Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/20

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Subject: Re: [Leica] HP-5 Plus (really grain)
From: Pete Su <psu_13@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 09:39:50 -0800 (PST)

I print a lot of Tri-X and HP5 in sizes up to 8x12. At 6x9, in general, grain
has never been an issue for me.

I even have 8x12 prints with very little grain in them printed from both of
these films, as well as FP4. Maybe I'm not picky enough, you have to come and
look at the prints for yourself.

I develop with D76 1:1 only. Never used anything else.

I think pictures look grainy when:

1. They have a lot of large flat areas of midtones.

2. They are overexposed and overdeveloped.

3. They are underexposed. :-)

4. They are over-englarged.

5. You are looking at the prints from 2 inches away. Don't do that.

One other thing I do is to agitate the developer verrrry gently.

So, if you want your pictures to not look so grainy, take pictures of complex
patterns, with lots of small detail, no sky, and a lot of pure black and pure
white tones. Then, don't agitate the film too much, don't overdevelop, don't
print too big, and don't take pictures where there isn't enough light.

Pete


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