B
15

Debate: Push processing vs pulling film in low light

Last week I shot a roll of Tri-X at 1600 in a dim church in Denver. Grain was rough but I got the shots. My buddy says I should've just used a tripod and kept it box speed. What do you all think - push it or drag out the tripod?
2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
2 Comments
lopez.quinn
Tripod is nice in theory but not every place lets you set one up. Some churches get real fussy about gear or you're packed in a pew with no room. Pushing Tri-X to 1600 is totally doable, just gotta accept the tradeoff. @the_christopher has a point about losing shadow detail, but sometimes you choose between a grainy photo and no photo at all. I'd say meter for the shadows a bit more careful when pushing, and use a developer like Diafine or Rodinal at 1+50 to keep the grain in check. Really depends on the look you want, but for me, I'll take the push over fumbling with a tripod in a dark crowd any day.
5
the_christopher
Why didn't you just carry a damn tripod? You're paying for grain that looks like sand and losing shadow detail in the process.
1