3 Go-To Black-and-White Film Stocks for Street Photography

Challenging the commercial grain, Taylor Pendleton embarks on a year-long journey of shooting monochrome street photos for authenticity & timelessness.

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Imagine a world without color — where shadows and light are the only tools at your disposal to convey the rawness of candid street life.

This is the world of black-and-white film stocks, where monochrome mastery can make your street photography sing with a timeless quality that color just can't match.

If you’re an avid follower of my Instagram or YouTube channel, you know that I’ve recently made the decision to shoot my personal work exclusively on black-and-white film for 12 months; to see the world in a new way and create a body of work that truly reflected my personal style. Daunting? Absolutely. But one that I approached with a mix of excitement and trepidation.

While black and white film stocks are a great choice for street photography, the nuances of the medium mean that it requires a deeper understanding of light, contrast, and shape. Especially on a sunny day, where the interplay of light and shadows creates more dramatic effects that enhance the emotional impact of the image. Without the distraction of color, monochrome stocks help bring out the raw and gritty reality of street life.

When shooting in black and white, the colors of the scene become a non-issue. Initially, it feels weird to let go of the comfort of color and shift my attention to these other aspects of the image. But as I've continued to shoot exclusively in black and white for five months of my year-long challenge, I've found a sense of liberation in the freedom of monochrome. It's given me the space to experiment with texture, contrast, and mood in a way that color photography simply can't match.

Below are the stocks I used and various sample images of each.

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An image without an alt, whoops

1. Ilford HP5

  • ISO 400

  • Medium contrast

  • Great dynamic range in varied lighting conditions

  • Wide exposure latitude

  • All-purpose black-and-white

  • Fine grain

  • Panchromatic

HP5 PLUS Black and White Negative 35mm Film (36 Exposures) - 24 Exp

$7$8.95

Ilford HP5 PLUS is a high speed, fine grain, medium contrast B&W film making it an excellent choice for journalism, documentary, travel, sports, action, and indoor available light photography. Nominally rated at ISO 400, HP5 PLUS produces negatives of outstanding sharpness and fine grain under all lighting conditions. It has been formulated to respond well to push-processing and can be rated up to El 3200/36°. Its wide exposure latitude makes it a great choice for beginners, those returning to film as well as the more experienced professional users.

*Note: Opened consumable items (film or film cameras) are not refundable. To learn more click here.

Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5
Shot on Ilford HP5

2. Streetpan 400

  • ISO 400

  • Low to medium contrast

  • Panchromatic

  • Great dynamic range

  • Excellent penetration through haze, fog, etc.

  • Red light sensitive (optimum film for dawn, dusk, winter, low light, and low sun)

  • Fine grain

Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400
Shot on Streetpan 400

3. CineStill XX

  • Variable speed (ISO 200-800)

  • Rich tonality

  • Excellent sharpness

  • Panchromatic

  • DX coded

  • Medium grain and contrast

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BwXX - Black and White Negative 35mm Film

$13.99

CineStill BwXX is a variable speed, classic black & white film emulsion, with an EI of 250 under daylight and 200 under tungsten lighting. Recommended development in Kodak D-96 developer or Df96 Monobath, but is compatible with D-76, HC110, and all other black and white film developers.

Double-X is a classic black and white film stock left relatively unchanged since it's release in 1959 for still and motion picture use. CineStill BwXX is an excellent choice for those looking for a classic film stock to fill the void left by the discontinuation of it's wonderful sister films, Kodak Plus-x (discontinued in 2010) and TXP320.

*Note: Opened consumable items (film or film cameras) are not refundable. To learn more click here.

Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
Shot on CineStill XX
If you’re interested in following my year-long project of shooting only black-and-white film….be sure to check out my channel, Graincheck. I’ll be documenting the entire journey there!

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