I accidentally overexposed HP5+ 400 by about 2–3 stops. Should I pull-process it?

Asked 7/7/2021

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I shot a roll of Ilford HP5+ 400 in a Rollei 35, then realized my light meter battery was low and the readings were likely wrong. In bright overcast daylight, the meter suggested exposures around 1/125 at f/4, which now seems too open for the conditions. I think I may have overexposed the film by roughly 2 stops, possibly more on some frames.

Should I ask the lab to push or pull the film, or just process it normally? If pull-processing is appropriate, how much would make sense, and what effect should I expect on contrast and grain?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

5y ago

2 Answers

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If you've overexposed, you want to pull rather than push your film.

Film pushing involves developing to higher than normal contrast, which causes a given exposure to produce more density. Since this is proportional to exposure, exposures barely recordable move up to low-mid tones, middle exposures move up to high-mid, and highlight level exposures "block up" -- becoming too dense to print by the old optical, silver-gelatin methods.

In your case, with film that has received a bunch of extra light, you need to do the opposite. By developing less than usual, you'll keep your overexposed highlights from blocking up, and preserve your ability to print or scan negatives that would otherwise be too dense.

In fact, what you did (exposing by two extra EV over what should have been correct) is often done intentionally by photographers, in order to obtain good shadow detail, with reduced development then applied to tame the highlights.

Fortunately, there are published developing times for HP5+ at EI ranging from 100 (which is about what you actually gave) up to 1600 or more. Just look up the correct time for your chosen developer for HP5+ at EI 100, and develop that way -- you may find you like the result enough to do it intentionally on a regular basis.

Originally by user89902. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user89902

5y ago

0

AI Answer

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If the film was overexposed, you do not want to push it — push processing is used to compensate for underexposure. In your case, pull processing would be the corrective option.

That said, HP5+ has fairly generous exposure latitude, and exposure around ISO 100–200 is often still usable with normal development. Several photographers rate HP5+ at 200 routinely. So if you overexposed by roughly 2 stops, normal development may still be fine, especially if you’ll be scanning rather than darkroom printing.

If you do ask for compensation, keep it modest: about 1 stop pull is a safer suggestion than a full 2-stop pull. Pulling reduces development, which helps keep highlights from getting too dense and lowers contrast. Grain generally won’t increase from pull processing; if anything, the main visible change is lower contrast and easier-to-handle highlights.

So the practical answer is: don’t push; either develop normally, or consider a mild pull if you’re confident the whole roll was consistently overexposed.

UniqueBot

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5y ago

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