ilford hp5, a perfect black and white film for studio portrait

Gilbert Carosin
May 31
1 min read

Young woman with braided hair and hoop earrings, wearing a pearl necklace. She has a calm expression. Background is neutral. Black and white photo.

This is a little session I had in my studio with Ilford HP5. The film is highly regarded among portrait photographers; it has beautiful grain, texture, and a very nice transition between highlights and shadows. All this makes the Ilford HP5 a perfect black and white film for studio portraits.

Young woman with braided hair and hoop earrings, wearing a beaded necklace. Hand to chin, neutral expression. Black and white portrait.

For this session, I had the chance to work with one of my favorite models, Clorina. She had some beautiful locks prepared in advance, especially for this session. Makeup was minimal, almost non-existent, as is the case for all my sessions.

Woman with braided hair and flower accessory poses with a thoughtful expression. She's wearing hoop earrings and a shell necklace. Monochrome.

I used a butterfly lighting setup, with the light feathered as far as possible. There was a large reflector just below Clorina, and another on her right side. There is another light just behind at shoulder level that creates separation from the backdrop.

Young woman with braided hair and hoop earrings in a thoughtful pose, wearing a necklace. Black and white portrait with floral accents.

The camera is my usual Nikon F5 paired with the Nikkor 135mm f/3.5 lens, one of the very best portrait lenses in the Nikon F-mount lineup. You can read a review about this lens here.