Pushing Ilford HP5 to 1600

In this episode, I share some examples of mine when pushing Ilford HP5 to 1600. This is how I've been shooting this film 100% of the time for the last couple of months and I'm loving the results. I also share a little bit about the developer that I'm using.
Hey, this is Matt Day and thanks for visiting my channel! I'm just a photographer from southern Ohio that's passionate about what I do and I wanna share that with as many people as I can. As a subscriber to this channel, you can expect all kinds of content from the photography world that no other channel is giving you. You're not gonna see me reading specs on the latest Canon or Nikon cameras when they're announced. You're gonna see a lot of videos on shooting film, as well as some tutorials in both the digital and analog world. I'll be answering YOUR questions that you send in on a regular basis. I'll be sharing some general thoughts and advice I have for other photographers and creatives, and so much more. So make sure you subscribe and join all of us here!

[@WatchmakerErik]

"I don't know what I was thinking, talking about cameras on a photography channel...." Classic.

[@tominilo]

savage

[@GCarruthers]

Great video! We used to often shoot HP5 at 3200 ISO, and even at 6400 ISO. The one trick, which I don't often hear people talking about so perhaps it isn't that common, is that when pushing HP5 we would always break up the development time using water baths. Those baths would help increase development in the shadows without over processing in the highlights.

[@christophercaballero9473]

Can you elaborate on this?

[@GCarruthers]

@@christophercaballero9473 Not for the faint hearted as it really extends your processing time. Used to use Ilfotec HC developer as it tended to work better when pushing. Lets assume the normal processing time for HP5 with Ilfotec HC @ 1:31 dilution was 8.5 minutes. We would add 50% developing time for every stop we pushed the film. So, if we pushed it to 3200 our new developing time would be about 28 minutes. We would then break it down into shorter equal parts - in this case 4 lots of 7 minutes. We would develop the film for the first 7 minutes and when done pour out the developer (save it - don't throw away), and pour in plain water (water bath). Tap the side of the tank to remove air bubbles, and let it sit for 5 minutes (no agitation). When the 5 minutes is up we would pour out the water bath (saving it), and pour the developer back in and do the next 7 minutes. In the example above this would be repeated 4 times. The purpose of the water baths is to increase the detail in the shadows. It probably isn't worth the effort if only pushing 1 stop, but it definitely helped when going to 3200 or 6400. I hope that makes sense - It has been about 20 years since I last did it so I hope I haven't forgotten anything.

[@zuikography]

Very helpful. Thank you @@GCarruthers

[@theartofphotography]

Matt - these shots are tight! Nice work!

[@mattdayphoto]

The Art of Photography Thanks a lot, Ted! Much appreciated!

[@richardstevens8839]

***** I just pushed my last reels to 2,000. I'll see how they turn out

[@nikos9742]

+Richard Stevens Flickr ?

[@CarlB558]

Lol.. How dare you talk about cameras on a photo channel!!! Great videos Matt. I like them all.

[@mattdayphoto]

***** Haha, thank you, Carl! Glad you enjoy them!

[@oludareohi396]

I love your style and presentation man. And the whole concept of just what looks good to you and not getting caught up in too much technicalities that so many others do. Loving the channel man.

[@AnythingONandOFF]

Hey Matt, just got my first Film camera on the way and I'm super excited. I've been all digital in my experience with photography but I cannot tell you how excited I am to star film. I'm seriously excited to go back in time and find the soul of photography. You channel inspires me so much and I cannot wait to take that AE-1 and just learn.

[@AlanLinQD]

I'm enjoying seeing you showcase some of your work, please keep these type of videos up.

[@hanskallafrasonen]

Yes! Best video yet in my opinion. More of these! (You showing off and talking about your photos, the process, artistically, etc)

[@eddyhuizinga]

I totally love black and white photos and your photos are so beautiful, somewhat timeless, my compliments! Love your channel!

[@fidelcashflow4700]

Matt, you´re amazing. I love to watch your channel. Staya s you are and keep up your work. You brought me back to shooting film. Thanks for that :)

[@y34r]

pushing hp5 to 1600 really bring out the DETAIL in mid-tone area , even in highlight. Thx matt, gonna try this!

[@queative]

Matt, I've already learned a lot since discovering your channel a week ago! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@mattdayphoto]

+Rodney Drewery That's awesome to hear! Thank you!

[@mikeortega6072]

i agree w that, your photography enthusiasm inspires us,

[@BboyGraphicx]

Me too

[@fffeuchtner]

Beautiful shots Matt! I especially enjoyed the photo of your dog looking out the window :) . Really love your channel. Keep up the great work!

[@tswman1]

Great work!!! Keep doing what you do on the channel! I enjoy all of it!!

[@segfault1337]

I really love the high contrast look you were getting in those shots. You seemed a little upset that you under exposed those band shots, but I think that added to the grungy aesthetic look that worked so well for them.

[@mattiasburell9527]

Hey, I really, really like your way of explaining things in B/W photography, the sample images that you show, and so on. Great job and please continue! / Mattias / Sweden.

[@alexgheo7573]

EXCELLENT ! I love this.. I was uncertain to shoot for the first time film pushed to 1600. It;s very clear explanation. THANK YOU !!!!

[@chucksavage3712]

Great video. Very informative. Makes me want to try pushing the old HP5. There's a lot of love in your work. Well done.

[@IainHC1]

I have Ilfosol ddx and i didn't realize just how flat it makes the negs!! Thanks for this Matt. Ive always thought Ilford to be flat n grey! You have shown me different! Thank you

[@reedbernstein9354]

I just wanted to tell you how inspiring your videos are and have been to me lately, recently my brother died unexpectedly and through the sleepless nights your videos really cheered me up and made me realize what a wonderful world we live in. Thanks again and I hope that you and Molly are enjoying your new child.

[@mattdayphoto]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. Incredibly flattered and humbled to hear my videos left any sort of positive impact on you. I really appreciate you sharing that with me and I hope these videos continue to help you in any way possible.

[@FlatheadHarvey]

Process or "behind the scenes" videos that show the final product are always appreciated. The first video I saw was your video on pushing film where you take portraits of Molly, it's rare to see a video that edits in the finished pictures as they're being taken, and it's probably my favourite thing about your channel. It makes it way easier to learn things when you can see the results like that as opposed to showing no results images or leaving them until the end. Definitely keep up these kind of videos where you sit and talk through a bunch of images with some process stuff in there! Also congratulations and good luck for the impending birth dude!

[@mattdayphoto]

Harvey881 Thank you! I'll definitely have more videos like this in the future!

[@dreamdiction]

Little pictures in a video show very little. Where are the big pictures?

[@avinashpothu2481]

@@mattdayphoto Please do more like videos this Matt. The pictures are Gold.

[@MrShobar]

I always enjoy looking at your photos. Many thanks.

[@rolandrick]

Hi Matt, another great video! Thanks so much. Wow, pushed to 1600 and still such a fine grain and details! May I please ask you for adding the development process to description, such as developer (ok, it's in the video), secret salts added (what ever :)), dilution, time, etc? I really would appreciate, 1000 thanks in advance!

[@mikeavent5344]

Great video! Exactly what I was hoping to do with HP5 so it's nice to see how amazing your shots came out! Would love to see more videos like this for sure! Thanks.

[@mattdayphoto]

Mike Avent Thanks, Mike! Definitely more videos like this in the works.

[@MatGaskins]

Thanks for talking about your cameras on a photography channel :)

[@glensande2801]

Great info matt, thanks again for your work!

[@christianweidinger277]

I must thank you for your work. Great videos, very helpful. Greetings from Austria!

[@lukemyers4595]

Thanks, Matt. I really enjoy seeing the photos as well as hearing about the technical aspects and the personal stories. They're all complimentary, and without any one of them the videos would not be as good. Not sure why there would be complaints on the last one.

[@mattdayphoto]

Luke Myers Thank you, Luke! I appreciate the support!

[@DaveGreenPhoto]

Cool video Matt, love the images and your style too.

[@_theyojimbo]

These shots look amazing ! Been wanting to have more contrast on HP5 so I'll definitely give that 2+ a try

[@AMBrikaer]

Thank you Matt for this video. I think your videos are getting better every time! And yes, of course you should not talk about film or cameras on a channel like this. But I think I'm able to handle such an inconvenience :-) This video encourages me to try some film pushing myself. In general to search the limits of film and developer. Thanks again Matt!

[@mattdayphoto]

A. M. Brikaer Thank you! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the videos!

[@stiknstring]

Great video Matt (as usual). I love these kind of videos where you talk about your process and how to do things. I've learned quite a bit from your videos. I just started shooting HP5 myself but haven't developed any yet (my first two rolls are still in the cameras). I'm shooting at box speed but I'll try pushing it sometime in the future. I'll be using HC110 and looking forward to the results. More videos like this and on your technique are always appreciated. Congrats on the success of your channel and the upcoming addition to your family. Get all the sleep you can NOW!

[@mattdayphoto]

stiknstring Thanks for the kind words! You'll enjoy the results with HC-110, for sure.

[@nickolaspedrosa8534]

Great content as usual, Matt. I've gathered a lot of knowledge fron your channel and am really grateful for it. Don't let negativity come through into your videos. I love gear reviews and a video about the steps you took towards publishing your book would be sweet.

[@mattdayphoto]

Nickolas Pedrosa Thanks a lot, Nickolas! Happy to hear you're enjoying the channel!

[@timmoreno110]

Just got say I love your work and your channel is awesome 👍

[@sgiruc]

Great episode. I was always afraid to push Hp5+ to 1600. And now I know, that I can do it. I really didn't like to use a flash when trying to shoot my family inside, especially at winter time. Yes, looks like I will get extra grain and much higher contrast, but I will leave with it. Thanks a lot.

[@bryanfleishman6151]

Great video, Matt! Excellent variety of topics on your channel.

[@mattdayphoto]

Bryan Fleishman Thank you, Bryan! I try to keep things mixed up.

[@ThatGamingGuyfromthe70s]

Great video as always. Im hopefully going to be shooting some 120 hp5 in a couple of weeks, thanks to your video and insight I have no worries about pushing it 2 stops. Keep up with the good work. Cheers, jon

[@mattdayphoto]

Jon Burtoft Thanks, Jon! You'll definitely have no trouble pushing it 2 stops, especially with medium format!

[@massimilianotiberi6824]

I thank you for this interesting video. I am really interested to push my film and I understand much better what I can achieve using this techniques.

[@iamdesertpaul]

you sold me on trying to finally push film. I love how HP5 looks pushed to 1600.

[@mattdayphoto]

Paul Frederiksen It's probably my favorite look I've ever gotten, especially when pushing film.

[@mattosmond4265]

Awesome vid, I would love to see more colour film stuff(Ektar, pro400h, etc.).Keep up the great work.

[@evelasq1]

When I start using the Ilford that I just purchased recently, I would push it to see how it turns out. Thank you for sharing some of those examples. Peace, Flood!

[@wer2young2die]

these are very good shots, Matt!

[@mflowproductions]

Have you ever considered "stop talking at all" ... LOL ! Great Job man, go on like you do ;-) I'm just coming back to photography at all (its my learned job, back in the 90s ...) and recently did an HP5 push with my Habla ... love it like you do ! Astonishing good on a cloudy but still bright day, nice grain ... i will do it again !

[@andrewsarchus6036]

Great video and subscribed. I've been shooting FP4, PanF and Delta 3200 and using Ilfsol 3 developer. Jut bought a 100' reel of HP5, put a couple of 36 rolls through at box speed and liking the results so will have a go at pushing to 1600. Cheers.

[@Interests1]

Thank you so much! Much needed info.

[@matt904sl]

Another excellent video Matt really enjoying your work well done keep up th good work👍👍👍👍

[@mattdayphoto]

Matthew Lymer Thank you!

[@TomVestvik]

Great video, and great timing with this one. I just finished my roll number two of HP5@1600 a few hours ago. Handing it over to my lab on monday.

[@mattdayphoto]

Tom Vestvik Haha, perfect!

[@miguelolmedo100]

Lol! People man. Keep doing what you're doing. You're great

[@christianst-pierre9338]

Nice picture! Always inspiring my work. Thanks to share those picture.

[@mattdayphoto]

Christian St-pierre Thank you! Happy to hear that!

[@quincybattieste]

This was a good video. Helped a lot, Matty. :-)

[@Photoeye65]

Nice work, Matt!

[@MegaDorian911]

Hey, Thanks for the video ! I have an FM2 as well, I'd like to push some films as well, but as I don't develop myself, i'm not sure to get the results I want. When shooting pushed film, do you trust the lightmeter ? Do you stick to the O, or do you underexpose or overexpose a bit ? (-O, 0+) ? Thank you for you answer Cheers from France

[@jeffreysuxiyang]

Great video！ I'm gonna go try pushing HP5 now!

[@AriaAryana]

I wish I can meet you someday Matt. You're just awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[@mattdayphoto]

Aria Aryana Thank you for the kind words, Aria!

[@davyboyo]

Hi Matt! I must say that your photos have a really great look, very much to my taste. I'd love to see what you could do with hp5+ and caffenol! I've just started using it in stand and normal style process and it's really amazing. Some of the smoothest hp5 tones I've personally seen.

[@timrobertson8972]

Great photos and explanations!

[@caioproenca7126]

Thanks a lot, Matt! Cheers!

[@mattdayphoto]

Caio Proença Thank you, Caio!

[@MrDCB1234]

Keep up the great work.

[@markharris5771]

I've just bought my first SLR off eBay, a Canon EOS 5 which I believe is very similar to the 5D series I'm used to. I bought some Ilford FP4 as my first film as I believe it's one of the easier multi purpose films to use. You video is amazing and your shots are fantastic and demonstrate your lifestyle really well, love the one of your brother backlit, your father sandblasting and the Rembrandt/closed loop one of your friend. And I would buy your second photo of the boots, brilliantly composed and the type quirky subject those of us who teenagers in the 70s remember on posters. I have so much to learn, but it's a journey I'm really looking forward to. However, to start with I'll learn the camera before I start developing. Thank you very much for your video, I think I will go more to the slightly grainy photos because I work so hard avoiding it when using digital. But as I said earlier I need to learn to walk before I run.

[@WR505_Spearo]

Thanks for the video matt, been very helpful for myself!

[@mattdayphoto]

Luke Knights Thanks for watching!

[@elifan2523]

Great video Matt!

[@sandrinho79794]

Great work as usual. Thanks!

[@mattdayphoto]

Sandro Thank you!

[@4th_Lensman_of_the_apocalypse]

This was my go to for shooting gigs back in the 80/90s.

[@amosk24]

Hey Matt, great great episode! Liked and shared. I would enjoy seeing you do this same type of video for different films and developers. I've been pushing hp5 to 800 in HC-110, and enjoyed it. My grain actually looks like your 1600 grain. I am probably doing something wrong though. I just started developing a few months ago. I am going to turn the ISO dial to 1600 on my M6 and load a fresh roll of film tomorrow :) Oh, and nice pictures man!

[@mattdayphoto]

amosk24 Thanks for the support! Enjoy that 1600 goodness in your M6!

[@FixTwisterFader]

Great work Matt, keep it up!

[@mattdayphoto]

Piotrini Thank you!

[@TheTeamauld]

Thanks for the info. I've been using HP5+ for almost 30 years but I've never pushed it. I'm going to give it a shot

[@seanzappulla71]

+Jason Auld I have just started a new roll of HP5+ with pushing it to 1600 ISO. I have thought of pushing it to 6400. I have used Ilford B/W films for years and i haven't pushed them.

[@MichaelWellman1955]

I think it's difficult to judge anything with only one use. More than likely your problems lies with a short developing times. Remember expose for shadows and develop for highlights. I've used DDX multiple times and I've never had a problem with contrast, but you're right there is a tighter grain.

[@trevorsowers]

This was well done! I'm leaning toward HP5 @1600 as my B&W film and Ektachrome E100 for my colour.

[@StodaraHodan]

Thanks, great video and great photos. I didn't push film in the past, when shooting low-light i simply used Delta 3200 instead of HP5 but seeing the results i really want to experiment with pushing film.

[@mattdayphoto]

David Erlmeier Thanks, David! I definitely recommend pushing. I've shot Delta 3200 myself and personally, I prefer HP5 pushed to 3200 much more.

[@sundinstefan]

Great vid. I also love HP5

[@matthew_thefallen]

Just love it! Wow. Need to test this on my own, I liked the 3200 delta, but 1600 on a 400? Wow

[@jerrymoney1479]

Wow , very impressive 🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤😎

[@wyattspalding1588]

You should do a video on your developing workflow now and how it has changed since switching to Ilford film and chemistry

[@JosephCovingtonPhotography]

Thanks Matt!

[@austindement3911]

This was great Matt! Makes me wanna go push.

[@mattdayphoto]

Austin Dement Thanks, Austin! I say go for it!

[@willpace-linsell6227]

I was only googling this an hour ago,what a coincidence!

[@sunnybleek0321]

That's really way cool your Dad does grave stone engraving. I thought it was always done in a shop, kind of like a printing shop. It makes perfect since if the stone needs to be updated you do it there on site rather then removing the stone to a different location. Oh, by the way, I love pushing HP5+ over Tri-X.

[@buttcaner]

Matt keep doing what your doing. I don't shoot film but since I've been watching you I'm thinking I might have a go. Good luck to you and Molly mate.

[@mattdayphoto]

buttcaner Thank you for the kind words! I really appreciate it!

[@PE80]

I would really love to see more videos on film photography. Maybe you can do a video on how you use the metering system of your camera and the handheld light meter as well. I recently started with film photography again using AFGA APX-400, Kodak Tri-X and Kodak TMAX400. After seeing your videos I'm sure I'm going to have a look at the Ilford film and developer myself. Thank you very much for sharing, I'm really looking forward to future videos!

[@mattdayphoto]

GizmoLCF I'll definitely cover that in a future video. Thank you!

[@spidiq8]

A really interesting video. As a digital convert who kept a couple of old film cameras and the basics of my darkroom, (well, a Job small drum and some long expired chemicals I need to replace) I'm getting the urge to shoot some film again. Before, I used an automated Jobs rotating Dev tank with the drums and ID11 with fp4 and hp5 at stock iso and timing. I'm keen to try pushing hp5 and stand developing for reasons of curiosity and doing some experimentation with Caffenol again, (tried it once years ago and smell aside it was pretty good all round), I also plan to try Rodinol too for the long shelf life aspect as I'll not be shooting lots of film. Anyway, to the question. Do you have any recoomendations for calculating the additional Dev time required and tips on processing re stand vs agitation? Ta

[@benjaminfargen]

I dig it! Cheers!

[@ewbeyer1104]

Great video! Subscribed!

[@bcomhaire]

I'm amazed you can focus so accurately at close range with the voigtlander 35mm at F1.4, I have the 50mm 1.5 and it tends to front focus at widest aperture and at relatively close range (1.5m). It's one of the reasons why I hardly use it, that and the fact that 35mm is just the ideal lens for the M6 !

[@mattdayphoto]

Bjorn Comhaire It can be a challenge when shooting a moving subject, that's for sure. The 35mm focal length is a perfect match for a Leica, in my opinion.

[@metaldance_]

Great vid, got yourself a new subscriber!

[@syekbe]

Loving that hair cut 👌

[@massimilianotiberi6824]

Honestly I like all the video that concern film, probably because I am like a kids that like dinosaur , things close to extinction.. Seriously I think film photography is one of the few topics related photography that I still likes because gave me the feeling that there is something "manual", something craftsmanship and this is for me valuable. So thanks again for your movie and I wish one day you will discuss the Ektar 100 (if you like colors) or Ilford Delta Pro 100 that I used for long time and with happiness.

[@jaisbr]

I really like this kind of video, very useful for me. Can I ask how you mix up the HC? Have you tried different dillutions?

[@waynelarsen7912]

Excellent!

[@mamboferido4741]

Woah, the Voigtlander lens renders pretty nice tones!

[@mattdayphoto]

Mambo Ferido I'm thoroughly enjoying this lens so far! I'll definitely have a review up at some point.

[@fors2345]

Thanks for the info.

[@dannypryordoyle2710]

Nice work Matt!

[@mattdayphoto]

Danny Doyle Thanks, Danny!

[@mpikers]

Great video. Thanks, Matt. This is all new to me, I didn't know there was a noticeable difference between these developers. This is probably a stupid question, but does the type of fixer and stop bath make a difference?

[@fra91_]

Great video, very helpful! I just subscribed to your channel, I don't know why I haven't found you before, but I'm glad I finally did! I'd like to know if you have any suggestions for any good lenses for the Nikon F3 (which I'll be gettin soon). The ones I'd be interested in would be the nikkor 28, 35 and 50mm manual focus 1.4 or 1.8. Do you have any other suggestions for any of these 3? (my budget at the moment is 250/300 pounds). Thanks!!

[@leticiavaldez1552]

Good information. Bring on the grain.

[@songchangeun]

Matt!, Thanks for the awesome vid... Just one question,, did you use any color contrast filters when taking these pictures?

[@steved3831]

hi Matt, really like your video, learned a lot. may i ask which scanner your will recommend for the beginner, thanks !

[@Dale7792]

Matt, your videos have got me into film! How do you push film to 1600 when its a bright sunny day? I'd assume you have to increase shutter speed quite a bit

[@MaxLamdin]

good video again! its always nice to see your work because its always outstanding! and yeah how dare you talk about film or cameras on a photography blog, some people are such a joke haha keep up the amazing work

[@mattdayphoto]

Max Lamdin Thank you for the support, Max!

[@guiiBRsldsnake]

sorry to ask that, but hat do you use to scan your negs? I don't get that kind of sharpness/focus quality, it's amazing.

[@filmniyom]

Good film👍