I'm geneally fighting grain but I have an assignment that calls for LOTS of GRAIN. I have 2 bricks of TXP so I would prefer to use this film. I don't have time to do tests and need some help from those who have used TXP to produce grain in fine art images.

Sample images would be very helpfull too.

Thanks, Joe Lacy

-- Joe Lacy (jmlacy1@home.com), March 15, 2001

Answers

Joe, I would try developing in Rodinal.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), March 15, 2001.

Rodinal produces very high acutance--it has no solvent action, so whatever grain structure is inherent in the film is what you will get. For fine art work, I used to develop Tri-X in Rodinal (1:50) for 9 minutes at 68 degrees--this was very sharp and had wonderful gradation, but may not be what you are looking for (it WAS grainy, though). For more grain, try rating it at 400 and developing at (1:25). Dektol is also said to be very good for gritty grain from Tri- X. I do not have a developing time for it offhand, but I have an old article somewhere that I will try to find.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), March 15, 2001.

Use a wider lens so your subject covers only a small part of the center of the film, expose and develop as you normally do, then crop the hell out of it when you print.

-- Tim Brown (brownt@flash.net), March 15, 2001.

I realize now that you are referring to Tri-X Professional, which is a completely different film from regular Tri-X Pan.

What follows is information on developing Tri-X Pan in various paper developers. It may or may not be applicable to Tri-X Professional. The information is from an article entitled "DADA Developments" in the September 1983 PHOTOGraphic, by Frank Peeters.

Rate Tri-X at 1600 and develop for 8 minutes in Agfa Neutol at 68 degrees. The author makes a stock solution of Neutol by diluting it 1:8, per the manufacturer's instructions, then he further dilutes this 1:2 to make his working solution.

He also says you can rate Tri-X at 1600 and develop in Ilford Multigrade paper developer (1:29) for 7 minutes at 68 degrees. He says it works with Dektol and Selectol, but doesn't give times.

He suggests running tests at 400, 800 and 1600. Some of his best shots in daylight were done with a red filter.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), March 15, 2001.

Joe, It is always usefull to keep in mind that grain usually comes in pair with density. Pushing techniques can lead to grainy highlights, medium tone a bit less and empty shadows with no grain at all. And to make things worst, you can find that printing this contrasty negative on softer paper usually softens grain alltogether. So, the suggestion is trying some over-exposure, changing or not the contrast by development, and printing this somewhat "dark" negative on high gradation paper. This way, grain may show uniformily spread all over the image, varying with your exposure and printing options. Of course, Rodinal is always wellcome... And any Tri-x works fine this way. Greetings, Cesar Barreto

-- Cesar Barreto (cesarb@infolink.com.br), March 15, 2001.

You can always reticulate it by going from your developer to a hot stop and a cold fixer.

-- Scott Walton (f64sw@hotmail.com), March 16, 2001.

Joe...Scott has the answer...develop in Rodinal 1+100 / 20 minutes (you are going to have to adjust your ISO) for sharpness and tone...then RETICULATE...go from the 68 degree Rodinal to 90 degree water for 2 minutes. Then 40 degree stop, 90 degree rinse, 40 degree fix. I find you must fix longer (constant agitation) then normal as the fix seems to work slower. Wash 15 minutes wash at 90 and a further 15 minutes at 40. This will give you sharp, tonal yet grainy negs. What you DO NOT want to do is enlarge a small portion of the neg. Yes you will get grain but you will also get mush.

-- Jim (p645n@hotmail.com), March 18, 2001.

Joe, For your own knowledge for the future, you can use Kodak Recording film. This will give you some really great grain but I would shoot a roll of it before you commit to a pro shoot.

-- Scott Walton (f64sw@hotmail.com), March 19, 2001.