There’s something magical about shooting black & white film, but doing it with an expired roll? Well, that’s a whole new adventure. Recently, I stumbled upon a bulk roll of what I guessed was Ilford HP5+. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure. The roll had been gifted to me, and there were no labels or markers to confirm its identity. Still, with my trusty Nikon F5 and a 50mm f/1.4 lens in hand, I thought, “Why not?”
The Guesswork Begins
I decided to load the film into an old canister, bulk-rolling it without much hope. Using my experience with Ilford films and a bit of a calculated guess, I figured it could be HP5+, and I shot it at its ‘box speed’—ISO 400. I stuck to that same ISO 400 speed for developing too, still unsure if the film would even cooperate after all these years.
When I pulled the film out of the tank, it looked… well, bad. It was completely grey, like it had been fogged with a small amount of light over time. This was definitely a result of its age, and honestly, I felt a pang of disappointment. I almost didn’t bother scanning it at all and considered throwing out the rest of the bulk roll.
But then—thankfully—I didn’t. Because once I scanned the negatives in, there it was. The results were dirty, grainy, and absolutely wonderful. A perfect reminder of why I love black & white film so much: it’s full of surprises and happy accidents.
" The results were dirty, grainy, and absolutely wonderful "
Key Takeaways from Shooting Expired Film
Here’s what this experience taught me: when you shoot expired black & white film, anything can happen, and that’s part of the fun. It also reminds me that black & white film, especially classics like Ilford HP5+, is incredibly resilient. Even after all these years, it delivered something unexpected and strangely beautiful.
5 Tips for Shooting Expired Black & White Film
For those of you interested in trying your hand at shooting expired film (Ilford HP5+ or otherwise), here are a few helpful hints that might save you from disappointment:
Overexpose by 1-2 Stops: Film tends to lose sensitivity over time, so it’s a good idea to give it a little extra exposure. For example, if it’s ISO 400, try shooting at ISO 200 or 100.
Be Flexible with Development: Don’t be afraid to experiment with development times. Sometimes extending development by a minute or two can help bring out more detail in expired film.
Embrace the Imperfections: Expired film can produce grainier, lower-contrast results, and may have unexpected color shifts (if it’s color film). Lean into that unique look! It’s part of what makes expired film so exciting.
Test Before Shooting Important Projects: If you’re unsure about how the expired film will behave, shoot a test roll first. That way, you can adjust exposure and development if needed.
Store Film Properly (If Possible): While the film is already expired, storing it in a cool, dry place or even in the freezer can slow down the degradation process. If you stumble across old film, check its storage conditions to get a rough idea of how much life it has left.
