to make some assumptions about the audience of this blog, and as such I’m not going to repeat all of the justifications usually ...

My name is Charles, I do film concert photography since September 2014. I chose analog over digital because I like to do things with my hands instead of using a computer. I mostly use HP5+ film (pushed to 1600 ISO) which I find very powerful in difficult light conditions, it’s a good compromise between precision, grain, and dynamic range. Concert photography is easy and difficult at the same time. It’s easy to take a picture of a charismatic singer on stage, but is this enough to have a great photo...

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...

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...

Choosing Photo Chemicals We have a range of photo chemicals for printing/processing all of our resin coated and fibre base papers in trays/dishes as well as in processing machines. If you are new to printing the choice could appear excessive yet each liquid or powder paper developer has its purpose or strengths. For an overview of the whole range and what they do we have pulled together an introductory overview. If you are a beginner* and wondering where to get started then read on. *While thi...

One of the best things about film photography is that the creative process doesn't end in the camera. Processing your images in a darkroom is not only great fun, but it also allows you to exercise complete creative control over the final look of your image. We cover some of the essentials needed to set up a darkroom in our beginner's guide and have also developed a series of short animations which cover essential darkroom equipment, darkroom safety tips as well as how an enlarger works. Below, we cov...

All ILFORD Inspires content has a common goal: To inspire people to try traditional analogue black and white photography by showcasing the power and potential of this highly creative medium. New York Silver Stories Working with the talented team at Exploredinary, this series features four short documentaries telling the stories of silver gelatin darkroom printers in New York City. The Bronx Documentary Center - Turning Negatives into Positives Founded by Michael Kamber, the BDC is a non-profit aimed at ...

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...

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 ...

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...

Lifelong love of black and white Growing up in the late fifties and sixties, one of my favourite movies was The Day the Earth Stood Still, a lot of which was shot at night in black and white. That early exposure to film noir inspired a lifelong love of black and white photography, especially at night. When I first started shooting pictures in 1967, though, the only option for night photography without a tripod was “pushing” 400 ASA film and using specialized developers. While what was essentially un...

Starting Out As a relative newbie there is a lot I still don’t know or understand the history of photographic film types and the various process do’s & don’ts.  I’m OK with this and let me tell you why. There are countless books, articles and resources to help me learn as well as a very supportive film community.  It is important that I do my homework but it is also important I don’t let all this information overwhelm me. Learning For me the main and only way to learn is time behind t...

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...

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....

#JustAddJoy must have been a tougher theme than we'd imagined as there weren't as many #ilfordfridayfavourites as we usually see this week. Thanks to all of those who got involved, these are our top picks. ©adiw1202 The Bean! #JustAddJoy #ilfordfridayfavourites #Ilford XP2 Super #Chicago #Joy ©pjdejesus Music makes me joyous ^-^ RB67, Sekor 90mm F/3.8, Delta 400 ©Thomas Eisl  -The mask was found in the vicinity of the Trabrennbahn Krieau and the photograph is part of a reportage on the fa...

Man of science I love alternative photographic techniques like dry plates and brushed on emulsions. I am a darkroom fanatic – always exploring new ways to mash up digital with traditional analog techniques. I love all kinds of print processes – cyanotypes, salts, van dykes to name a few. I shoot all formats right from 35mm half frames up to 8×10 large format. I am also an avid camera collector but prefer to be a user rather than an admirer of my cameras. I currently use a Nikon F3, Leica M-A, Hasse...

Chatyn-Tau, Caucasus Peter Schön has shot many beautiful ski, snow and mountain images (among others) on black and white film. Here he shares his story behind 'Chatyn-Tau, Caucasus' in the second post in our 'How I got this picture' series. Chatyn-Tau, Caucasus © Peter Schon   Film Used – ILFORD DELTA 100 Format - 135 35mm Camera - Contax T3 Lens – Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm F2.8 Other equipment –Heliopan yellow filter (2x) Location - SE couloir (55-60°, 1900m) ...

A family of photographers It’s difficult for me to imagine my family members without their cameras. I grew up in a family of photographers. This seemed so natural to me, that, as a child, I thought all my friends at school had photo labs at their grandparents’ house. For years, underneath my bed, sat my great grandfather’s wooden photographic chamber, along with its imposing tripod. Ilford FP4 Plus / Hasselblad 500CM / Sonnar 150mm Fujifilm Acros 100 / Hasselblad 500CM / Distagon 50mm &nbs...

Where the Hasselblad love started long, long time ago, I can still remember how— Hang on, let me start again… When I were a lad, mankind did something utterly astonishing: men walked on the moon. For a 13-year-old science geek, staying up till <mumble> o’clock in the morning to watch this historic event was possibly the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me. For a 13-year-old budding photographer, the cameras that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were wielding held a strong...

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...

A little background I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela.  My chosen field of study was production engineering, but was I taking photography classes in the evenings and began working for a super cool magazine called Urbe, which is a bit like what Vice is in the UK now. I quickly became the chief photographer shooting all kinds of amazing and interesting people, and it was then that I knew that this is what I wanted to do with my life. Looking back it was quite an interesting time - I’d be learnin...

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...

I’m Anil Mistry and I’m a photographer. I shoot a whole variety of work,  including headshots, documentary, portraits and personally initiated projects. Whatever interests me and helps me to improve my body of work. I’ve been asked to talk about an area of my photographic work that I have a real passion for. In my case, that's the capturing of street portraits. Why do I take street portraits? There’s two main reasons I do it, and I’ll try to go through them succinctly: It’s not easy ...

Sharing my skills I’ve recently started working as a lecturer on BTEC and HND photography courses at Swindon College. A job which I’m enjoying immensely.  Teaching was something I’d never considered before, until I started helping friends who were studying on the same BA Photography course as me.  I enjoyed helping them but most of all I enjoyed seeing them understand and use the skills that I’d shown them. I now teach mainly 16 – 20-year-olds, which is enormously satisfying. Watching thei...

An appreciation of Ilford FP4 The greatest pleasures can be taken from the simplest of things. An appreciation of something old that gets passed by while everyone tries to keep up with the crowd or the relentless progression of technology.  For me Ilford’s FP4 is one of those little pleasures. The RAF I was a photographer in the Royal Air Force from 1986 -1995.  At my RAF unit we had little choice of film stock.  It was FP4 and HP5 for black and white. Being stationed at a headquarters unit mean...

Taking the plunge I'd had this roll of Ilford HP4 for a good few months and was hesitant to put it through a camera. The fact that it was so pristine in it's condition made me feel that whatever I used it for had to be significant. I had to wait for the right opportunity. As the weeks passed,  I began putting unnecessary pressure on myself to plan a shoot around this one film. It was sitting on a shelf, judging me. At this point I decided to stop procrastinating and just shoot the roll, regardless of w...

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...

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...

Mobberley, UK: 29th November 2017 HARMAN TECHNOLOGY APPOINTS NEW USA DISTRIBUTOR FOR ILFORD & KENTMERE RANGES HARMAN technology Ltd, the manufacturer of ILFORD photographic film, darkroom paper and chemicals, is delighted to announce the appointment of Roberts Distributors, LP as the new distributor of its products for the United States of America. The appointment marks the expansion of Roberts, a leading photographic retail and e-commerce company based in Indianapolis, into the photo distribut...

#Cold This was definitely one of the most popular #ilfordfridayfavourites that we've run, making our job of choosing just a few of the images really tough. - We couldn't all agree on five so there's a couple more than usual!   @DrMarsRover The forest @ILFORDPhoto HP5+ | Bronica SQ-A#cold #ilfordfridayfavourites   @WellerMonica Cold day at Denbies vineyard, Dorking, Surrey #cold #ilfordfilm #ilfordfridayfavourites @alberttim2   @craig58 #ilfordfridayfavourites This is som...

#architecture What a wonderful mix of shots you shared with us for this week's #ilfordfridayfavourites.  As usual a big thank you to everybody that shared. We really do enjoy seeing what images you are making using our films. Our favourites for this week are below. @Shooting_Grain #ilfordfridayfavourites #architecture 'Tower of Tin', Newcastle on HP5+ in an Olympus 35RC @Hier_komt_Alex Concrete Curves #ilfordfridayfavourites #architecture Underground carpark, Harderwijk, the Netherlands, june 2017...

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...

Going digital If we go back to 2002 a close photographic friend convinced me (against my better judgement) that film was a thing of the past, and that to hold my own in the professional photographic world I had to go digital. Eventually I succumbed to his argument and traded in my Leica film cameras (I had 4) and started on the dizzy road to digital photography. In those days some fifteen years ago I thought it would be just like changing film brands: OK it may take a bit of getting used to a different ...

It is my opinion that some photographers mistakenly regard ILFORD HP5 PLUS and its predecessors to be a somewhat cheaper, lower quality response to Kodak’s Tri-X. I hope to demonstrate in this review that this assumption simply isn’t the case. There’s much more to HP5 PLUS than meets the eye – something that regular shooters of this film will be more than aware of (you folks can leave now, nothing new here). For those of you who haven’t shot this film before, this review will give you my tak...

Thank you What a fantastic year! We've seen film usage increase again, with more people than ever either picking up a film camera for the first time, or re-discovering their love for shooting film. We're really excited to see what next year brings. A huge thank you to everyone who shares #ilfordfilm images with us on our social media streams. We love seeing what you are shooting with our films and chatting to you on Twitter / Facebook and Instagram. We have lots of exciting plans for 2018, including ...

A medium for the moment  I always travel with my 35mm SLR and a stack of Ilford HP5 and Ilford FP4 film. I definitely prefer the look and process of shooting film when traveling and photographing on the street and I find my small SLR with it’s 50mm lens is small and inconspicuous enough to capture intimate street portraits. Shooting everything on the same 50mm lens and film medium gives my work a consistent look and feel. I have always found shooting film slows down my process, it forces me to think mor...

Project Statement Since the 1950s, over half of traditional orchards in England have disappeared. This is due to development, conversion of land to other uses, and intensive farming. The Orchard Project is dedicated solely to the creation, restoration and celebration of community orchards. Working in collaboration with the national charity, I visited sites under restoration. I created pinhole cameras out of apples at each location. Utilising these site-specific cameras, the work captures team members, v...

The Grand Canyon at Plateau Point Technical info   Film Used:  ILFORD FP4+ Format: 4x5 Camera: Wista 45DX Lens: Rodenstock: 90mm f/4.5 Exposure time: 1/60th Other equipment: Red filter Location: Plateau Point, Grand Canyon National Park     Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it? One weekend at the last minute I decided to do a full moon hike to Plateau Point in the Grand Canyon. My plan was to hike down around ...

Window Cleaners shot on ILFORD XP2S An unknown language When I started in photography I was always put off from film, by the balance (in my mind anyway), between the effort and time taken out of my workflow in developing, and the rolling cost. As well as my dependence and already intimate comprehension of digital systems. Film was an unknown language, and not one I was prepared to learn at the time. Expanding my understanding Recently however I have been looking for different ways to expand my und...

#calm We've had a lovely relaxing morning looking at your #ilfordphoto #calm images.  We believe that black & white film helps to enhance the sense of tranquility on an already serene shot. These are our favourites this week. @gatogatogato Taken with a Zenza Bronica. The slow and peaceful process of taking a photo all manually in a calm forest, then going home and developing the film is my perfect „calm experience“. #ilforddelta3200   @rohnerraphi #fridayfavourites what makes me ca...

Images with feeling The most attractive element of analogue is its delicacy. The analogue process has remained so ingrained into my practice, I can't imagine working in any other way. Seeking images which stir a feeling within and seeing that image through each stage of the process to finally create a hand-made darkroom print. The print may not be perfect, I do not tirelessly work on test strips creating a technically perfect image, I never leave the confines of the darkroom to inspect the print once it...

Double exposures can be really tricky to get right. Lucy Ridges shares the secrets behind her ship / nude image below. Ship Technical information Shot on: FP4 plus medium format film Camera Mamiya RB 67 Exposure time Double exposure, each exposure 1/60 F5.6 Other equipment With bowens studio flash (1 x large soft box) I shot this image at my photographic studio in Manchester, located within Rogue Artist Studios The story behind the image My work for many years has encompassed a love for mul...

An experiment in chemical possibilities When I took up a camera after a few years’ hiatus in 1990, I was surprised to discover that I could no longer get a black & white film developed through the nearest camera shop, never mind through the local pharmacy.  If memory serves, I was told it would cost $40 for a single film. Naturally, I returned to processing my own film just I had done when I first took up a camera in the early 1970s. The world had moved on, and colour film was the default medium f...

We thought we knew what images we'd get this week with our theme of #stilllife. We should know better by now! You always manage to surpass our expectations. Thank you to everybody that shared with us on Twitter and Instagram @ShootingGrain Pineapple: Mamiya C330s, 80mm on Ilford FP4 #fridayfavourites  #stilllife   @JasjitCo Pyramid Canon AE-1 w/50mm 1.8 - Ilford Panf+ #fridayfavourites #ilfordphoto #stilllife   @petrgo #BW #analog #blackandwhite #hasselblad #istillshotfilm #p...

Tree #8 Technical info: Film Used: Ilford FP4 Format: 6x7 Camera: Mamiya 7ii Lens: 43mm Exposure time: 3 min Other equipment: Lee Filter holder, Lee 4 stop nd, Lee Red #25 filter, B&W 105mm Polarizer, Gitzo Tiopod, Acratech Ballhead. Location: Zion National Park Tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it? A couple good friends of mine who know Zion quite well introduced me to this fantastic little tree last Fall. The tree is about 9 feet tall and high up on a ridge ...

We're often asked what the differences are between our PLUS films and our DELTA Professional range and have given a brief reply in our post about Choosing your first ILFORD film. If you're interested in a more detailed explanation, the read on... HP5 PLUS    Uses our more traditional emulsion making methods. HP5+ has evolved over many years to become an extremely flexible and robust film. Has extremely good exposure latitude and is very tolerant of under/over exposure. ...

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...

Underbank Old Road   Technical info   Film Used  Ilford HP5 Format  35mm Camera Rollei B35 Lens  40mm Triotar Exposure time   1 minute 30 sec at f11 Other equipment Manfrotto Art 055 tripod, Gossan Lunasix F light meter. Location. Underbank Old Road, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire.     Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it? I used to shoot a lot of Night photographs, in fact I wrote a book about it in 2001 (Nigh...

Every now and then it's nice to freshen things up a bit. The eagle-eyed amongst you may soon notice that our 135 and 120 ILFORD film cartons have been updated. The changes are relatively subtle ILFORD branded films are still in white boxes with the product logo.  And don't worry, the films themselves are not changing. So, what has changed? We have added an information panel on the side of the box, showing the ISO and exposures for easy reference. We've also moved the HARMAN technology name...

For the love of it all I’ve always had a love affair with black and white photography. I don’t know if it stems from the excitement of watching my first print emerge under the glow of a safelight, or that using texture and shape can make a barren scene look beautiful. Maybe it’s both. They say love makes you a better person. I think the same goes for the relationship between film and photographers. Trust & Understanding There’s a certain level of trust and understanding that goes on betwee...

Our XP2 SUPER film is fantastic for scanning as it works with Digital Ice so we had high hopes for this weeks #ilfordxp2 #fridayfavourites. Did you know you can shoot XP2 SUPER at different speeds from 50 - 800 asa on the same roll and process as standard C41? moodymcmoodersn Inside the Octagon Tower of Ely Cathedral Canon AE1 Canon FD 50mm Prime Lens #Ely #catherdral #cambridgeshire #shadows #light #contrast #CanonAE1 #ilfordxp2 #35mmfilm #filmsnotdead #abstract #blackandwhitephotography #bnw #black...

I am a wedding and portrait photographer. The following portrait is of Roshni, a jewelry designer. Her designs are handcrafted and have a vintage feel to them. So, when the opportunity came to shoot her I wanted to create something classic and real. One look at her and I was convinced about black and white being the choice of film. Film used:      HP5 PLUS Format :          4X5 sheet film Camera:          Wista Field 4X5 Large Format Lens:                Schneider S...

A recent development Photography on film is a recent development in my workflow , (My black & white solution), and I have been making an effort to shoot film alongside digital on all of my major assignments, as well as for my personal work. It only took one assignment for me to realize that although the use of film was novel it wasn’t offering anything different to my ability to tell a story within a 35mm frame. There are so many ways to achieve a different “look” to your images, usu...

The sun is shining and they days are getting longer which means better light and more time to shoot film. What better reason could we have for feeling #happy These are our favourites from the shots that you shared with us this week. @AlfathMSanjani Seeing the results of this shot make me #happy Nikon F3 - Ilford Delta 400 rated 1600 - Developed by myself #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites   @adiw1202‏ This seemingly innocent goat makes me #happy. Ilford Delta 400. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavour...

Heading West Last September my family and I headed west. It had been a few years since we’d visited the West Country, we had come to love it when our family was young, and now that they were grown we decided to return to see if it still has a special place in our hearts. While my teenagers packed their essentials - clothes and iPhones, and my other half packed enough books to keep a large reading group going, I set about doing the important task of packing my camera equipment. My focus was on which...

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 ...

This week's #fridayfavourites theme of #bythesea had got us all in the mood for holidays. We'll make sure we have our cameras loaded with plenty of black & white film to record our memories. Thank you for sharing your shots with us, this week. These are our favouritess. @junctionrails Ocean's Fury, Oak Island, NC 2017  #Delta100 #fridayfavourites #bythesea #believeinfilm #shootfilmbenice   @DavyBlaker My entries for #bythesea for #fridayfavourites - taken on XP2 Super an SFX200 r...

The Outlaw Project shooting portraits with a large format camera The Outlaw Project, was inspired by Edward Sheriff Curtis, the 19th Century photographer, known for his portraits of native Americans, shot with a large format camera. In 2011, Peter acquired a giant copy camera, made by Sidney R. Littlejohn Co., in the East end of London circa 1926. The camera, though having been used heavily in the newspaper industry for copying documents, was generally in working condition. With its inner mechanical str...

It looks like there are a lot of you who are proud to be films photographers and rightfully so! These are our favourite shots from the ones that you shared with us for this week's #fridayfavourites #pride theme. @hejrevell Two Pub workers taking a break in Kotor, Montenegro. ? ILFORD HP5 Plus Film ? Leica M7 | 50mm Summicron lens. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #pride #35mm #leica #AnalogPhotography   @keithdmercer #HP5Plus - ideal for the conditions! #fridayfavourites #pride #CoxwellBarn #...

This week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites put our #kentmerefilm in the spotlight.  After seeing some of the great images that you shared with us, we wonder why we haven't done this before. Manufactured here in Mobberley, our Kentmere films undergo the same high quality processes used to make our ILFORD Photo range. @Trend2signif Shot on Kentmere400 for @ILFORDPhoto #fridayfavourites. Taken in the grounds of Trinity college, Cambridge.   Adi W Reposting for #ilfordfridayfavourites . Shot...

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...

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...

Chemigram workshop On a very hot, sunny Saturday six students from The Mill Arts Centre Trust in Banbury took part in a Chemigram workshop. Chemigrams were established in the 1950s by Belgian artist Pierre Cordier. Chemigrams are created by forcing a chemical reaction between photographic paper and photographic chemistry. In this workshop, we used ILFORD Warmtone Resin Coated Paper, ILFORD Pearl Resin Coated Paper, ILFORD Universal Developer, ILFORD Warmtone Developer and ILFORD Rapid Fixer. Beautiful...

London Fashion Week Earlier this year I shot my fifth season of London Fashion Week. I’ve been trying to incorporate new and different styles into my fashion photojournalism work, in order to stand out and also to exercise my own creativity. I’ve been shooting at London Fashion Week for about as long as I’ve been photographing professionally. It’s a great environment, fantastic for networking opportunities, building a decent portfolio of industry standard work, and also for experimenting with new t...

Opportunities Now and again in life opportunities arises that you just have to take. You know, the ones that if you think about for too long will be missed, so you have to jump in with your best foot forward, or in this case with your best film forward.  This happened to me last year as I was casually talking to someone about my work they mentioned that they had access to an old building that had recently been vacated and was to be sold at auction. The building had been untouched for years, and they sai...

An honest representation Two souls one vessel is a documentary project focusing on capturing the lives of drag queens, trying to tell their stories and create an honest representation of who they are in and out of drag, this series includes male, female and transgender drag queens. Attracted to the surface glamour of the world of drag queens, I’ve explored the performance and behind the scenes to show the emotion and reality. Alfie-Ordinary Altering perspectives Thinking about the project and th...

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...

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...

There was this one scene I wanted to capture.  I stumbled upon it walking up Old Man Coniston in the Lake District just before reaching the peak.  Out of nowhere (unless you’ve studied an OS map) a body of water appears when approaching from the east. As we reached the water’s edge, the sun was bursting through the clouds for the first time in days. The light was fantastic, catching 2 large boulders protruding from the perfectly flat, reflective water with the hill layers mirrored on the surface. ...

My love for film is strong, but it wasn’t my first photography love. When I first started out as a landscape photographer my focus was on digital infrared. I was drawn to the unique view that it captures. Last month my two photography loves came together when I was given some SFX200 Extended Red film by ILFORD. When I shoot film I use a different set of skills to when I shoot infrared.  One of the most important elements of shooting infrared digital is the quality of the light - the distribution and o...

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...

A beautiful and inspiring place Last year (2018) I was introduced to the Bale Mountains, a part of Ethiopia I had never seen before. Surprisingly, in the 8 years I have been traveling to Ethiopia, I have only recently begun discovering the many treasures this country holds. The Bale Mountains of southeastern Ethiopia is a truly beautiful and inspiring place with rich biodiversity and stunning geography. Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) sits about 400km from the capital of Addis Ababa. Within the park ar...

Towards the end of 2018 I was reviewing some of my Autumn film photography and feeling put off by the results. I've been working with film for some now in an effort to take advantage of the superior dynamic range. And, when shooting in strongly backlit scenes to move away from silhouettes and ambiguity and towards a more controlled journalistic style. Shades of Autumn I found that because of the diffused cloudy conditions in London I was struggling with my exposures and the overall look of my images. T...

We're seeing an increase in the number of people who are creating paper negatives as well as those who are shooting on HARMAN Direct Positive paper so so for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites we asked you to share images that you #shotonpaper. These are our favourites. @VintagePhotoCo Ok, here's one of an artist holding the paper negative image I shot of them using an #Obscura #pinhole camera outside #KurtSchwitters #Merzbarn ??️? #shotonpaper #fridayfavourites   @ozalba Shot ...

Spirit of the mountain Spirit of the Mountains ©Darnell Wu Technical info： Film Used：ILFORD HP5 PLUS 400 Format：4 x 10 inch Camera ：CHAMONIX 4*10 N2 Lens ：SINARON S 72° f=300mm Exposure time：1/2S Other equipment：COKIN red filter with SEKONIC 508 light meter with tripod. Location：Minya Konka, Yaha nek, Sichuan Range Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it? I was still in the first year of high school when I shot this and needed to ask for...

Sharing the skills and the passion My name is Hank Webber and, together with my wife Marie, we own and operate Webbers Photography Within my family, I’m a third generation photographer. It all started with my Grandfather in the 1920’s who then passed the skills and passion to my Dad and his brother, my Uncle Joe. They, in turn, blessed me with the same passion; skills are ever evolving. Each of them believed that as they triggered their camera shutters, they were capturing a moment in time that woul...

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...

For some years, I have been visiting Central Asia. The region with its unique culture and people is always interesting to me. In spring 2018 I went to Kandahar, Afghanistan and from there to Mazar-i-Sharif and continued to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. During the trip, I got sick and it was not very enjoyable. In autumn 2018 I decided to go again and was excited to do it without sickness. Child During the Work The plan was to fly to Dushanbe and from there to continue to the Afghan border in Vanj and...

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,�...

I don’t know about you, but I have a “box of shame”. It’s where I keep all the photographic odds and ends of kit that I never use, but can’t bring myself to throw away. Well I’ve always felt it would come in handy one day, and it seems that day has come! This story really gets going when I decided I wanted to do something fun with my Konica Pop*, an 80’s classic point and click camera I picked up in a charity shop a few years ago. Odds and Ends By utilising some of these long-neglected items...

On April 15th in London, and many other locations around the world, a series of protests and demonstrations took place as an act of rebellion against systems of pollution and excess, which are causing rapid changes in the climate of our planet. I was aware that this rebellion would be taking place having attended a march a few days previous. I was excited to continue shooting in this environment and did not yet realise the scope of their action to unfold, or how rewarding it would end up being photographica...

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...

Turning your negatives into positives Reversal processing enables black and white transparencies to be produced directly from high quality films such as PAN F Plus, FP4 Plus and DELTA 100 PROFESSIONAL How it works It starts with the development of the negative image. This leaves the unused silver halide untouched, but it is not fixed, as it will be used later to form the positive image. After the negative image has been developed, it is totally bleached away using an acid bleach. This leaves the remainin...

Below are some of the common errors that can occur when processing black and white films. Many of these are actually common film processing problems that photographers encounter without being aware of what has caused them. Unfortunately some of these errors can result in the images being lost or partially ruined. By knowing what has caused the errors, you may hopefully prevent any repeat incidents. Film entirely blank - No visible images or edge signing A completely blank film with no images and no sig...

Our DELTA PROFESSIONAL films use the latest film emulsion technology which gives them the advantage of a lower grain to speed ratio. Which means that you get less grain at the equivalent speed when compared to PLUS films giving a slightly cleaner, sharper look. For this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites we asked you to share your shots on our #deltafilms. @lottiegilliatt I just love Ilford Delta films….This image was taken on Ilford Delta 3200 #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #deltafilm #Delta3200 ...

We all enjoy shooting film and know that this makes us happy, (most of the time anyway)! For this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #happyfilm theme we asked you to share images of other things that make you happy @hejrevell Sava River view from Kalemegdan Park, Belgrade Serbia, ILFORD PanF Plus & Leica M7 | 50mm Summicron lens.#ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #happyfilm #Ilford @ILFORDPhoto #LeicaArchitecture #35mm #AnalogPhotography #film #FilmPhotography #Leica #leicasociety #LeicaCamera &nb...

In the summer of 2017 my friends, novice climbers, asked me to climb Elbrus with them. This is the highest mountain peak in Russia and Europe. The idea sounded great, especially because I have loved mountains since my childhood. But my campaign plan immediately included a large-format camera, with which I have been travelling for many years (mostly, of course, by car with a camera in the trunk). For a while I wondered if I should take a big camera with me too. Would it be better to take a Hasselblad? But...

In the midst of ever more sophisticated technology we live with the illusion of saving time by doing things with more speed, and increasingly relying on computers: programmes work out difficult problems, they plan for us, think for us. Files, servers and systems store information for us, including photographs - hundreds of millions of photographs. A Slow Practice Samburu warriors, Kenya Rob Fraser is drawn to photograph people whose lives are shaped by traditional practices rooted in specific lands...

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...

A few weeks ago we asked for your suggestions for future themes for #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. You gave us some great ideas and we will be using some of them over the coming weeks.  You can see our favourites from this week's theme of #lines below. @DrMarsRover Zig zag with curlicue @ILFORDPhoto FP4+ | Bronica SQ-a #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #lines   nilsscarbro St Katharines Church #Pentax MZ-3, SMC Pentax-FA 28-200mm HP5+ ISO1600, #Rodinal 1+25 12min #ilfordphoto #ilfordfilm #ilf...

Chris Cheetham has recently carried out a photographic project for the Empordàlia wine cooperative, situated in the beautiful, mountainous region of Catalonia. Capturing Wine Making Equipment on Ilford HP5 Film Rustic Detail The project was inspired when Chris was purchasing a bottle of wine from the wine cooperative “Empordàlia” and saw all of the old wine making equipment at the back of the room. He thought the intricate detail of the rustic machinery would make a great photographic project us...

Making the Most of Life Around Me I don’t really remember a period of my life when I wasn’t making photographs. My mother got me my first point and shoot camera when I was about five. It was an ‘Action Man Spy Camera’ that took small 110 roll film. I loved the idea of blending in with a camera, trying to document what was going on around me without actually disturbing anything. I still love that. Isaac Lismore Australia When I was a teenager, I developed a great appreciation of skateboarding...

There are patterns everywhere that we look from urban architecture to the natural world. You shared a diverse range of shots with us for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #patterns theme. These are our favourites.  @johnfphotos · Here's one of my faves for the @ILFORDPhoto #fridayfavourites this week #ilfordphoto #patterns It's Titan metro station Bucharest shot handheld on #delta3200 at 1600 patterns are everywhere when you look for them ?   @adiw1202 Sake barrels. #ilford Delta ...

We are delighted to announce a number of exciting new products  added to our range. ILFORD MULTIGRADE RC DELUXE ILFORD announced the world’s first variable contrast MULTIGRADE paper in 1940 and in 2019, as we celebrate our 140th anniversary, we are pleased to announce the 5th generation of our best-selling MULTIGRADE RC Papers. MULTIGRADE IV RC papers (4th generation) were launched 25 years ago and have been hugely successful becoming the ‘go to’ black & white RC papers for discerning studen...

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 ...

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...

When we originally set this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme of #goingout we had no idea of how everything was going to progress and change over the following weeks which is why we changed it to any images using our #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourite tags. Please keep sharing your pictures on social media. We know that it brightens our day to see them and i'm sure it's the same for others too. @pjmeade A day watching cricket. Shot on SFX200 and a Red 25 filter. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #g...

ILFORD PHOTO / HARMAN TECHNOLOGY COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS STATEMENT As a global community we face a lot of uncertainty and disruption ahead. While photography is understandably not your number one priority right now, we want to reassure you that our factory currently remains operational. We will continue to manufacture and ship our products for as long as possible while we also look to safeguard the longer-term future of our business and the wider industry. This situation is rapidly evolving and we will con...

Our #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme for this week is #happiness. It's been a strange week and we hope you are all well and managing to stay creative and sane in these unusual times. Remember we're asking you to stockpile #filmrollsnotloorolls We wanted to fill our feed with images to make people smile this week and as usual you have all been amazing. Thank you to everybody that shared. ian_onahillroad The #birthdaygirl #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites#happiness #ilfordfilm #delta400 #analog6x6 #me...

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...

As the Coronavirus continues to wreak havoc around the world, HARMAN is frequently reviewing its approach to the pandemic, incorporating the latest guidance issued by the UK Government into our actions. We stated last week that our principle concern remains the health and safety of our employees and this is still the case. We are also looking at how we can protect the business through this difficult time. As the situation escalates, we have had to take the difficult decision to temporarily cease produ...

We've all heard lots of stories about people stockpiling items recently, especially toilet rolls.  This inspired us to ask you to share pictures of your stockpiles with us for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme of #filmrollsnotloorolls Thank you to everybody that shared. We hope you'll be putting your stashes to good use during the lockdown. @paulasmithphoto Problem with hoarding? Me dear, nooo dear... there is more in the fridge. @ILFORDPhoto guess you can see what my fav brand is? #i...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

An object of beauty I have just been asked to explain why I use film to make many of my images….. well the simple answer is ‘I like the process….I love the total engagement film gives me. Working out how many rolls to take, what size film to take, packing it all up and hoping I haven’t forgotten my light meter. I love the reaction when I give somebody a print at 12 inches square in an archival sleeve. It’s an object of beauty, its tangible, it’s exciting, its more than a digital print…...

So many of us shared your first times with us for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #myfirsttime theme. We saw first film shots, first darkroom prints, first home developments and first time using paper negatives. It was tough to choose our favourites but we managed eventually! @its_jackturner#myfirsttime not only developing #ilfordphoto HP5, but first time EVER shooting HP5 #fridayfavouritesCamera with flash: Zorki 4?:HP5 (+1) Earth globe asia-australia: Bratislava, Slovakia @marc1701G Her...

The future of photography The year 2020, it sounds very futuristic to me. So, what does that future look like for photographers? Well, no doubt technology will be getting more advanced than ever and we will see huge leaps in digital development this coming decade as the megapixel war continues. There will likely be be new initiatives and more collaborations with smartphone companies. Will the digital SLR camera start to disappear? Will mirrorless take over? Or will there be a new hybrid on the market...

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...

Early Experiements Many, many years ago I experimented with uprating HP5, I was a student and it fitted the look I was after at the time. In those days, information was difficult to find and I relied on advice from friends. As a student, the mysteries of film and processing were fascinating and strange. I tried all sorts of things, but didn’t know what was really going on. I knew that uprating meant setting a higher speed (ASA in those days) on your light meter and then giving it a longer development tim...

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...

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...

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...

Sometimes when you look at a picture it brings a specific song or lyric to mind even if it wasn't intentionally shot with that purpose. These are the images that we asked you to share with us this week for our #lyricsandfilm #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. beatrizburnay    Bird on the wire, Leonard Cohen  #lyricsandfilm #fridayfavourites #ilfordphoto #ilfordhp5   @Jebbo101  #ILFORDPhoto  #lyricsandfilm #lyricsandfilm  #fridayfavourites  #darkroomprint From my archives, my favorite tun...

This week for our 9th Lockdown Session we spoke to Ashley Carr, who you may remember was nominated by Hamish Gill in week two. Ashley is a well know member of the film community and is always happy to share his thoughts and experience. SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? ©-Ashley-Carr-2016,-Nikon-F3,-PC-Nikkor-35mm-shift,-HP5-@-EI-200,-Ilfotec-HC It was very difficult to choose a single favourite image! I think this photo...

Shooting Infrared film Infrared photography has always been a unique and niche art form, allowing a photographer to capture images seemingly from another dimension. I say niche because capturing that "perfect" image requires a different approach to pre-visualizing your scene, an understanding of the limitations of infrared and the ability to adjust your settings effectively for changing conditions.  For these reasons many photographers are reluctant to give IR film a try. This article will not only demo...

Is it really 10 weeks since we started this series? It feels so much shorter than that.  If you have an Instagram account we are sure that you will recognise our 10th interviewee Jahan Saber, if not by his name then by his tag @doyoudevelop.  Jahan was nominated to take part by Dan Rubin in week 6 and we're so glad that was happy to get involved. SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? There are so many, so here’s a recent ...

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...

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...

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...

We are back! Following the recent easing of the coronavirus lockdown measures here in the UK we are excited to report that life is starting to return to our Mobberley site with our machines and staff being phased back in to operation. A lot has changed in the world in the 10 weeks since we announced the temporary site closure. The number of people who have been impacted by COVID-19 here in the UK is tragically high making our decision a justified and necessary precaution. We would like to offer our t...

We've really enjoyed this series and finding our more about some of the members in our community.  Although we are moving out of Lockdown now we will be keeping it running, just in a slightly different format, so keep an eye out for the changes in the coming weeks. This week we spoke to Robbie Jeffers who was nominated a few weeks ago by Ray Barbee. SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? It’s difficult for me to narrow ...

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...

My dream camera I was introduced into photography when I was just a teenager by my uncle Massimo —· AKA zio Max. That’s how I have acquired basic knowledge about film photography, and developed the skills that helped me to start a career as an independent —  and self-taught — filmmaker. Filmmaking and video production became my main occupation, while photography remained a deep passion, which kept coming back from time to time in my professional career. In the last few years I have been too...

In our 14th and possibly final Lockdown Session (before we move to a new format), we are bringing you Kit Young who was nominated by Ashley Carr back in week 9. We've followed Kit for a while on Instagram. He's a fantastic darkroom printer and is always happy to share how get gets to the finished prints from his negatives. SECTION 1 - THE BEGINNING SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? There are a lot, so I’ll pick this relatively recent print o...

My documentary work I think there’s something to be said about appreciating the working class African American only when there’s celebrity attached, an abundant amount of material wealth, or high ranking social status. Where does that leave everyday people on their journey through life to feel? Useless? They certainly are not. My documentary work represents the beauty, elegance, and resilience of the working class people in my neighborhood and surrounding. I have been documenting my neighborhood...

We have loved finding out more about photographers in our community over the last 3 months in our Lockdown Sessions and hope that you have too. As we move towards less restrictions here in the UK, we felt it was also time for a new focus (sorry).  So we are launching the new series 'In Focus' this week by interviewing professional portrait photographer Craig Fleming. Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? I love this shot that I took it...

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...

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...

Summer of Photograms My end goal with my photography, at least for as long as I can remember, was to make darkroom prints. I love the thought processes in darkroom printing, the excitement when I manage to find the combination of burning, dodging and other printing techniques that turns my imagined image into a print that I can share. Preferring the tactile nature of darkroom craft, I never cottoned on to digital photo processing or printing. Then in the spring of 2019 I developed a long term illness th...

When we saw that Kit Young had chosen Tyler as his nomination it definitely made us smile. We've shared several of Tyler's IG images in the past and enjoy browsing his feed when we get the chance. Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? Picking only one is an impossible choice! A favourite of mine is a contact print made from an 8x10 negative using FP4+, Ilford MGFB Glossy paper and selenium toned. I used my Chamonix 810V field camera and the ex...

An empowering project Sirkhane Darkroom is a mobile analog photography workshop for refugee, local and vulnerable children on the Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi border in Mardin City. It’s an empowering project that brings together children from different backgrounds through photography. It’s also a project that shows the world photos taken by non-adult photographers, photographs from the eyes of children. The Workshops The Sirkhane Darkroom program consists of several workshops. In the first works...

For interview number 18 in our Lockdown Sessions / In Focus series we are delighted to introduce you to Shima Rastin, a passionate film photographer from Iran. BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? © Shima Rastin, Ilford FP4, Hasselblad 501C, Lavasan, Iran If we have not confronted the Covid-19 pandemic, and this question was asked before this era, it was probably a hard choice to make. Although, now that I experienced such an idiosyncrat...

Earlier this year my go-to black and white film of choice had its priced hiked astronomically, making it an un-affordable option for my daily choice. I set about exploring some different options, which included revisiting HP5 (a film, I must confess heretically that I have never gelled with), pushing FP4 to 400, Foma 400 and 200 pushed, and - the film for this short piece - ILFORD’s XP2. I might not have even reached for a roll of XP2 had I not discovered the experiments of another analogue photogr...

A rest day? Sunday the second of June (2019) was supposed to be one of the very few rest days I allow myself to have from photography. I find it very difficult to allow and forgive myself from taking a break from being out shooting, and after a very intensive few days I really did owe it to myself to spend a day indoors resting my eyes and mind. I managed this for the morning but when I discovered that there would be a gathering of Sikhs in Trafalgar Square I knew that this would be a much better use of...

Lina Bessonova is a passionate film photographer and darkroom printer. She shares her love of photography and printing on her popular YouTube channel as well as through workshops and lectures. One of her recent videos shows how easy setting up a darkroom can be in a small space. BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? This image is from my very first roll of 120 film (Delta 100). The other 11 frames are average beginner pictures which make one h...

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...

Our DELTA Professional films have a different grain structure than our more traditional PLUS range giving them exceptional sharpness and a cleaner look when correctly exposed. This week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme focused on the middle film in this range with images #shotondelta400. @paulasmithphoto Devils Marbles, Australia. For this weeks #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme #shotondelta400 #believeinfilm #blackandwhitephotography thewarneraesthetic January 24th, 2020 Mamiya 7ii, Ilford...

Better know by his Instagram handle @bostonemulsion and nominated by Tyley Bervy back in July. We've been looking forward to sharing the 21st interview in our In Focus (previously Lockdown Sessions) series.featuring Phil W. Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? This is image was shot on HP5+. It’s an earlier image in my film journey but this day in particular was a turning point when things really started to click as I was developing a metho...

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...

Rocking the tray! My journey with photography began as a child while spending wondrous hours with my father, a gifted portrait photographer, in his darkroom in the amber glow of the safe lights. It was astonishing to watch an image blossom to life in the developer, sometimes I even got to rock the tray! The magic of making a photograph had a life changing impact on me and when gifted a Brownie Hawkeye on my 7th birthday my destiny was etched in stone... I'd become a photographer! Later I was privileged ...

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 ...

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 ...

John Whitmore is a 'sometimes' event and  black and white documentary photographer, a Darkshed owner, darkroom printer, YouTuber and Sunny16 podcaster.  We're really pleased that he took some time out of his busy schedule to become the 24th 'In Focus'  interviewee. Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? In some respects photography could be explained as one massive scientific research project, capturing data to show the state of atoms and ho...

It's week 25 in our In Focus interview series and this time we set our questions to Arkadiy Shlein who was nominated by Lina Bessonova back in August. Arkadiy is a Russian large format photographer and analog printer with a classical style. BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? I’ve got so many favourite photographs that I don’t have a single one hanging at home (yes, couldn’t decide :). This is one of them. I photographed this beech gla...

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 ...

A popular technique for getting the best from your prints in the darkroom. This week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme was #splitgradeprint. @BlkWhiteFilmPix How did I split grade print this night photo I made on #ilfordphoto Delta 3200 film ? https://youtu.be/9ex-b6_OxEo #fridayfavourites #splitgradeprint #Paris   @JamesPearson #splitgradeprint from a tricky to print negative. Grade 00 for 38s and grade 1 for 11s. Then two minutes burning of the window (that was hard work). @ILFORDPho...

It's been over 6 months since we launched our first Lockdown Session and in that time we've spoken to many fantastic photographers and darkroom printers. Continuing in that vein, we're thrilled to share this week's In Focus interview with Nashville based, music and portrait photographer Laura E Partain. Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you. This photograph is now about 5 years old and I’ve shot many, many images on Ilford films since. Howeve...

As well as being a photographer and darkroom printer, our 27th 'In Focus' interviewee Max Bedov also custom makes darkroom equipment based on his years of experience. Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? This frame was taken in Provence on Ilford film Delta400 exposed as 640. Generally I am not keen on an astrophotography but this particular shot is very memorable to me for a several  reasons. 2016 -Alpa SWA 6x9 -DELTA 400 -Provence - MG...

It’s weird, if not taboo to tell someone that I learnt to shoot digital before learning how to shoot film. I guess this may be the case for many of us in the digital era of photography. My journey into photography is what I like to call a beautiful accident or a series of fortunate events. When a photographer cancelled last minute for a charity event organised by a close friend of mine in 2017 I found myself stepping in to fill the spot. I knew absolutely nothing about photography, how to use a DSLR or ev...

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...

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...

A Covid-19 Isolation Photography Series Before and After is a photography series that features the abandoned streets of Toronto captured during the coronavirus pandemic. During lockdown I spent four months isolated in a small apartment downtown and had the majority of my life put on pause. When phase 1 of reopening started I was eager to get back outside, to get back to normal life. Much to my surprise when I left my apartment, the streets were completely abandoned. It was a surreal version of our new r...

Well you have certainly kept us busy today. This has been by far the most popular #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme that we have had for a while. We have spent a lot of time going through your #filmpeople shots this morning and have finally narrowed our favourites down to the ones below. A huge thank you to everyone who shared with us on Twitter and Instagram. Let's hope that next next week's theme of #panoramic is just as popular! hannibal.bass Ilford HP5+ Canon Ftb #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites...

Toby Van de Velde takes centre stage this week as the 29th interview in our In Focus series. He was nominated by John Whitmore back in September who described him as 'Constantly producing wonderful analogue images.' Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? This is a tricky one to answer. Narrowing it down is nigh on impossible. This is a recent favourite from a couple of months ago, shot on Kentmere Pan 400, shot in my Billora Bell...

A chronic case of GAS To cut a long story short. In a previous life, i.e. before kids, I suffered a chronic case of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and ended up as the proud owner of a Richard Ritter 7x17” Ultra Large Format View Camera. As every GAS sufferer believes, buying your way out of limited talent is the only path to follow. The plan was to produce stunning panoramic negatives for Platinum/Palladium contact printing. The combination of huge negatives, old school contact printing and expensive em...

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...

A bit of history I am now 51 years old and have been faithfully using ILFORD film since first being handed an ILFORD Sport 120 roll film camera from my father. He had used it during National Service in the army in the 1950s and I used it from age 8 onwards and which is what I learnt with. Throughout my professional photography career over the last 18 years, I have regularly used ILFORD film - HP5 Plus, FP4, Delta 100, 400 and 3200 and XP2 Super. Subsequent cameras have ranged from the ILFORD Sport to 35 mm...

This image was one of the most popular that we shared on our Instagram feed last year so we reached out to @35.raw the photographer behind it to find out more. TECHNICAL INFO Film Used: Ilford DELTA Professional 100   Format:  120 Camera: Mamiya RB67 Lens: 50mm Aperture: F32 Other equipment: Red Filter Location: San Francisco Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it? One of the first stops we always do when going to the Bay Area is the Golde...

Nominated originally by Keith Moss back in November of last year. David Collyer is the 31st interview in this series.  A documentary photographer who chooses to shoot around themes or projects. David's is probably best known for one of his recent projects All in a Day's Work which received international recognition. Section 1 - Background SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? Blimey! That’s like being asked to choose your favourite child and then expl...

For our first #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites of 2021, we asked you to take a look back over the last year and share your favourites shot on our black and white film using #bestof2020.  I've been looking at these all week as they've come in and still struggled to pick just five today. Thank you to everybody who shared with us. @JeremyCalow Looking back at my year on @ILFORDPhoto  I’d have to say this was one of my favourite images taken way back in July of 2020! #fridayfavourites #ilfordphoto #bestof...

A slice of London Isle of Dogs is the name of my second self published zine under Ducksale Press, a zine publishing project my friend James Moreton and I started a couple years ago. Isle of Dogs is also a slice of London: overdeveloped, underfunded, home to locals who were born on the island (“islanders”) and immigrants alike. But because the Thames makes a distinctive U shape around it, the Island stands out on a map or when viewed from a plane. I've recently learnt that German bombers, despite a Lond...

Despite the numerous challenges of 2020, we are delighted to share some exciting product news. We start 2021 with the launch of the brand new and improved ILFORD MULTIGRADE RC PORTFOLIO darkroom paper. Utilising our 5th generation MULTIGRADE emulsion, this new formulation offers important advancements in product quality and performance that we are now pleased to introduce into our premium RC paper, MULTIGRADE RC PORTFOLIO. These new papers have a slightly warmer base tint and image colour than their p...

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...

HARMAN is pleased to announce a dedicated* ULF campaign for our ILFORD ORTHO PLUS film in Spring 2021. This represents a short but exciting window of opportunity to source non-stock sizes of a unique and wonderful film with a variety of applications.  ILFORD ORTHO PLUS is an extremely fine grain, sharp, orthochromatic film that is used in both technical and photographic applications. This including medical and scientific use, the copy of negatives and the creation of stunning images. As a well-establish...

I'm fairly sure that this week's interviewee doesn't need an introduction. Walter Rothwell is a multi award winning photographer and co founder of Street Photography International Collective. His website and Instagram feed are filled with striking street and documentary images from around the world. Section 1 Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? This image is from a documentary I made in a leprosy hospital in Bangladesh. I was 19 when I start...

We love spending time in the darkroom, and it's always surprising how quickly time can pass when there are no other distractions. For today's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites we asked you to share your results from this time well spent for our theme #printedwithpassion. @justgipsy #ilfordphoto #printedwithpassion #fridayfavourites Darkroom prints #Delta100 rated @ 50, selenium toned, part of a sunflower series   ©Chris Hudson  #printedwithpassion This was shot on a digital camera and then Li...

We're heading back to October last year when Arkadiy Shlein nominated Oleg Kasko to take part in this series after following his Instagram feed. Oleg is a photographer and passionate darkroom printer and advocate from the Ukraine. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? I like this one because when you look at the photo you see a boat surrounded by white like milk, water. Although in fact it was taken at night. I decided I would leav...

We kept it simple for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme of #35mmfilm and were rewarded with a huge number of images. @billthoo #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #35mmfilm #fp4plus + Pentax 6x7 + 55/4 #ilovesydney May 2018 #sprockets   @gozdeyimdir #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #35mmfilm #ilfordfp4   @WellerMonica #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #35mmfilm This is one of my favourites, called '12.16 at Ramsgate'. #ilfordxp2. We'd sat in a cafe opposite for an hour, dea...

The last days of Summer As the last days of summer drew to a close I worried about the stock of low ISO films I'd accumulated. As much as I’ve enjoyed my film only ventures over the last year I do worry about the availability of light in London where I do the vast majority of my shooting. Due to limited storage space I can only commit to shooting so many rolls at once, and with the long, bright days diminishing I needed to make sure I had room for as many 400 speed films for pushing (HP5+ & Delta 400...

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 ...

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...

Trees have always been a popular subject for black and white film photographers. For this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites we took advantage of that and set you the theme of #treesonfilm. poloczanski_mikolaj RyteI #hasselbladxpan #xpan #monovisions #monovisionsawards #ilfordphoto #ilfordxp2  #fridayfavourites #ilfordphotopl #friendsinbnw #landscapephotography #treesonfilm   @imkierandoherty Bizarrely was just given 2 x 5 metre bulk tins of Ilford HP3 Panchromatic. It expired in May 197...

A seemingly simple theme of #buildingsonfilm for our #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites this week, but one with lots of room for creativity. There were some really interesting shots shared, making our job of choosing just five(ish)  all the more difficult. photaubThe lone survivor of the Woolsey fire. Paramount Ranch ⛪️ Olympus OM-1 {35mm - Ilford HP5 Plus} #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #buildingsonfilm   @richardhall Shrewsbury Buttermarket (Nikon F4, Vivitar Series One 19-35mm, Ilford FP...

Nashville born Joseph Patrick or Photojojo was nominated by Laura E Partain back in October of 2020. Known for his creative shot choices and great use of light, we're excited to find out more about him. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? This is one of my favorite shots. Here it was a combination of a few things coming together perfectly to create an image that perfectly aligned with my vision. The model is a friend I met the ye...

This week's #carsonfilm has to be one of the most popular #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites themes that we've had. I'm obviously not the only one with a love of shooting cars! It's taken a long while this morning to choose just 5 from the huge number of images that you have shared with us, and we've enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you poloczanski_mikolaj Zakynthos #hasselbladxpan #xpan  #ilfordphoto #ilfordxp2 #bnw #bnwphotography # #24x65 #filmnotdead #enjoyfilm #shootfilm #myfavouritefilm #fridayfavou...

My default Choice Colour photography has been my default choice for a long time. It is how my eyes see the world, it’s what catches my attention, and it’s what brought my back to film photography. My first roll in 2018 was a roll of Lomography 400 shot on a week long holiday in Madrid, Spain. The scans that came back from my local lab had me transfixed. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the vibrancy of the reds and yellows. They popped so brightly against the grey and brown of the city in winter. I w...

A tough thee for today's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites with #fiercefilm. There were so many great interpretations, there are our favourites. Don't forget you can share on Twitter / Instagram or in our online gallery. (Or all three!) As long as your use the #'s we will see your shots. @CMFleming70 This is Robyn, Robyn runs the estate... you don’t mess with Robyn. @ILFORDPhoto #fiercefilm #fridayfavourites   @henry_balen Fierce opposition. HP5+ EI800/Microphen #ilfordphoto #fridayfavouri...

A tough theme for today's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites with #fiercefilm. There were so many great interpretations, these are our favourites. Don't forget you can share on Twitter / Instagram or in our online gallery. (Or all three!) As long as your use the #'s we will see your shots. @CMFleming70 This is Robyn, Robyn runs the estate... you don’t mess with Robyn. @ILFORDPhoto #fiercefilm #fridayfavourites   @henry_balen Fierce opposition. HP5+ EI800/Microphen #ilfordphoto #fridayfavour...

An Unexpected Love My love for Iceland was born unexpectedly, I absolutely didn’t see it coming and it washed over me like a tidal wave in a monsoon.  We were planning a holiday of a lifetime. Somewhere with beautiful scenery to photograph, that was the only stipulation. It was more of an exploring holiday rather than the usual beach holiday we were used to. Countries were thrown in the ring, I really wanted to go to Sweden and my husband threw in Iceland. It’s like I didn’t even know it existed ...

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 ...

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...

Why Film? Since 2016 I’ve messed around with film casually alongside digital. Early 2020, COVID-19 forced me to return a year early from a mission trip in Colombia and completely restart my life from zero. I couldn’t afford a digital camera like the one I sold to go on the trip but, my good experiences with 35mm SLR cameras in the past led me to pick up an Olympus OM-10 for $40 and I haven’t shot digital since. Where it began As a photographer this was my first venture into making physical art....

Around the world there are some stunningly beautiful places and buildings used as places or worship. We asked you to share your shots of these sacred spots for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #worshipfilm theme. poloczanski_mikolaj Kathmandu. Boudha Stupa #hasselbladxpan #xpan #monovisions #monovisionsawards #ilfordphoto #ilfordxp2 #fridayfavourites #panoramic #ilfordphotopl #worshipfilm #nepal #nepal8thwonder #makaluadventure_official #makaluadventure   @bsanfordjr Meditation Poi...

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...

Urban Lives and the Natural World I've been living in some of the giant Asian metropolises for close to a decade now, and it has oriented my recent photography work towards exploring the distance between our urban lives and the natural world. One way I have found to express this has been through film double exposures where I try to blend portraits and plant textures. After 2 years of work on this, it became the Photosynthesis project. There's a little bit of history in this direction with work from grea...

One of the things that we're regularly told by the film and darkroom community is how you love hearing about the human side of our business. In this series of 'Behind the Film' interviews we're going to help you to find out a little more about the faces behind the film. Introduction Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here? My name is James Cooper, and I am employed as a Scientist Grade 2 in the TQM/R&D department at HARMAN Technology. I Joined in Nove...

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...

One of the things that we're enjoying about this series is that it lets us find out more about the photographers that you follow and are interested in. This week's interviewee Chris Garner, was nominated by Joseph Patrick, who in turn was nominated by Laura E Partain. Who's nomination came from Sandy Phimester. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? My favorite image I have made so far would have to be this image. I made it while I ...

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...

A chance encounter We started to make this work roughly ten years ago, after a chance encounter on a photo sharing platform. This led to a mutual appreciation of each other's work and we found that we both saw the potential of the landscape to resonate with inner experience and make it visible. We were both using a camera called a Holga. An incredibly simple plastic medium format camera known for its low quality lens which produces a very dreamy aesthetic, frequently including lens flares and vignetting...

We're letting you back behind the film again to meet some of the passionate people who are part of making the products that you love. This time we talk to Becky and she shares some of her film photography with us. INTRODUCTION Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here? I’m Becky, an Apprentice Scientist and I’ve worked here for 2.5 years. Tell us a little about your day-to-day role.  I work in the lab prepping formulations, carrying out raw material r...

THE ILFORD PHOTO ANNUAL ULF SHEET FILM ORDERING WINDOW FOR 2021 IS NOW OPEN! For the 16th consecutive year, we're giving photographers the opportunity to order selected custom sizes of ILFORD sheet film and other specialist products without the constraints of the usual minimum order quantity. We know many of you look forward to this and, despite the delays caused by COVID-19, we remain committed to running this campaign. ULF photographers have until Friday 20th August 2021 to place their orders with...

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...

In week three of our behind the film series we're heading to our technical department to meet our Technical Service Manager Neil Hibbs. Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here? Neil Hibbs – Technical and Lab Services manager Tell us a little about your day to day role. I manage a small team offering technical product support, both internally (to manufacturing and marketing functions) and externally to our worldwide customer base. I also set-up the Ha...

Reflections on the Materiality of Film, with PANF Plus in the Montana Snow Snow is a beautiful subject for ILFORD PANF Plus. Thankfully my quiet mountain town of Bozeman, Montana, USA—has lots of snow, and I have lots of PANF film. As snow can be such an intricate and momentary subject, it makes an appropriate subject for reflecting on the material and time-conscious process of creating an analog image. I recently returned to film photography after a ten-year hiatus. I’ve been delighted to again...

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 ...

This simple guide will show you how easy it is to erect your ILFORD Pop Up Darkroom. Before assembling ensure that you have sufficient floor space and height:- The external metal frame is approximately 2.2m tall  and the internal space is 1.3 x 1.3m. If you are choosing to attach a fan / air blower to the lower vent on your pop up darkroom then this will cause it to expand slightly. Open the storage case and remove the poles, groundsheet and pop up darkroom. Move the groundsheet out of the way f...

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-...

After the fantastic response to this image when we shared it on our Instagram. We contacted Mustapha and asked him to tell us about it and answer some of the questions about how he had created it. Patricio Reyes Benavente Mendiola, aka "Pineapple" Technical Info: Film Used: Ilford Delta Pro 100, Medium Format 120 Black & White film Camera: Yashica Mat 124 G, Lens: Twin Lens 80mm Exposure Time: 1/125 @ f8 Other Equipment: Tripod, Light Meter, Cable release, Sync cable, V-flat, Strobe Light, ...

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...

A scene that screams colour Have you ever been out with your camera, loaded with your favourite black and white film stock and found a scene that screams to be shot it colour? Of course you have, we have all been there! Today I am going to introduce you to a new 150 year old process called Trichromy also known as the three colour process or more recently Trichromes (by Jasper Fforde). As with all early photographic techniques it's difficult to say who coined the process first as there were many people w...

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...

Get ahead of the class Here you'll find links to lots of helpful information that will help you get a head start in your film photography studies. We've collated links to blogs, product pages and shared some educational videos from our YouTube channel too. So, you've got your film camera and now you need some film. Many schools, colleges and universities will lend out cameras to their students and these generally take 35mm film but, there are other options available and the type of camera that you have wi...

During lockdown I rekindled my love of making photograms. It happened naturally after a summer of making cyanotypes. I was also making emulsions out of plants. My garden became a temporary darkroom. With a photogram - you expose your paper to light (sunlight for photograms), with an object on top, and the area underneath the object remains unexposed, so you end up with white paper in that area, like a shadow but in negative. Cyanotype   A lonely weed The local darkroom re-opened for half-day s...

After sharing a few of his images in the past, we felt we wanted to know more about Nicolas de Bouville, so he became interview number 42 in this series. We have to confess to a bit of camera envy over his collection! Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? It’s so hard to pick one image only. If I think about one of the last series I did, I really like this picture of Alejandro. I’m used to photograph Alejandro in a very differe...

Cabin Fever Tired of COVID 'cabin fever'  I needed to get out shooting so I concocted  a mission to shoot a total of 36 acceptable shots in a 2 day time frame.  Day one would be 12 6x6's and the second would be 35mm for 24 shots... fingers crossed. I decided to shoot b&w film.  This would not have been my choice a few years ago but the plethora of  digital imagery has turned me off to the point where I'm re appreciating the disciplined 'analogue' mind set. I just flat out love and respect the w...

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. ...

I like to press the shutter and I take a lot of black and white photos simply because I like it. These black and whites I take on Ilford materials. My favorite negative is xp2 super, I also use Delta 100 and 3200, but rarely. Why ILFORD XP2 Super? I am a hydro engineer by profession - I traveled a lot, spent a lot of time away from home, so carrying a tank, chemicals, thermometer, bottles, containers, etc. with me was a bit troublesome. Never I needed to organize my home dark-room. But actually, now I sta...

The beauty inside I am not someone that has been stared at and called beautiful by strangers. People do not look at me and see me as who I am. First glances always lead to a double take and a look of disgust, anger and confusion. When people see me, they don’t attempt to change their perspective and see the beauty inside of me. This kind of experience, existing in a world that doesn’t believe that you have the right to do so, shows up in a lot of my work. Most of my life I have been told that the world...

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...

SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? I have many beautiful prints from an Ilford negative. One Ilford film that always interests me is the Ortho 80. Being less sensitive in the reds it renders reds as dark or sometimes black giving interesting results. This is a print of a light switch in my home. The light was casting an interesting shadow across the wall. The black area is a shadow from a picture frame. It’s so simple but I jus...

We are lucky here that so many of our staff are passionate about our products not just because they are proud of the brand but also because they use them themselves. Just like our 6th Behind The Film interviewee Mari. Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here? I’m Mari Slater-Parry, I’ve been a research scientist at HARMAN since October 2018. I was originally employed on a fixed term grant through the INNOVATE UK scheme, before becoming a permanent member...

Three Exciting New Products We are pleased to announce the launch of 3 exciting new products. Two of these products support our goal of encouraging and enabling film photographers to take the next step in their analogue journey and experience the creativity and magic of darkroom printing. The third is the perfect holiday season gift for film enthusiasts. ILFORD Pop-Up Darkroom – Coming Q4 2021 The ILFORD Pop-Up Darkroom is the perfect solution for film photographers who want to print their negatives an...

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...

This week's interviewee, Wesley Verhoeve has been on our radar for a while so we were thrilled when he was nominated to take part in this series making him our 44th interview. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? It’s so hard to pick a favorite image but I will let recency prevail and select a recent top favourite image that made it into my photo book “Notice”. I photographed a giant leaf in a suburban backyard in beautifu...

I've tried to avoid putting this one out for a while but like ripping a plaster off I thought getting it out early may be best. There are still plenty of these interviews to come over the next few months as we speak to some of the film shooters on site but for now, I hope you enjoy our 7th Behind the Film interview. Who are you? What’s your job title at HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here? My name’s Michelle Parr and my official title is ‘Digital Marketing Specialist’. I’ve worke...

A birthday request When my teenage daughter asked visit Eastern State Penitentiary on her birthday in January 2020 for the third time I knew I had to take something different with me to capture the historic prison. Built in the early 1800's and operational until 1971, Eastern State takes up a whole city block in Philadelphia, PA. After over two decades of neglect, the prison opened as a museum in the 90's.  Eastern State Penitentiary's Gothic castle style architecture instills feelings of awe, power,...

Crombie McNeill has been shooting film for longer than some of us have been around, and his story is fascinating which makes him the perfect interviewee for our 45th In Focus interview. Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? Shot way back in the early 70's. By happen chance I discovered this fishing dory beached on Newfoundland's Eastern coast. I very much like this shot, and even more so because I was on my very first major assignment. Twenty thre...

One of the aspects that took me perhaps the longest to understand about black and white film photography - but, which turned out to have the most impact on my visual style – is that exposure is simply not real in any meaningful way. “Correct” exposure is incredibly subjective, especially true for high contrast lighting conditions where either the shadows or highlights can be exposed for in order to achieve a dramatic scene. I think there is a greater expectation for colour film to be a representati...

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...

This week for our 46th In Focus interview we are talking to Clara Araujo. A fine art photographer from Brazil whose images explore the dualities and other aspects of the human psyche. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? It’s really hard to pick just one… but probably this self portrait: “The Birth Of Venus”, Body of Water series, 2020. ILFORD Hp5+ 400, Yashica Mat 124g. Just in case anyone doesn’t know who you are...

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...

Today in our 8th Behind the Film interview we talk to Mike Bain. One of our longer serving team members, Mike started in our tech team and now looks after North America. He has probably forgotten more about film photography and darkroom printing than some of us will ever learn! Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here? My name is Mike Bain and I am the Harman technology rep for North America. I have been with the company for 33 years. Mexico City, Me...

Rule breaker The chemigram process allows any photographer to be experimental, free and a little bit of a rule breaker. As a photographer who is passionate about the traditional printing process, I was always taught that my prints should be clean and crisp. So, coming across a process that allows you to be messy, hands on and experimental makes me feel like a child again. My wonderful friend introduced me to this technique and I have been completely blown away by the atmosphere you can create. Also, thi...

Today I was in my cold ? studio again making more Chemical Landscapes. I love working with the #chemigram process and can’t wait to get these mounted and framed. #boffinphotography @ILFORDPhoto #oxfordshire #traditionalphotography pic.twitter.com/Z0ccrJxScx— Laura J Walker (Boffin) (@LBoffin) December 9, 2020

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...

Time to go green? As the threat of the climate crisis grows each day - we must strive for sustainability in all aspects of life. But when standing atop a cliff shakily clutching your 5x4 camera, or working under the red light of your local darkroom - sustainability can seem like a distant concern, reserved for those in stuffy offices or holding placards outside of parliament. As analogue photography has always been eager to embrace innovation in the face of change - is it time to go green? My name is...

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...

I'm sure that many of us have taken a shot and then once we've processed it spotted something or someone that we didn't realise was in frame when we took it. It's these moments that we asked you to share with us today for #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #unexpected. @PapaShittyCams Replying to @ILFORDPhoto I did a double exposure roll of Ilford HP5 Plus using two different cameras & got this triptych of @SammishSquare   #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #unexpected   @imjkunst Sometimes th...

So many choices for today's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme of #framedfilm. We love days like this when it takes a while to pick our favourites. You made choosing just five very difficult so we may have cheated slightly! poloczanski_mikolaj Zima #hasselbladxpan #xpan ##ilfordphoto #ilforddelta100  #fridayfavourites #ilfordphotopl #friendsinbnw #framedfilm hplemke oak frame • ? olympus om-1 ? ilford fp4 (?cinestill df96) another one for @ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #framedfilm @AS015...

Melanie King was first introduced to us by Lucy Ridges, and since then we have heard her name mentioned from several different people. It was fantastic to be able to learn a little more about her when she agreed to take part in this series. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? My favourite image is Ancient Light, Emiliano Cardone Observatory, Casalattico, 2018. This photograph was produced when my collective, Lumen Studios, ran an...

There are so many of Ari's images that we have admired over the past 12 months so asking him to take part in this series was an easy decision. We're just glad that he said yes! Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? As we age, time becomes more and more valuable. Every new second is a bigger portion of our future life than the one before. Time is the only thing we cannot buy more of, but we can freeze it with photography. A photog...

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...

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...

We had no idea when we originally started this series in April 2020 with Em from Emulsive that it would still be going strong 50 interviews later. This week's interviewee Debra Wilson was already on our radar before being nominated by Margaret Fitzgerald last month. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? I chose this image of Another Place on Crosby beach.  I don’t often get to the sea so although the setting is not typical for m...

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 ...

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 ...

We first met Lucy Ridges a few years ago virtually via social media and then in person at The Photography Show and have always admired her work. Her #MyFilmStory video gave us a bit more of a view into who she is and why she shoots film and this In Focus interview builds on that. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? This is one of my favourite shots from my most recent project, Water’s Edge, released earlier this year. It’s an...

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...

We asked you to share a shot taken at the resolution (film speed or format) you shoot at most often for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme of  #myresolution. @DrMarsRover I photograph with 120 most often. Dahlias on Delta 3200 #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #myresolution   luisvioque #hasselbladxpan #xpan #panorama #panoramiccamera #24x65 #horizonperfekt #panoramicphoto #ilfordphoto #ilfordfilm #bnw_landscape #trakai #bnw_landscapes #panoramic #mediumformat #24x65  #fridayfav...

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:...

We asked you to show us your #sprockets for our latest #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme.  It's fantastic to see so many of you shooting black and white 35mm films in such variety of cameras and formats. @itsnotaphoto  A 126 cartridge reloaded with 35mm FP4 Plus to make a diptych complete with #sprocket holes, shot in a Kodak Instamatic 25. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #sprockets   @bsanfordjr Captured my son pole vaulting using HP5 Plus. Then made a print on Ilford MGRC 8x10 glossy ...

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...

3700 ANALOGUE STILL IMAGES TO MAKE A 3 MINUTE VIDEO Much before the concept for Better Man music-video took shape, its inception had started with the purchase of a Nikon F5 camera body. Arguably the fastest SLR ever made. One of the main features of this immaculate beast is an automatic film advancement system that can fire at an astonishing speed of 8 frames per second. - Accurately and continuously. That means it is nearly as fast as an early 20th Century “motion picture” camera (silent-era movies we...

We hadn't seen much of Asa's work when she was nominated by Melanie King but we're so glad that she bought her to our attention. We hope that you enjoy her images and finding out more about them. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? I use a large format monorail camera and shoot on Ilford HP5 Plus 5x4” sheet film. This photograph was shot in Italy during an artist residency at the British School at Rome in 2016. I went there to ...

Our 56th In Focus interview is with Brazilian experimental photographer Breno Barros. Nominated by Clara Araujo, Breno shoot underwater portraits on film searching for experiential processes that defy traditional photography boundaries. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you Multiple-exposure for the project “La boutique de l’âme” using Mamiya M645 and Ilford HP5+ My favourite image using Ilford film is due to an experimen...

In March 2020 we issued a statement in relation to instances of spots / mottle affecting a small percentage of 120 roll film negatives. The quality of our products and the satisfaction of our customers is paramount and something the ILFORD name has been built on for over 140 years. Our R&D team were tasked with resolving this issue and so we would like to update you as to what they have been up to. With your help we have been able to more accurately track and identify instances of spots / mottle o...

As a child I fell in love with the magic of the darkroom and of making Gelatin Silver prints. Watching a print develop fascinated me. In high school I had access to a darkroom working with 620 film (2.25 X 3.25 inch roll film.) and, consequently, I studied photography at Rochester Institute of Technology, School of Photography & Syracuse University School of Journalism. Studying with art-photographer Minor White opened my eyes to using photography as an art form. Minor helped me see beyond the objective...

My Approach It was during a group exhibition that I discovered the practice of cyanotype. The Espace Liberté Gallery located in Crest in the south of France is a contemporary art space open to all graphic and plastic disciplines. The theme proposed by Au Jour le Jour was an ephemeris where 31 chosen artists (painters, illustrators, photographers, plastic artists) had to illustrate 12 randomly selected dates with their art. Two constraints were imposed: a maximum size of 20cm on each side and the same sell...

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...

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 ...

My name is Jason Avery and I am an analogue landscape photographer based in East Anglia England. I have been working with film for a few years now, learning my craft as an artist. One of the many reasons why I decided to choose film instead of digital as a medium for my work was the darkroom experience. I have heard the quote “The darkroom is a magical place” over and over again and I can safely say that that is totally true. I have been hooked since the moment I developed my first print in my tiny dark...

Decisions. Some are small. Some are life-changing. We make them subconsciously. We make them intentionally. But either way we choose a path. There’s always an upside and always a downside. Most importantly, we look for promise in the upside, and we try and glean some value from the downside, but we can never escape the moment of decision. Ilford-FP4-Plus-Leica-M7-90mm-Leitz-Canada-Elmarit Seize the opportunity In the fall of 2019, I had to decide whether to say yes to a guy’s trip to Wyoming with ...

Shawn Pridgen is our 59th In Focus interview. A documentary photographer who owns a small business that focuses on the racial equality, Shawn actively contributes his work to local nonprofits, activist organizations and corporate entities whose mission statements align with his own. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? I haven't shot it yet.... Just in case anyone doesn’t know who you are or what you do can you give us the over...

This is a story about serendipity, generosity, community, and several rolls of Ilford FP4 film. It begins in April 2020, during our first Covid-19 lockdown when a request from a sibling for an old family photo led me to dig around in my messy 35mm archive. I discovered quite a few forgotten negatives and slides from my life during the 1970’s, when I was young and single. They had been randomly stored and dragged around in house moves whilst I focussed on marriage, motherhood and a career in Social Work. E...

My love of black and white photography started back in college processing and printing images. The film of choice being FP4. and printing fibre based prints. In the beginning as a photographer most of my work was B/W. Spending much time in the dark room printing. Unfortunately time was something that was running out. As a professional you have the the funds but you don’t have the time. So I moved away from printing for a while and concentrated on shooting. Another-day-in-the-office One thing I learne...

My Graflex RB series B is an inspiring and challenging camera. It promises great results but doesn't give them easily. Graflex RB Series B A lesser-known Graflex Graflex is an American camera manufacturer well known for its 4x5” press cameras, such as the Graflex Speed Graphic. Those are large-format range-finder cameras that were popular in the 40s and 50s. This Graflex, on the other hand, is an earlier single-lens reflex camera and one from which Victor Hasselblad drew his inspiration. My Graflex ...

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...

This weeks #fridayfavourites theme had to be #filmpinhole, as it was World Pinhole Photography on the 24th of April. No time better than now to celebrate and share all of your pinhole photography. Just a reminder! Use our hashtags #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites plus that week's tag, but also don't forget to let us know which film you have used. @apkeedle Replying to @ILFORDPhoto Pinhole images on @ILFORDPhoto film you say? I'm might just be able to scrabble something together ? RSS 6x6 pinhole Ilford...

Who are you? What’s your job title HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here? My name is Hannah Gross and I am one of the newest members of the team at HARMAN Technology. I started working here two months ago, and my job title is ‘Digital Marketing Assistant’. HP5 + Tell us a little about your day to day role. As I have been here for such a small amount of time, I am still learning and getting used to my day to day role. I work within a small team, mainly helping and assisting where n...

We are pleased to announce another dedicated* ULF campaign for our ILFORD ORTHO PLUS film this Spring. This represents a short but exciting window of opportunity to source non-stock sizes of a unique and wonderful film with a variety of applications. ILFORD ORTHO PLUS is an extremely fine grain, sharp, orthochromatic film that is used in both technical and photographic applications. This including medical and scientific use, the copy of negatives and the creation of stunning images. As a well-establi...

Waves Of raw Emotion The pandemic hit me in the same sudden and devastating way as most people I knew. Without warning, the world as we knew it came to a screeching halt and there was nothing anyone could do about it. During the first few weeks my friends and I rode waves of raw emotion. We cooked extravagant dinners and drank way too much wine. We cried, laughed until we started crying again, and tried to make light of a dark situation that we were convinced would be over soon. And on it went, day after d...

Distractions To A Minimum Whether I’m taking pictures of friends, my dogs, travel, a model, or a movie star, my goal is to make the process as simple as possible, and to keep my distractions to a minimum. While on set of a campaign shoot a few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with the talent, and he asked me how I got into photography. A question I’ve been asked before but never really gave serious thought to. Andrew Garfield. Vanity Fair - Oscars - Beverly Hills. First Meaningful Interacti...

Jamal Martin My name is Jamal Martin, and I am a 24 year old documentary photographer/filmmaker based in Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana. I started shooting film and in the style of documenting when I came across the work of Andre Wagner. I had never seen this style of photography let alone a black man thriving while doing it. Instantly I was hooked and my journey began in the summer of 2020. Freeze In the Frame This set of images has to be one of my favourites from a roll. These images were shot ...

British Culture Archive If you go to the Refuge in Manchester, you’ll find an exhibition of photographs by the renowned photographer, Tish Murtha, and a selection of my work from East Manchester. This is the latest exhibition from the British Culture Archive, but there’s more than photographs on show. It’s a commentary that began forty years ago when Tish Murtha took photographs in Elswick, Newcastle. It was taken up twenty years later when I took these photographs in East Manchester and the story ca...

Our Ultra Large Format (ULF) campaign is back for the 17th year in a row. For the 17th consecutive year, we're giving photographers the opportunity to order selected custom sizes of ILFORD sheet film and other specialist products without the constraints of the usual minimum order quantity. We know many of you look forward to this and, despite the delays caused by COVID-19, we remain committed to running this campaign. ULF photographers have until Friday 19th August 2022 to place their orders with pa...

My Relationship With Streetball I love street basketball. The competition, the intense arguments and the handshakes at the end where all signs of aggression dissipate. I love the environment in which these scenes take place. From the frayed nets, the cracked asphalt, to the uneven rims, there's something compelling about basketball courts that haven’t seen repair since the day they were laid. But the true beauty of streetball happens on the sidelines between games. Here, in the waiting, is the vibrance: ...

Always watchful As a woman, out and about taking photographs on my own, I try to take care not to put myself at any unnecessary risk. I’m always watchful of anyone taking the wrong kind of interest in me or my gear. I shouldn’t have to worry about things like that but sadly, that’s how life is. When I go out, I don’t have any expectations of what I’m going to shoot that day because I never know what, or who, will turn up. Blending In Through my passion for street photography, I am very inter...

Small Fishing Village My Name is Austen Goldsmith I live on top of a hill on the outskirts of a small fishing Village in Cornwall. When a big storm approaches it means many things. It means I will have a bad nights sleep listening to the sound of the roof tiles rattling above my head. It also means that I will have a day off from my work as a fisherman. Most importantly it means I can pack a few rolls of film into my rucksack, figure out when the light will be best and what beach will have the best opportu...

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...

How It Began When Covid-19 started, I had just made plans to follow the Bristol Roller Derby team around the UK to shoot their games. I suddenly had no focus for my photography and I wanted to make sure that I had a project to work on. I also wanted to do something with the LGBTQ+ community. In Bristol and had been photographing a friend during their transition. I thought, maybe as lockdown lifts people will want to get out and have their portraits taken. And that is how the idea for the project came about...

We are now in the midst of summer, so it is the perfect time to share your #slowfilm shots in this weeks #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites.   @ceasar614 Replying to @ILFORDPhoto ILFORD Delta 400. 15 sec shot with a Holga 120N. A little movement at the end to add effect. #slowfilm #fridayfavourite #ilforddelta400   @Virgil_Roger Replying to @ILFORDPhoto I guess the slowest film you fine people make is #ilfordphoto #panf+ which I do love. Here's @CharlesPietri shooting his hasselblad in L...

When I told my friend that I was going to write a piece explaining why I chose to shoot the Pride event in Salem, Massachusetts in black and white, she just laughed and told me to get on my soapbox. I'm not sure what a soap box is but if it helps me explain why I think that black and white film is incredibly important as a medium and not “old fashioned” as some think, then I'm on it. Bring me a soapbox! How it Started This started when I posted a photo on Instagram of a couple sharing a kiss at the ...

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon so I decided to take a walk to Alexandra Park, south of Manchester city centre.  A cricket match was under way when I wandered through the park gates and I settled down near the boundary with an ice cream to watch.  The batsmen were well on top and quite a few sixes and fours whizzed by.  All the players looked Pakistani and as I lay there I listened to the waiting batsmen chatting in Urdu. At four o’ clock forty overs were up, and six wickets were down for 256 runs.�...

Introducing Hilary Freed, our 11th Behind the Film interview. Hilary is one of our newer team members who took over from Mike Bain as our Country Manager for the US and Canada. Who are you? What’s your job title at Harman Technology and how long have you worked here? My name is Hilary Freed, I’m the Country Manager for the US and Canada. I started with Harman just 6 months ago, replacing a man who was retiring after being with the company for 34 years.  I took that as a good sign! Tell us a little a...

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...

Part 1: We’re Going to Be Friends My story with Ilford SFX began as many stories do: an impulsive act. I saw it while standing in line at my favorite camera store. Small boxes stacked neatly in a bin. Pattern and repetition. White, black, and purple. Great marketing at work. In hyper-cut scenes that would make Edgar Wright jealous, ten boxes of 120 film were in two rows in front of the clerk. He peered across the counter at me. He looked at the two rows of film and raised his eyebrows as if he was get...

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...

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...

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 ...

4th of July weekend It all started with a single roll of 120 ILFORD HP5+ film and a Rolleiflex 3.5F over the Independence Day weekend which fell on a Monday this year. It was the Friday of that long holiday weekend and I loaded the roll of film in the Rolleiflex and took the camera for a ride to McIntosh Lake in Longmont Colorado (USA) in the hopes of finding worthwhile photo subjects. My goal was to find street portraits and storytelling photographs. What it became over the next ten weeks is the Longmo...

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 ...

Some of the reasons that make me want to come back every year Barcelona has undoubtedly become one of my favorite destinations to visit during spring. Its perfect Mediterranean weather, the skate sessions with my friends at some of the best skate spots in the world, the long walks around the city photographing its streets and architecture, the launches of new exhibitions in different galleries, its gastronomy, and of course, the concerts and festivals that take place during that time, such as the Primavera...

The year 2000 The first time I photographed skateboarding was in the year 2000, following around a boy I liked with a disposable camera. My equipment and film stocks have gotten better over the last two decades, and my girlhood crush has been replaced by a deep passion for capturing the unique poses of skateboarders and their culture and community. Dancer suspended in space I don’t know the names of most of the tricks the skaters I photograph are attempting. I’m half-listening when someone tries to...

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...

"Wait, are you shooting film?" That's the usual question I get at an event I shoot. I started shooting sports at the same time that I even started taking photos at all. My plan was to be a documentary filmmaker, travel the world with a backpack and sleep on random couches and see how far $20 could get me. I was in an MMA gym filming and during breaks, I would randomly take a photo here and there, for no other reason than boredom. I wasn't ever going to be a photographer, who cares? Jake Paul - Cano...

Portrayal Of Musicians I’m not sure which came first, my love of photography or my love of music. Growing up in the Boston area, I was fortunate to be immersed in both. Whether it be standing in awe at the beauty of Alfred Steiglitz’s work on display at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts or being immersed in the local music scene, spending time with the likes of Bonnie Raitt or Aerosmith, these two passions seemed to run in parallel for me. As time progressed my photography, and music connections led me...

Countless Day's Of Shooting It was more than 2 years ago, that I had the initial idea for this project. Now, after countless days of shooting film, often while on the water, and hours spent edition and choosing images ‘No Place Like Home’ is a book I can be proud of. Committing Entirely To The Wave "I felt that there was something that I needed to explore when I shot some of the first rolls of black & white HP5+ film at one of the local surfspots. Shooting everything on film, as opposed to di...

Abstract Concepts Often times, I come up with ethereal and abstract concepts for my artwork. However, I noticed that my techniques and skills in the darkroom did not match up to my artistic output. Which is such a shame. I wanted to do something about it. It is like having the urge to do a back flip but not having the progressed workouts to help you get there. My name is Zain Al Khalifa, I use film photography as a base for my artwork. I like darkroom printing and I wanted to share an experience with yo...

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...

How It Began Queering Rural Spaces began as I was personally starting to think about where my wife and I would settle down to start our family. A part of me missed living on a farm. However, I wasn’t sure I would feel safe being in an openly gay relationship in a rural area. So I began to look for and talk to people who were already living those experiences. For the past two years I have been meeting and photographing LGBTQIA+ farmers who live or work on a farm in rural areas of the United States. S...

Our 66th In Focus interview is with Danish photographer Lea Elm who is a writer living in England. Find out why analogue and instant camera's became an epiphany within Lea's work. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? World - Museum -Liverpool - 2019 - HP5+ It was hard to pick just one but I decided on this one taken in 2019 on my first, and so far only, trip to Liverpool. Rachel Brewster-Wright (of @LittleVintagePhotography)...

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...

There was a lot of interest in this shot when it was shared on our Instagram feed, so we asked Kim Mimnaugh & Jess Martineau to tell us a bit more about it. Image Title Water Goddess:Triple Exposure Technical Info Film Used ILFORD HP5+ Format 120 Camera Hasselblad 501 CM Lens 150mm Exposure time 3 exposures on one piece of film 1/60th at f8 Other equipment Studio stand, sekonic flash meter, black velvet for the background Speedotron location lighting kit, one strobe set at 400 WS with...

The Young Family In a small town in Russia, a couple became the parents of a baby girl. The young family embarked on a journey, forced to address the couple's relationship, parenting, a new economic life, difficulty, and the struggle for survival. They decide to begin a new life. They sit in a library, explore an old globe to search for a better place to continue the dream from which they were created, seeking a place close to earth, mountains, water, and sky. ILFORD FP4+ The Dream I join their dream...

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...

'What are you doing?' After 25 years it still catches me off guard. Because my work happens in public spaces, the answer comes often and without pause. Men walking by the scene will change direction and make their way to within a meter of my tripod. While to me it is evidently clear, to the viewers it is understandably strange. For my portraits of girls in rural India, this is supremely true. To set the scene, we are using medium format gear mounted on a tripod, speaking with the children being photographe...

We speak to Lauz Cam, who is our 67th In Focus interviewee. Laura is a London-based self-taught photographer. Her love for film photography started through her budding interest in vintage cameras and has grown ever since. Laura intends to keep analog photography alive by capturing portraits of individuals in a nostalgic way. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? I think my one of my favourite images is this self-portrait as it was ...

Bombay Beach In 2011 I was living in San Francisco,CA making my way through a graduate program in Photography. Working on my thesis afforded me the opportunity to venture around the state of California. I traveled a lot. I went to the top of the state, the far corners, all over really. On one trip, I drove down to the Salton Sea, an almost forgotten place south of Palm Springs and the Coachella valley. It was a fascinating adventure. I remember driving through Bombay Beach, one of the small remaining towns...

Yosemite National Park Let me take you back to the beginning of 2022, where my year started with an exciting adventure. I had the opportunity to take a trip to California, and my destination was Yosemite National Park. As a film photographer, I knew this was a location that held great significance. It was home to the Ansel Adams gallery and had a reputation for being an iconic spot to capture some breathtaking photographs. I had seen some of Ansel's prints online, but nothing could compare to seeing the or...

For our 68th In Focus interview, we speak to landscape photographer Bill Brooks. Bill enjoys photographing the landscape. He is particularly interested in how it has been affected by those who have gone before us and how it impacts the lives of those who occupy it today. His work is influenced by painters and writers as well as other photographers. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? A recent favourite is Sullington Yew, from my ...

'The Uphill Battle', by photographer Joe Shapiro received a lot of attention when we shared his image over on our Instagram. So we decided to contact him to learn more about his process. Image Title The Uphill Battle Technical info Film Used ILFORD Delta 400 Format Medium Camera Pentax 67ii Lens SMC Pentax 67 1:2.8 90mm Exposure time 1/500 f5.6 (if I remember correctly) Other equipment My hands and eyes Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it? To the ...

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...

Postcards From The Past Would you like your pictures to still be looked at, and maybe even revered, in fifty years from now? One likely route to such success is to document our ‘built environment’ - the buildings that surround us all. From Eugène Atget’s time onwards photographs of our town and cityscapes have become objects of fascination and information for later generations. And buildings really do come and go remarkably quickly - even great ones - and in just a few years our photographs of them ...

Why pinhole photography? This is a question I’m often asked, by fellow photographers and complete strangers alike. Using a beautiful wooden Ondu camera, I began exploring the world of slow photography about five years ago. The moment I saw my first developed negatives I knew I’d found a glimpse of photographic heaven. This started my obsession with this ancient form of imaging. As you’ll see, my love of this medium has many facets – the creative possibilities, the look and even the image making pro...

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...

Introducing our 15th interviewee and one of Film Finishing's newest team members, Paul Cliff. Who are you? What’s your job title at HARMAN technology and how long have you worked here? My name is Paul Cliff and I have been with the company since February 2023. Tell us a little about your day to day role. I work on our 120 roll film spooling machines. I love everything about it. It’s been like taking control of a classic car, learning all its idiosyncrasies and intricacies; it’s an absolute mar...

By Early Afternoon In 1997, while on assignment in Thailand, someone told me that one of the Thai borders with Cambodia was open and letting some people pass by. As a freelance journalist, I realized the opportunity and as soon as I finished my assignment, investigated the possibility of going to Cambodia. I knew that the UN Peace-Keeping Forces were in Cambodia and the Pol Pot army had mostly surrendered. But that was about it. It took me about two days to decide and prepare myself to go to Cambodia. W...

Our 2023 Ultra Large Format (ULF) campaign is now open For the 18th consecutive year, we're giving any photographers with the many vintage, collectable, and home-made cameras out there the opportunity to order selected custom sizes of ILFORD sheet film and other specialist products without the constraints of the usual minimum order quantities. You have until until Friday 7th July 2023 to place any orders with participating resellers. When will I receive my order? We will start to ship orders to ...

«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...

Gosia Janik gives us the lowdown on how she captured this striking portrait. Image Title Xu Jing Technical Info Film Used ILFORD HP5+ Format Medium format 6x5 Camera Mamiya 645 AFD Lens Mamiya 80mm f2.8 Exposure time 1/60 Location Home/studio in Madrid Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it? I often work with “new faces” - models that are sent to me by agencies to shoot a session for building or renovating their portfolio. Xu was sent to me by...

Fascinated By Portraiture Ever since I´m shooting photos I am fascinated by portraiture. There is something special to photograph a person. It´s always a very intimate moment and you have to build a relationship to each person that is in front of the camera. After shooting 35mm for a while I wanted to try something new. Inspired by Nick Brandt and his wildlife portraits in "Across the Ravaged Land", I found out that he uses a Pentax 67 including a 105 2.4 lens for his absolutely outstanding work. Long st...

Introducing our 71st In Focus interviewee, Malik Rainey. Malik specialises in editorial and social documentary photography. However, Malik only became hooked on film when his friend Teo traded him his Pentax P30T for his bike. Section 1 - Background Share your favorite image/print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you. This image is an all-timer for me! I always find myself returning to this image because it’s perfect, from the little girl smiling directly at me to the boys playing baske...

It makes us so happy that you enjoy shooting ILFORD FP4+ as much as we, as you demonstrated for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme being #madewithfp4. @JeremyCalow. One of my favourite shots with FP4+ “The Crew” #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #madewithfp4   @kostamuksendee. #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #madewithfp4. I feel nostalgic sharing these FP4+ photos of Helsinki summer. This is when we would enjoy bathing in the sun (but in shades of course), before diving into...

Queer Representation I made the first photograph for The Queering of Photography in 2015. I had recently begun my doctoral studies and there I was, in the Royal College of Art studios, trying to make a start with an academic project on queer representation. My friend Ruth had agreed to sit for me and together we set up the studio. Once I placed a piece of masking tape on the floor, Ruth positioned themselves just behind, ready for the first frame. I had brought with me a handful of printouts from photobook...

We loved seeing your take on #depthoffield for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites. You have all captured such beautiful images, making it incredibly hard to choose from.   @sbills15. Hasselblad 500CM and 120CFi lens with 56MM extension tube. ILFORD Delta 400 was the film I used. Printed on ILFORD MG FB Classic 11x14 paper. Aperture set at F/8 #depthoffield #lfordphoto #fridayfavourites #hasselbald500CM @Hasselblad   @paidwithstrawberries. Olympus OM101 • ILFORD Delta 3200. ...

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...

This week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme is #panfonfilm. ILFORD PANF+ proudly claims its position as the slowest-speed film in our plus range; its high contrast, smooth tonality, and fine detail make it a favourite with many portrait and landscape photographers. @sbills15. I I happened to see this scene walking around campus at work. Love these results I got using PanF Plus in my Hasselblad 500CM. I added a 16MM extension tube onto my 120MM CFi lens to get a bit closer. #panfonfilm #fridayfavour...

“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...

 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...

1969 After too short a visit to Athens’s Parthenon in 1964, I vowed to return soon. By 1969 I was standing on the deck of a wave tossed Yugoslavian freighter with my back to New York City. Watching the grey, stormy, November Atlantic from the quiet of the Navigation Bridge was a peaceful retreat. Our first port-of-call was Casablanca. As a travel companion I had Greek philosopher Nikos Kazantzakis's book, Report to Greco, basically a story of Kazantzakis's search for his identity. It seemed a good read...

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...

Fading From View My project “Extinct" aims to highlight our quickly vanishing natural world. Just as photographs can fade over time, so many species on our planet are also permanently fading from view. The delicate chemical process of film photography I have chosen highlights the fragility of the medium as well as the state of existence of the species portrayed. Compositions bare the mark of their making. The edges of the frames are vanishing. Imperfections are left on view. As analogue photography is...

We really enjoy theme free weeks like this one where we don't set you a theme for our #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites and instead ask you to share any image made with our products. @davejsherwood  A shot of The Shard and London Bridge for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #themefree. Shot on #delta3200, which I'll be using to document Castlerigg Stone Circle this coming week. filmphotokkg Ryota #darkroom #silvergelatin #analogmagazine #ilfordphoto #ilfordfp4 #leicafilmfriday #leicafilmfrien...

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...

Something that I love For the longest time I was aware that I had difficulties reading, writing, and understanding certain things, but it was only when I was diagnosed with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia that is became clear why this was. I have enjoyed the art of photography for so many years and after a triple bypass surgery in 2019, I made the decision to return to college and learn at a professional level something that I love. 500 ELM Hasselblad camera I enrolled in the photography division, at OCC (Orange...

Allow us to introduce Mandyleft, our 73rd featured artist in our "In Focus" series. Mandyleft is a talented film photographer known for her deep passion for connecting with people, a quality that has immersed her in the vibrant film community. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE/PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU. I took this photo in a hotel in London. It was a very exciting weekend. I had just been to the theatre and then I had been shooting around the West End...

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...

Portraits Of Strangers I’ve always been fascinated with people on the street and how they carry themselves. Their faces, body language, the clothes they wear - everyone’s walking around with their own unique story, and I can’t help but be curious. I've spent a lot of time working with non-actors in commercials and documentaries, which has been a crash course in connecting with people quickly. It’s not your typical "stand here, do this" directing. It's about getting real people to open up in front o...

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...

A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who emerged from the shadows to participate in this week's eerily captivating #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme, #halloweenonfilm. The entries for this week were truly outstanding, making the task of narrowing them down exceptionally challenging. Please take a moment to have a look at some of our favourites. @PhotoGaet. A creepy misty night in the park. Shot on ILFORD Delta 100 Bronica SQ-A #ilfordphoto #fridayfavorites #delta100   @davejsherwood...

Sharing Our Experience One Day At A Time Boys is an arts project that has run for the past 3 years in Damien John Kelly House (DJK), a recovery community for men based in Liverpool 15. Offering a program of support based in the arts, sport and culture. We celebrate our community, explore individuality whilst documenting our personal growth and shared experience. Applying recovery values of willingness, honesty, and open mindedness within a creative setting. Marrying up the transferable benefits and lessons...

Camera And Us Once I started shooting film, I decided to start creating some photography projects. My first photographic project was called: 'Camera and Us.' This project documented people on the street and which camera they used. I chose to use a film camera to capture all kinds of people with their cameras on the street. Once I approached them, I told them my photographic intentions. We would have a simple chat to make them feel comfortable and more importantly, for them to consent to be photographed. ...

We are now heading to HARMAN Lab to speak to Charlie Hill , our 16th Behind the Film interview. Charlie works as a Photo Lab Technician here at HARMAN Technology. Find out more about what his role entails. WHO ARE YOU? WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE AT HARMAN TECHNOLOGY AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE? My name is Charlie Hill, I have worked as a Photo Lab Technician since April 2023. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR DAY TO DAY ROLE. My day-to-day role revolves around Harman Lab where we offer B&W and colou...

Step into Simon Auger's world as he unveils an intimate view of his creative process and the intricate techniques that birthed this stunning architectural masterpiece in this 'How I Got This Picture' interview. IMAGE TITLE Downtown Toronto #2 2023 TECHNICAL INFO Film Used ILFORD HP5+ shot at 1600 ISO. FORMAT 35mm. Camera Nikon F3. Lens 17mm Tokina Prime Lens. Exposure time Can't Remember. Location This shot was taken looking up into the mist-covered buildings at the intersection of King s...

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�...

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...

Stave Lake Historical Powerhouse One of the genres of photography that I seldom get to experience is that of industrial photography. However, there is one exception in my vicinity at the Stave Lake Historical Powerhouse - a national historic site of Canada, which started producing hydro-electric power in the early 20th century until a modern replacement in the year 2000 took over the job. Perhaps growing up on the prairie has instilled in me an affinity for industrial machinery and when I found a historica...

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...

Meet Lindsey Campbell, the SHE manager at HARMAN Technology and our 17th featured guest in the 'Behind The Film' interview series. WHO ARE YOU? WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE HARMAN TECHNOLOGY AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE? I’m Lindsey – the SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) Manager. I came to HARMAN in 2020, just before the pandemic hit, so have been here for four years. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR DAY TO DAY ROLE. It’s something of a cliché, but every day really is different. There are day-to-d...

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 ...

Asphalt Kingdom When I was 15 I picked up my mum’s old and now scarcely used Soligor TM (a cheap 35mm SLR). Having seen a few friends shoot colour film on disposables, I remember thinking “I like how it looks but do they even make film anymore?”. I spoke to my step-dad about where I might find some of this film and he quickly pointed me in the direction of ILFORD, a film manufacturer who’s film he’d stood by for many-a-year (something I’m intent on standing by too). A google search and three cl...

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...

Inheritance The thing nobody really tells you about when it comes to inheriting a legacy is the weight of it, and what follows the inevitable acceptance of it. My late grandfather Hendrikus Goris was an avid film photographer in his early 20’s - much like myself. I recently had the privilege of scanning and archiving some incredible images from his earlier years, 30+ rolls of film documenting family life with some rather editorial styled portraits sprinkled in. Most of them were shot on ILFORD film in ...

'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...

We speak to Ki Price, who is this week's In Focus interview. Ki is a specialist photographer renowned for capturing celebrities, portraits, and fashion. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE/PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU. Tess Parks My favourite image that I have taken is of singer, Tess Parks. I contacted her on Instagram and said, ‘can we do a shoot if you are ever in London?’ She replied and said, ‘I’m in London at the moment.’ I decided to shoot ...

The Outcome I am known as a black and white Photographer. I always prefer shooting in black and white. It helps me convey the concept of the image formed in my mind , through my photography. Another reason that always motivates me is the precedence of form over colour. However, sometimes I choose to shoot in colour to see the different outcome's. The outcome is usually that I should never shoot in colour because the type of light I shoot with isn't usually compatible for colour photography. My Favouri...

How I Shoot Early in my photography career I gravitated towards film images and medium format cameras. My go-to cameras are the Mamiya RZ67 and Hasselblad 500CM. I love the slow, more hands-on experience of shooting medium format and film. I trust my instincts and set up the shot with more thought and intent when shooting with film over digital. Each Image Is Important Working with models, the feedback I get is that they feel more connected and find it to be a wonderful collaborative experience. This...

A 10 Day Journey After getting home from Scotland in April of 2023, I was left with a good problem – I had way too many images that I loved. A month before, I had taken my Fuji TX1 panoramic camera, and a bag full of ILFORD Delta 400 and 3200, and walked from Milngavie to Loch Ness, a roughly 156 mile route using the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way. Nights were spent in tents, days were long and energizing, and photographic scenes seemed to be in no short supply at every bend in the trail. Disti...

Introducing our 75th In Focus interview and our analogue community grant winner, Federico Pestilli. Pestilli was born in Rome and became interested in documentary-style of photography, focusing on irony that unites people, places and symbols with each other. Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? Heritage - Arianna - Cocullo, Italy - Pentax 67, 135mm lens - HP5+ This is an image of Arianna, a snake handler from the town of Cocul...

Our theme this week for #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites was #home. This was the theme for last year's student photographic competition. We wanted to see your take on this theme.  @martintype. Here’s when I know I’m home, whenever I see the Wearmouth Bridge. Seen here in the fog of a sea fret one night, on HP5+ pushed as always. #fridayfavourites #ilfordphoto #sunderland #home @Rafterman99 3 photos that make me think of #Home shot on #ilfordphoto Hp-5 #Fridayfavourites #ilfordphoto #home ...

Environmental Portraits I started my analogue black and white portraits of artists in spring 2021, the second year of the pandemic. I wanted to photograph actors in Berlin over a longer period of time. This was the right moment because theaters were closed and filming of movies had largely been stopped. I decided to shoot some kind of “environmental portraits” in public spaces. I wanted the location to be part of the portrait. In addition, local health restrictions back then allowed gatherings of exact...

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...

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...

2024 ULTRA LARGE FORMAT (ULF) AND CUSTOM FILM CAMPAIGN IS NOW OPEN It's that time of year where we once again give any photographers with the many vintage, collectible, and home-made cameras out there the opportunity to order selected custom sizes of ILFORD ultra large format sheet film and other specialist products without the constraints of the usual minimum order quantities. You have until Saturday 1st June 2024 to place orders with participating resellers. WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY ORDER? We ...

We caught up with the incredible Jane Meling to unveil the secrets behind her breathtaking panoramic landscape masterpiece! Join us as we unravel the secrets in our exclusive 'How I Got this Picture' series. Image Title River Of Light TECHNICAL INFO Film Used ILFORD FP4 Plus Format 120/617 Camera Linhof Technorama 617s III Lens Schneider 250mm Tele-Xenar Exposure time 1 second Other equipment Gitzo Explorer Tripod, Lee 100 red filter Location Ober Goms, Geschinen, Valais, Switzerland F...

Our brand new, worldwide, student competition 'Pride and Prejudice,' (A reflection on the world today),  is now open for entries. We can't wait to see how you interpret this challenging theme. PRIDE & PREJUDICE -  The brief Borrowing the title from Austen's classic novel, we want to see how you interpret its central themes of Pride and Prejudice and how it is reflected in the today's world. Morality, social standing, race, religion, sexuality - we want to see the world through your lens. We are loo...

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...

Is a Photograph a Photograph if it Was Not Made with a Camera, Lens, or Negative? The ethereal color palette and expressionistic qualities of the work I have been making with ILFORD's photographic paper seemingly resemble the representations of light and color as seen in many landscape paintings (think J.M.W. Turner, Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole); however, the work in my on-going project, I Thought You Left / I Wish You Were Here, are lumen prints—a form of camera-less photography where objects or a neg...

Film: ILFORD Delta 100 - Camera: Minolta X-370s - Cemitério dos Prazeres, Lisbon. Hatching The story of my involvement with film photography is also a story of rebirth. I was first born and raised in Brazil, in an arid and hot region known by the motto “land of light”, but I was then born again under my current name, Laura, just a few months before moving to Lisbon, Portugal. As any transgender person should know, having your new identity accepted by previous family members, acquaintances, can be an...

World Pinhole Day was on the 28th of April, to celebrate we wanted you to share your best pinhole images for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites, with the # being #worldpinholeonilford. @PlantingCabbag1. Photo of my friend Kwang, on #ilfordphoto MG RC paper using a homemade stereoscopic camera. Two pinholes capture two images from slightly different perspectives, merged in StereoPhotoMaker. Looks 3D when seen through red-blue glasses #fridayfavourites #worldpinholeonilford. ...

Perhaps best known for working at The Darkroom Lab, this week we talked to Trev Lee about his film photography. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? ILFORD FP4+ One of my all time favorite shots on ILFORD film was captured on FP4 Plus 125 with a Nikon FM3A and Ultron 40mm. It is a shot I have taken before on HP5+ a couple months prior - I love the texture of the tree which is framed by the squiggly lines of a a bicycle rack bu...

Thank you for such beautiful entries for this week's #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites theme which was #natureonilford. @Kirigir77434381 #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites #natureonilford. Speedgraphic, Ross xpress 6 1/2inch F4.5, F5.6, 1/30sec, Ilford FP4+, Tokyo pyro, TPfix, Kodak mobile film scanner.   @PlantingCabbag1. A particularly overgrown corner of the Botanic Gardens, Kolkata. Orthochromatic film makes greenery look even more magical and mysterious… #ilfordphoto Ortho 80 developed in ...

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...

What would happen if I dedicated myself entirely to film photography? More then a year ago I had this idea in my head. What would happen if I dedicated myself entirely to film photography? After 10 years of being a sidekick to my creative output, I felt the need to give more attention to my analogue passion and the desire to change my creative habits. To challenge myself. To no longer rely on the vague promise of the digital safety net of mass storage and a camera screen that promises instant judgement of ...

Introducing Susie Jones, our 78th In Focus interviewee. Susie is an artist, songwriter and musician based in the Northwest of England, find out why analogue photography is her latest expression. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? Jumping straight in with the difficult questions here. I find it impossible to choose favourite images, it constantly changes. We see so much of ourselves and our current state in images and how we rela...

We are guessing you are as excited as we are about this week's 'How I Got This Picture' interview with Amir Amiri. Discover how Amir creates this phenomenal long exposure dance shots. Image Title Reverie TECHNICAL INFO FILM USED Kentmere Pan 100 Format 35mm Camera Canon A1 Lens 50mm f1.8 Exposure Time Between 10 to 12 seconds Other Equipment 2 studio flashes and one tripod FIRSTLY, TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THIS IMAGE. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO SHOOT IT? I was trying to make som...

“You learned the Mr. Miyagi way” Hi, Carlos here, my story with film photography started in the mid 90’s. I learned from one of my neighbours, a former engineer that dropped his career to become a professional fashion photographer He had a nice studio, he was very technical and made me learn all the technicalities before I could even take photos. It was not much fun at first as I was a teenager eager to get out and just shoot photos. Well, my first assignment was to read The Zen in the Art of Archery...

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...

Winning The Competition I was in Oracabessa, Jamaica when I won this competition. My rollerskating community back in London was spreading the word far and wide about this vote at skate rinks and events, and amongst their family members and colleagues. I virtually reached out to nearly every person I’d ever met, asking them to help me win ILFORD'S Community Grant of £500 worth of film and equipment. That experience really showed me the power of community. Ever since then, I’ve been making this project ...

You may already be familiar with his work from his regular contributions to popular photography websites like 35mmc and Casual Photophile. We're excited to introduce our 79th In Focus interviewee, Sroyon Mukherjee. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? My favourite images tend to be of friends and family, but I’ll share an image that I like for its own sake (as opposed to purely personal or sentimental reasons). I...

I’m sure a lot of us are well aware of the amazing, historic spectacle UFC 300 turned out to be, but this road trip was much more than just that one night… Denver, Colorado I began the drive to Denver, CO from Austin, TX on March 20th, 2024. I had dates with 2 world-class and world-renowned MMA gyms with some of the best male and female mixed martial artists on the planet, High Altitude Martial Arts and Factory X Muay Thai. On the drive to Denver, I had the idea of doing a portrait series on film of a...

The struggle for life Black-and-white photography captures so much emotion, and nothing is more emotive than the struggle for life.  This insight led to the project GRAPPLERS ON FILM, where I use a number of vintage film cameras to capture the struggles of ordinary people training in the grappling arts of Judo, Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu. Zenza Bronica - ILFORD XP2 Submission For those not involved in the grappling forms of martial arts, the goal is to get a hold of your opponent and then force them to...

What is Reality? “Moon in the water, Flower in the mirror.” What is Reality? Whether what we are living now is the reflection of the reality or the reality itself? The age-old question has puzzled philosophers, scholars, and seekers of truth throughout the annals of time. Are we truly perceiving the world as it is, or are we merely encountering a reflection, a distortion of reality? To delve into the depths of this inquiry, we must embark on a journey through the corridors of history, traversing epochs...

This week in our In Focus interview, we speak with Michèl Passin, a Leipzig-based photographer and videographer specializing in portraiture and documentary work. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? This picture was taken for my project “18:09”. It was shot with a Mamiya 645 1000s on FP4+. After developing and scanning I was blown away how everything turned out. Everything came out the way I planned it. For me it’s just pe...

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...

Slowing things back down Although it’s been 28 years since I first stepped into a darkroom, there’s been a significant gap in time since the last time I stepped into one. I grew up at a particular transition time, like the horse to automobile, typewriter to computer, I started my journey into photography just before the digital camera started making its way into the market and pushing film aside. Even though instant gratification has its place, I still kept that romantic notion of one day getting back ...

My camera is a passport to a world of amazing discoveries My adventures began as a five year old. I started spending wondrous times with my dad in the quiet glow of his darkroom. I took great pride with my responsibility to gently rock the prints in the hypo tray. Ah, the sound of gurgling water and the warm orange glow from the safe lights. I was totally enthralled by seeing an image come alive in the developing tray...pure alchemy! It comes as no surprise when I say I frequently retreat to this magical z...

This was a theme free week for Friday favourites which means that any images made using our ILFORD or Kentmere  films or papers could be included. As always you shared a fantastic selection with us but we couldn't choose them all. These are our favourites. @Gravmadboris #ilfordphoto #fridayfavourites A stile that is a pain for me to navigate. Kentmere 400 Olympus OM101 50mm f/2 power focus lens @Bennyhillsmum The Queensferry Crossing. Leica M7 + Ilford HP5+ #believeinfilm #fridayfavorites #appicoft...

Originally from the south of France, nostalgic documentarian Larry Niehues joins us as our 81st In Focus interviewee. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? Shot on HP5+ in Bentonia, MS 2022. I love the composition, subjects and the fact that it is located at one of the last juke joint still operating in America, Blue Front Cafe. JUST IN CASE ANYONE DOESN’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT YOU DO, CAN YOU GIVE US THE ...

So, from the official ILFORD Photo website: It’s wide exposure latitude makes it a great choice for beginners, those returning to film as well as the more experienced professional users. With wide exposure latitude, ILFORD says that you can meter HP5+ from 400 to 3200 ISO1. Great, it's like you have it all in one roll, which is exactly why I love this thing so much. It can handle sunny days and midnight shots, of course, depending on which ISO you tell your camera (or hand-held light meter) you have th...

  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...

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...

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...

Happy Accidents For most people in the film community, double exposures are accidents. Happy accidents, sometimes, for sure, but accidents nonetheless. Of course, some people do film swaps, I've done a few and embraced the chaos of the results, but I never got an image out of a film swap that I truly loved. And yet there's something eminently compelling about double exposures. ILFORD FP4+ Photosynthesis Five years ago I started a project entitled Photosynthesis that used double exposures as a way to ...

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...

Say Hello Few people feel comfortable striking up a conversation with a person they haven’t previously met. I refrain from using the word “stranger” because the way I see it, we’re all fellow humans, potential acquaintances, possible friends. And who says they’re any stranger than I am? After all, I’m the one going up to people I meet in public asking to make their portrait. A camera in hand really is a magical device that allows us to meet almost anyone, anywhere. To approach them. Say hello. ...

A Revelation Just south of Sydney sitting on one of Australia’s most pristine coastlines you’ll find the regional city of Wollongong. Nestled within this city of surfers, coal miners and steelworkers you’ll find a group of students creating big things in a small darkroom. ‘Mez, I’ve been thinking a lot… I want to be a fine art black and white film photographer.’ These words from one of my TAFE NSW students, Sara, were delivered with a shakiness in her voice, utter passion in her heart, ...

We're thrilled to launch our brand new 'Community Focus' series! In this series, we shine a spotlight on community darkrooms around the world, celebrating their contributions and exploring the stories behind these spaces. Our first interview in the series features Newport Film Lab from South Wales, a darkroom that began as a passion project and has since grown into something truly special. Section 1 - Background Let’s start easy. Tell us A little about the darkroom, what it’s called and how it started...

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...

Discover how Zach Nichols created this stunning long exposure shot in our 'How I Got This Picture' interview. We have noticed, if it's not a double exposure, your next favourite has to be nighttime long exposures. IMAGE TITLE Fire Tower Starlapse TECHNICAL INFO FILM USED ILFORD HP5+ FORMAT 4x5 CAMERA Chamonix LENS Nikon 90mm f/4.5 Nikkor-SW EXPOSURE TIME 45 – 50 minutes OTHER EQUIPMENT 1 Can of Atmosphere LOCATION Just outside Hot Springs, South Dakota. FIRSTLY, TELL US THE STORY...

 El Parque Nacional I met Andrés and his buddies at Bogotá's most iconic park, el Parque Nacional. I was filming a video for my YouTube channel (Through the Glass) about the 800 or so displaced Embera indigenous people who were occupying the park. Andrés and crew were skating the park's entrance steps and sharing their boards with a group of Embera children. The Proposal The guys asked me where I was from and we got talking about the analog photography YouTube channel I was launching. I proposed ...

Our second Community Focus highlights Lakeside Darkroom, a London-based community interest company with a strong feminist ethos. Keep reading to explore their facilities and what they have to offer! Section 1 - Background Let’s start easy. Tell us A little about the darkroom, what it’s called and how it started. Lakeside Darkroom (LKSD) is a Community Interest Company (CIC) with a strong feminist ethos. Established in August 2022, its primary aim is to provide a safe, welcoming, and empowering space ...

 '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...

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...

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, ...

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...

A Room in Barcelona by Tiffany Roubert: Capturing Intimacy on ILFORD Delta 3200 There’s something about film photography that forces you to be present. The tangible process, the limitations, the patience required, each frame becomes deliberate, considered. A little while ago, I shot a project called A Room in Barcelona, entirely on film. More precisely, entirely on ILFORD Delta 3200. The premise was simple: create intimacy with a total stranger in a confined space. No grand backdrops, no elaborate set de...

Dialogues With Nostalgia My work in photography is deeply connected to light and emotion. Black and white analog photography allows me to explore these elements with a unique sensitivity, where each image results from a constant search to capture the ephemeral and the timeless. I shoot with ILFORD Delta 400 and ILFORD HP5+ films, using cameras such as the Mamiya RZ67 Pro II, Nikon F100, and Nikon F6, because their grain and tonal range offer a texture that dialogues with nostalgia, memory, and melancholy, ...

HARMAN technology announces a brand-new, ISO 200, Black and White film in the Kentmere range HARMAN technology Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of analogue photographic films, darkroom papers, and photo chemicals, has today announced the launch Kentmere PAN 200 a brand new, high contrast, black & white film. Kentmere PAN 200 Kentmere PAN 200 is an ISO 200 black & white film, with enhanced contrast, pleasing, well controlled grain and good sharpness making it suitable for most s...

2025 ULTRA LARGE FORMAT (ULF) AND CUSTOM FILM CAMPAIGN IS NOW OPEN It's that time of year where we once again give photographers with the many vintage, collectible, and home-made cameras out there the opportunity to order selected custom sizes of ILFORD ultra large format sheet film and other specialist products without the constraints of the usual minimum order quantities. You have until Monday 30th June 2025 to place orders with participating resellers. WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY ORDER? We will ...

We're thrilled to announce that 'Natural World' the ILFORD Photo 2025/26 student photographic competition is now open for entries. Natural World -  The brief The Natural World includes all living and non-living things that exist in nature, not made or caused by humans. Plants, animals, humans, soil, water to name just a few. From global warming and over consumption to pollution and preservation, capture the story of our planet through your lens. Show us the Natural World as you see it. Our planet has...

HARMAN technology is excited to announce the winners of our USA ILFORD Photo Student Film Photo Contest for 2025. This film photography contest for US students was the first of its kind and produced a large selection of entries making their tough work for the judges to choose the winners. The contest included a category for B&W darkroom prints, that were physically mailed in, alongside a category for scanned B&W negatives with prizes for both High School and College students. One member of the j...

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...

Our next Community Focus interview features Mori Darkroom, a Brussels based darkroom that opened its doors in 2021 after successfully crowdfunding the completion of the space you see today. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND LET’S START EASY. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE DARKROOM, WHAT IT’S CALLED AND HOW IT STARTED. The darkroom is called Mori Darkroom because it’s connected to our lab, Mori Film Lab. We opened the lab and shop in December 2020, and the darkroom followed in September 2021. After a successful cr...

Best known as grainydays on YouTube, our next In Focus interview features Jason Kummerfeldt, who has been shooting film for seven years and shares his journey through photography, from the bad to the good. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? This image is one of my all time favorites and one of my own few pieces I have hanging up in my cramped no-wall-space apartment: I shot it on my Mamiya 7 on ILFORD XP2 if I remember co...

A Place I Have Longed To Visit I am waiting for a bus, destination Portree, Isle of Skye. The midpoint, a bus shelter at Kyle of Lochalsh. It is the pit stop to one of the most beautiful journeys you can make by road and rail in the UK. This is the trip from Inverness to the Isle of Skye.  Though I have been to Kyle before, it is my first time to the Isle of Skye. A place I have longed to visit, and on this occasion, I had more than a desire, I had a purpose. I'm about to spend the next 2 days shooting a ...

Chasing Light There’s something raw about walking the streets with a camera in hand, chasing light and shadows. No filters, no gimmicks: just the world as it is, stripped down to its bones. That’s what black and white does. It pulls the noise away, leaving behind the soul of the moment. It Vanishes In Your Hand I’ve been hooked on that feeling for years. The kind you get when the sun hits the pavement just right, or when someone’s face tells a whole story in a single glance. For this work, I gr...

Catching Up Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca, is a run of the mill small Mexican city—which is to say that it’s pretty cool. There’s a cathedral, a vibrant market, lots of great street food, and a strong sense of community. I lived in Pinotepa for six months a few years ago while I was working on a project and absolutely fell in love with the place. I returned this past December to catch up with old friends and make content for my analog photography YouTube channel. My First Weekend Back I didn’t have a...

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...

Our next In Focus interview features Justin Lockey. As well as being  the lead guitarist of the indie rock band Editors, Justin is also a photographer, writer, director and producer. When he’s not doing any one of those things he’s asleep, or messing around with cameras, or reading about lenses and optical formulas. SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE / PRINT SHOT ON ILFORD FILM AND TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU? I took this in Venice last year, I was playing around with a rolleiflex ...

The excitement is electric It's a typical Wednesday morning in the tattoo shop I work at. I am trying to stay out of the way but with all three tattoo artists at The Black Veil in Salem, Massachusetts needing the printer behind the desk at the same time, and with me being (also) behind the desk, it's hard to all fit. "I'll just wait over here until you guys are done" I say, and I scoot out of the way to a bigger spot where the floor of the shop opens up into the sitting area. We do the same dance every mor...

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...

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...

I love Friday mornings when I can spend a while looking through all the fantastic images that you make and share on our products for Friday favourites. The only thing that would make it better is to see more of you getting involved! Take Part It couldn't be easier to take part. Simply create your image using our ILFORD Photo or Kentmere range of films and darkroom papers and share it on any of our social channels.  (We are @ilfordphoto on Instagram, Bluesky, X, Threads and Facebook). Make sure you use ...

I'm sure we missed a day this week, it seems to have flown by. I can't believe it's time for Friday Favourites already! Thanks to everyone who has shared their images for today's #fridayfavourites. There was a great selection to choose from, which always makes our Fridays enjoyable. Here are some of our favourites. Get involved It's so easy to take part, most weeks are theme frss, (but we'll tell you in advance if it's any diferent). Simply share you images on any of our @ilfordphoto socials and tag us...

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...

For our 88th In Focus interview we're chatting to Peggy Marsh. A photographer and camera lover, Peggy founded CameraGoCamera back in 2015, initially to keep a track of her own expanding camera collection... Section 1 - Background Share your favourite image / print shot on ILFORD film and tell us what it means to you? This is hard for me as I never think anything I do is good enough. I am in a constant state of self-deprecation and can be overly critical of my images and projects. I chose the image belo...

It’s #FridayFavourites time again and we’ve got a new set of awesome images to share with you from the film community. We love seeing your shots each week, please keep sharing them with us. ‪Peter Durst‬ She loves you big river more than me Rolleiflex MX-EVS @ilfordphoto.com FP4+ The Yukon River #believeinfilm   @iandaisley Barmouth Bridge, 2025. Mum had a caravan just up the coast at Tal-y-Bont and we’d visit every year. Fond memories. Ilford PANF, RB67 Pro SD, 127mm F/3.5 L len...

 These are portraits from this series. This is “Burnt Orange” —- a B&W photo project on evolving identities and third culture experiences through the lens of portraiture. In my experience being able to connect and share so much of intimacy through photography, I first share that with my friends and the people I meet along my many journeys. These are portraits from this series. Portraiture as a mirror I didn’t really understand the art of portraiture before thsi project. What it means to giv...

The biggest weekend TRNSMT is arguably the biggest weekend of the year for music in Scotland, and yet this was my first time shooting the festival. I was very excited to be shooting it, especially for bands like Fontaines D.C., Confidence Man, VLURE, and Wet Leg. Ordinarily I’ll be shooting individual gigs, photographing one artist, on one stage, over the space of maybe an hour. So while my subject was essentially the same this weekend, it was a very different workflow, with a lot more performances to s...

Let’s start easy. Tell us A little about the darkroom, what it’s called and how it started. The darkroom is a central part of the activities of SAIM (The Shoreditch Academy of Image Making). SAIM was established in 2020 as an independent photography school by its two founders Ian Jackson and Adrian Mott. Both with long careers as commercial photographers plus extensive experiences as postgraduate University teachers. As a private London school SAIM’s unique offer is a permanent darkroom and studio ...

Interview number 9 in our Community Focus series takes us to Amsterdam in the Netherlands where we chatted with Analog Club Amsterdam. Tell us A little about the darkroom, what it’s called and how it started. Well as we are situated in Amsterdam the darkroom is known as Analog Club Amsterdam open doka. Doka is a dutch abbreviation for Darkroom. And ACA Doka is a collaboration with MK24 which is an art institute in Amsterdam. MK24 has different analog courses and analog printing is one of the courses. ...

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...

As this year draws to a close, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has used our films, darkroom papers and photochemistry this year and especially to those who have shared their results with us on our @ilfordphoto social accounts and for our #fridayfavourites each week. roghughe• Polina, who is from Russia, was just wandering past Protein Studios with an armful of flowers from Columbia Road Flower Market when I met her in September. She had nothing to do with the London Fashion Week eve...

A black and white journey into the depths When I leave home for a day of diving, I always feel a mix of excitement and detachment. A moment alone at dawn, when everyone is still asleep, becomes a kind of quiet ritual: methodically packing my gear, performing last checks, loading film and setting off towards a world apart. My photography was born from a simple desire: to share those moments — their quiet magic, and the subtle mix of lightness and oppression that comes with the depths. Swallowed by ...

Let’s start easy. Tell us A little about the darkroom, what it’s called and how it started. Negative Development  is a community darkroom in Manchester. The project took shape after I began searching for a community space, and when none could be found, the idea became to create one. The first studio was a small unit in Pollard Yard, Ancoats, with two enlargers and a focus on one to one workshops. From there, the darkroom has grown through regular use and our loyal community. We now work from a more c...

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...

A big Inspiration A big inspiration for me is Jill Furmanovsky. I’d been at ILFORD for maybe 3 months when I went to a music photography exhibition at Manchester central library. It featured some of her work. Seeing her contact sheet of Joy Division shot on ILFORD HP5 PLUS was what made me start shooting gigs. It was a band I loved on a product I was now helping to make. Capturing emotion and atmosphere I started taking the odd picture on a little point and shoot at gigs I was going to. Then I finall...

We are delighted to announce the winner and runner-up of our 2025/26 Student Photography Competition. Open to student photographers from around the world, it attracted hundreds of entries from students across Asia, Europe, the USA, Australia and the UK. This showcased an inspiring breadth of creativity and technical excellence in analogue photography and darkroom printing. Winner: Jamie Plater, Stamford College The overall winner is Jamie Plater from Stamford College. Jamie’s striking wildlife image w...

One year ago I was chosen as a winner of the Ilford Community Grant for my project “ePhemeral”. As a dance photographer this was a gift for me, because it gave me the chance of contacting great dancers of different styles and movement dynamics to work with. For me it also meant a vot of confidence in the value of photographing movement, life, and fleeting moments through the analogue medium. And last but not least, it gave me the chance of exploring a new technique, Film Swap. Keep on reading and disc...