Traditional Photography

The list of films available to photographers grows ever shorter. Right now, these are films I would recommend based on my own use:

1. Bergger 200 - This is quite possibly the best general purpose b&w film available. It produces a wide range of tonal values with a bit more contrast than most medium-speed films. I never used the old Kodak XX, so I cannot really say if the Bergger is actually a remake of the Kodak, as many photographers have claimed, but it the thick base allows manipulation during development.

2. Kodak Tri-X 400 - For many film photographers this has been the standard for decades. It has more grain than TMax 400 but better image quality.

3. Kodak TMax3200 - A fast film with little contrast and a great deal of grain. This is an interesting film to use for street photography where the grain gives it an distinctive coarse, newsprint feel. I usually shoot it with an orange filter which serves not only to up the contrast, but to provide neutral density as well.

4. Fuji Neopan1600 - A very contrasty film whose 1600 ISO makes it extremely useful for night and low light shooting.

5. Kodak Infrared - Hard to obtain and now limited in production, this is the classic infrared film that goes deep into the red spectrum. It's hard to say how much longer this film will be available. UPDATE: Infrared film has been discontinued by Kodak and is NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

In the current market, films are being discontinued overnight. It's best to buy in quantity and keep the film in a freezer until a few hours before it's to be used.

As with film, enlarging papers are rapidly being discontinued. For better results, only use fiber base papers. These are the ones I presently work with and recommend:

1. Fortezo - Forte is a Hungarian company that has reportedly been taken over by Ilford. Fortezo is a double weight warm toned paper that is perfect for any type of straight photography using a glossy surface. It's also over the years been one of the most affordable quality papers out there. Available in grades 1 to 3. UPDATE: As of February 1, 2008, Fortezo is still out of stock at all suppliers. No word on when it will again become available.

2. Kentmere Classic Art - Kentmere claims this is exactly the same as the old Luminos Charcoal, but I find the surface to be a bit more finely textured. It's a great matte paper that's unsurpassed for portraits and fine arts work. Again, there are reports that Kentmere too has been taken over by Ilford. Available in only one grade. UPDATE: Classic Art has been discontinued by Kentmere and is NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

3. Bergger Fine Art Silver Supreme - To be honest, though I have a couple of packs of this paper in my darkroom, I haven't yet gotten around to using it. Bergger's products are so uniformly excellent, though, that I have no problem mentioning it here. Available in only one grade.