What is pushing or pulling film in photography?
In film photography, you’ll often hear the terms “pushing film” or “pulling film.” The concept can sound confusing but it’s actually very simple. Let’s break it down.
What Does Box Speed Mean?
Every film comes with a “box speed” ISO rating. This is the ISO at which the film is designed to be shot to achieve the best results.
What Does Pushing Film Mean?
Pushing film means shooting the film at a higher rating than its box speed.
• Example: shooting ISO 400 film at ISO 800.
• You are giving the film less light than it needs, which essentially means underexposing.
• To compensate, you extend the development time in the darkroom or at the lab. This allows you to bring back the details you would have lost from underexposure.
• This technique allows you to keep shooting handheld in low light conditions.
• The results are often higher contrast and stronger grain.
What Does Pulling Film Mean?
As you have probably guessed, pulling film is simply the opposite of pushing. When pulling film you overexpose your film, which reduces contrast and brings more detail into the shadows. Some photographers use it creatively, though it’s less common than pushing because most films handle overexposure well.
Remember, if you only alter the speed at which you rate the film, all you are doing is overexposing or underexposing. The real pushing and pulling magic comes during development.
• Example: shooting ISO 400 film at ISO 200.
• You are giving the film more light than it needs, which essentially means overexposing.
• To compensate, you shorten the development time in the darkroom.
• The results are typically lower contrast, smoother tones, and more details in the shadows.
What Does a Stop Mean?
Film is pushed or pulled in stops, which refer to doubling or halving the amount of light the film receives:
Pushing one stop means doubling the film speed:
• ISO 400 pushed +1 stop → ISO 800
• ISO 400 pushed +2 stops → ISO 1600
Pulling one stop means halving the film speed:
• ISO 400 pulled -1 stop → ISO 200
• ISO 400 pulled -2 stops → ISO 100
Why Push or Pull Film?
The main reason why you might want to push or pull film is when the available light doesn’t match the film you have on hand.
In low light, you can push your film by rating it higher to keep shooting handheld. The opposite problem of too much light usually doesn’t pose the same issues. In very bright light, pulling is less common because most films handle overexposure well, but it can still be useful to reduce contrast and bring out more detail in the shadows.
Some photographers deliberately choose to push or pull film to achieve these distinctive looks. Pushing can add contrast, grain, and stronger saturation, while pulling creates lower contrast, smoother tones, and a softer overall feel. Both techniques offer creative control and can be used to shape the mood of the final image.
Experiment with pushing and pulling to see which effects work best for your style. If you’d like to dive deeper, check out our Magazine feature: Testing the New LomoChrome Color ’92 Sun-Kissed Edition: Pulling and Pushing.
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