I’ve been looking at a great deal of documentary and, for lack of a better phrase “street level art photography” lately, and I’ve realized that I am now starting to miss to look of Tri-X photography. Tri-X is a film developed by the Kodak Company that is highly light sensitive as well as amazingly stable – it (or it’s variants) have a grain, and contrast that sets it apart from other films. It is this look, done with Tri-X or some other manufacturer’s film that I am starting to miss.
I don’t want this to be a digital vs. film thing, but would Robert Frank’s The Americans be the same if it was shot digitally? The point is, I’m already missing that Tri-X look.
I’ll try to elaborate more on this later.
Note for people with database like photographic knowledge: I’m not sure if The Americans was shot on Tri-X, frankly, I don’t really care, the point I’m making is that I’m missing that documentary look of slightly grainy, contrasty, pushed 35mm film.
contact sheets show you are right – sort of – that Frank used tri-x and pan-x. But, of course, the formulations and developing chemistry have changed significantly sine the 1950s. Frank also used a Leica III with optical properties marginally better than what’s on your cellphone cam now. Plus ca change.