Ilford HP5+ is one of the most classic film stocks of all time. So, when I grabbed a camera and a roll of film on my way out to meet some friends, HP5 was an easy choice.

It has been a while since I have updated my blog here. However, I have kept myself out and making photographs. I have a lot of catching up to do here! On one of my most recent outings, I met some friends in downtown Rogers, Arkansas. I brought my trusty Yashica Mat 124G and of course loaded up a roll of Ilford HP5.

A Black and White Photo Walk

This winter I have gone on a black and white film binge. Winter is a great time to go monochrome. I noticed once while browsing snowy photos on Flickr that differentiating color from monochrome sometimes wasn’t immediately obvious. I have found that switching to primarily black and white film in the Winter has really kept me interested in photography through the season.

Ilford is my favorite brand for monochrome film these days. They are priced well, are passionate about film, and it just feels nice to support them when it comes to black and white film. Ilford HP5 Plus (Amazon Affiliate Link) is a very versatile film with a wide exposure latitude and a forgiving nature. It’s an easy choice for handheld photography and photo walks where one may not know what they’ll encounter.

Old Town and Ilford HP5

The photo above was one that I was pretty excited to see. In person, I remember thinking the light and the inside of this bakery looked perfect. Once I started framing it up, I noticed the reflections could be interesting. I didn’t have any idea that they would turn out almost looking like a double exposure! This photo gets more rewarding the deeper I look into it.

A great thing about the downtown areas in this part of the world is the old buildings. In this region, the older downtown buildings have a distinctive “Old West” flare about them. I find the character of the architecture and interiors to be quite photogenic. Ilford HP5 at box speed has just enough grain and character to compliment these old buildings well.

There really is just something special about a classic black and white film and subjects like this. I think both the architecture and the film present a timeless aesthetic that feels more genuine and organic than what a digital photograph can produce. I suppose that in the end, though, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all of that.

My Process for This Roll of HP5

One of the fun things about HP5+ (Amazon Affiliate Link) is how versatile it is. It can be processed in a large variety of chemicals, and in many different ways. For this particular roll, I used it at its box rating of 400 ISO. The developer I’m currently using is Film Photography Project’s FPP-110. It is basically an alternative Kodak HC-110. Also, to be a bit more economical, I mixed it at 1+63 and developed for eleven minutes. I did rotary rotation for the first minute, then four inversions every minute until done.

After developing, I just put the tank under the faucet filling and dumping it multiple times for about a minute. Then, I use FPP Fixer for 5-10 minutes (times get longer as the fixer depletes). Next is rinsing the film and then letting it soak in water with a couple drops of Photo-Flow for about 2 minutes. Then I hang the film up to dry. Lastly, the negatives get trimmed into strips and scanned on my Epson V550 with Silverfast 9 software. After scanning, the negs were filed and put away!

If you’re wondering about post-processing, I did absolutely none on this roll of film. I recently started filtering my fixer before use by pouring it through a paper coffee filter. This has proven to be the best thing I have ever tried! These negatives were so clean that I didn’t even have to clone out a single spec of dust. That said, there are a couple specs visible in one or two photos if you look hard enough.

The End of this Roll of Ilford HP5

I really enjoyed getting to walk around town with a few friends and see what we could see. Every time I get out with my Yashica Mat 124G, I am reminded I need to get out with it more often. Also, it’s lens really has a special rendering. I love the way it pairs up with Ilford HP5+ (Amazon Affiliate Link) for a special and classic look and feel.

As always, if you’d like to see my images in higher resolution, check out my Flickr page. If you’d like to buy any as a print, check out my print store or contact me. Thanks for dropping by and reading my blog! I have been going through a good bit of film and megapixels already this year and I look forward to sharing that here with all of you.