An early morning start and quick catchup with friends before making my way on a long walk from North to Central London. I had checked the weather forecast but I wasn’t quite prepared for the deluge that was to come. I had loaded up my first roll of Ilford HP5 Plus and took a couple of shots of Mark before heading off.
Ilford HP5 came recommended for street photography. The skies were grey and overcast so I loaded up this roll hoping to see what this film had to offer in these most dull of conditions. I was not to be disappointed. This film stock harks back to the 1930s before going through changes, its 1976 version was upgraded from ‘HP5’ to ‘HP5 Plus’ in 1989. With film having a little resurgence currently, I hope that this film will stay for a long time yet.
I made way through Hampstead slowly as the first few drops started to fall. London is a great city of contrasts, walking from palatial residential homes with the intermittent high rise social housing dropped in between. I do wonder, if residents from ever intersect and get the occasional insight into each other's daily lives. The streets were largely vacant, it may have been because of the time of the day or perhaps even the weather. I narrowly avoided getting my trousers wet as a car raced over a puddle in the road.
Why shoot Ilford HP5 Plus?
A standalone reason for shooting this film is that it offers a ‘wide latitude of exposure.’ This means that you can shoot this film from 100 ISO through to a dizzying 1600 ISO. As a word of caution, I would advise not to push this film to far but if needs must then you have the capacity to do so!
The beauty of this film is you can shoot this film day or night and get some fantastic results. On a particularly bleak and rainy day this was a perfect choice. I shot the roll at box speeds and the blacks and whites came out with intensity and plenty of grain. I am curious if I had pushed the film up 800ISO what results I would have got. One thing to note is that you can push this later in post and adjust the contrast to get more of a feel and look you might be going for.
What is the best way to shoot this film?
I decided to duck and cover in ‘Bird’ which turns out to be quite a fancy fast food restuarant. The near vacant restaurant gave me an opportunity to dry (haha!) off a little bit and provide an outstanding opportunity to take shots too! The little and dark wooden furniture was an excellent test for the film to see what it could handle.
If this is your first time shooting this film, then I would recommend shooting it at box speed. Go and shoot this film inside, outside, wherever and get a feel of what you get with standard shooting and film processing.
Let’s say you have a night out planned or perhaps even going to a wedding. Then definitely keep a roll of this in your pocket. Its wide latitude of exposure will allow you to shoot in challenging lighting conditions. Just don’t forget to process it accordingly or get your favourite film processor to do it for you.
If you are processing this yourself, you’ll be in for a treat. It dries completely flat, which is amazing. You will be able to pop it right on to your scanner and crack on and get those images processed into tiny jpegs just for your IG feed. Right, that’s what film is all about!
The other amazing advantage of this film is its available across all formats, 35mm, medium format and large format too! So When you eventually (or already) get GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) then you’ll be at peace knowing your favourite film stock is at hand.
If you really want to economise your shooting then you can always invest in 35mm bulk roll but honestly the difference is not that cost effectively once you account all the time you have put in to rolling it but if you are shooting this all the time (literally shooting day and night) then this might be a good shout.
Why not to shoot Ilford HP5 Plus?
Suitably refreshed and dried up (sort of!), I looked up outside the window to watch pedestrians hurry by to avoid getting too wet. The rain had not abated, and I had plans for later so this roll had to get shot and processed today. I put on my damp waterproof jacket and embraced the rain!
If you are shooting in low contrast situations, then avoid this film as it will probably come out washed out and you will lose detail unless perhaps if you underexpose it- side note: I’m not sure why you want to do that with this film considering it was meant for grainy look but hey do whatever floats your boat! No pun intended!
As I trundled through Camden Town just about peering out from my hood looking for the right shot, I saw an elderly gentleman burst out of a coffee shop and in haste put up his umbrella. He looked left and right before heading up the path with his head hunkered down in his umbrella. I stood still waiting for him to move into the right portion of the frame and then snapped one of my favourite pictures!
If you’re looking to shoot landscapes then this is probably not the right film, you’ll lose the detail and clarity you need for such conditions. Of course, this also applies for portraiture work which demands more smoothness and clarity in rendition. Ultimately, it’s down to you, what are you trying to communicate? I wouldn’t really refrain from shooting either just because it isn’t the done thing!
On a total random note, if for some reason you have beef with Ilford then your equivalent alternative on the other side is the Kodak Tri-X. So, there's a totally random reason not to shoot this film.
Conclusion
I crossed over into Central London with no sign of the rain abating, utterly drenched by now but still hunting for the next shot. The streets were narrower now, the buildings reducing the little light that was available from the rain heavy clouds.
Ilford HP5 Plus is a great film stock for anyone who wants to create drama and atmosphere in their images. Its wide exposure latitude is great for anyone new to trying this film so you really can’t go wrong. While this is the go-to option for many it may not be the preferred choice of film for those who are more technical photographers looking for a cleaner and sharper look. In such cases, Ilford Delta Professional will better suit your needs at equivalent film speed. Another fantastic film which will give you a less grainy but a more polished look.
Personally, I loved shooting with this film. It was perfect for this typical rainy British Summers day and I got some fabulous shots. So pleased I went out and shot with the film and the Nikon FA. So now go out and shoot this fantastic film!
Ultimately you need to choose your film carefully before shooting, great for urban landscapes or documentary work but probably best to avoid for portraits and general landscapes (unless of course that’s the look you want!). HP5 Plus is the bestselling Ilford film for a reason. So if you are looking for a great look, film that you could shoot day or night, then look no further.
I turned the corner, looking to fire off my last shot. I saw these guys working at the bar on their break and politely asked if I could take a shot of them. I pulled up my camera, only to notice the lens was covered in rain drops. A very unprofessional wipe of the lens and I finished off the roll.