Regarding film I would recommend Tri-X also. Usually rated at 400. Like that film for portraits, if looking for something slower try Kodak Plus-X or Ilford FP-4 Plus. All three films are easy to handle and will work with almost every developer.(posted 8852 days ago)Filters, with b/w I use yellow, green-yellow, orange and red (25/29), these colour filters change the tonal value of a colour on the film. Get yourself e.g. some flowers and see what effect the filters will have. A middle yellow will correct the spectral sensitivity of the film compared to the human eye and give better skies. Personally I do not care too much about other effect filters, I used some softener but rather work with a prime lens wide open, say 2 or 2.8.
Kind regards
Wolfram