Why can film grain make a photo feel more realistic?
Asked 6/14/2023
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Sometimes very clean, sharp photos look less "real" to me, while grainier, softer images can feel more realistic, even though they don’t match how my vision actually looks. Why does grain sometimes create that impression of realism?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
2 Answers
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Have you ever seen a contact print made from a large format negative? It has vastly larger amount of details than any digital print, or than a naked eye can see, and no grain whatsoever — and, according to most people I've asked, produces the most realistic feel, when the eye dives into the details and you feel that there are more details than you can discern, just like in the real scene.
The sharp grain can create feeling of acutance, yes, but I doubt it's the way to create that realistic feel.
Originally by user104897. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user104897
3y ago
0
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This is mostly a perceptual and subjective effect, not a rule of image quality.
Grain can increase the sense of acutance (apparent sharpness at edges), which may make an image feel more textured or vivid. That can contribute to a stronger emotional impression, even if the image is technically less clean.
But grain itself is not necessarily what makes a photo feel realistic. A good counterexample is a contact print from a large-format negative: it can contain enormous detail with essentially no visible grain, and many viewers find it extremely realistic. Part of that realism comes from the sense that the image holds more detail than your eye can immediately take in, similar to looking at a real scene.
So if grain feels realistic, it’s likely because of how our perception responds to texture and edge contrast, not because realism requires grain. Extremely detailed, grain-free images can also feel very real.
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