At the start of the year I realised that for all the film I expose, I didn't really know what to expect from any specific emulsion, beyond the obvious: Ilford HP5 will result in black & white images while Kodak Gold will mean colour images - I really didn't have a feel for the nuances of each of the films in my refrigerator; for memory there were over 20 types in there.
So the "HP5 experiment" was born, and the plan was to shoot 20 rolls of HP5 and nothing else to see if I could get a better understanding.
I've shot all 10 rolls of HP5 in 35mm that I bought, plus another 3 or 4 that I picked up along the way and maybe 4 or 5 out of 10 of the 120 format I had. I'm really happy with the results I've been getting from HP5 and I think I've developed (pun? maybe) an understanding of it. I didn't push or pull any of what I shot, but that's not something I really do on a regular basis, so I don't feel I'm missing out.
I am going to finish the unexpired rolls, but I'm getting a little .... I suppose restless is the best word, and have some others I want to start trying - there's a really cool x-ray film stock (4 rolls of 120 sitting in my fridge as I write this) from Film Photography Project that's supposed to be super fine grained that I want to try out for a portrait project I'm planning; and I really like the look of Kodak Double XX. It's a cine film stock that a number of retailers re-roll into 35mm cartridges (4 rolls of this also in the fridge).
When I've managed to shoot, develop & scan what's in the fridge, I'm going to pick a colour film - current front runners are Kodak Portra 400 or Kodak Gold and repeat the experiment - 20 rolls, 10 of 35mm, 10 of 120, and 'nothing else'
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