Ilford 80ish

My favourite black and white recipe for the past year has been Ritchie Roesch’s Ilford Ortho Plus 80 film recipe. I like the warm tones imparted by the slight monochromatic shift to the red zone. I’ve not seen a physical print of an Ilford Ortho Plus 80. I hope to get a chance to see one in the future. But in the here and now where Film Photography is not something I have the opportunity, knowledge and financial means to pursue, I’m happy to stick to the digital equivalent.

My Capture One Keyword tag showed that I have made 614 shots with Ritchie’s recipe in 14 months. Recently, I realised I’m looking for a cleaner approach. I still like the sharp contrast afforded by the bump to highlights and shadows. That particular setting will not result in a clean Black and White. In fact, it is the exact opposite. However, the push to a warmer monochromatic look muddies the high contrast scene. And so, I tweaked the recipe to create my preferred look.

My default camera setting is to take multiple shots. As a result, the clarity setting does not get applied unless I consciously go to single shot or apply in X Raw Studio after the fact.