A Study in Grain and Geometry

Shot on Leica R4 + Tamron 24–48 + Kodak TMAX 400

This image is one I keep coming back to, not because of its technical or geometric presence, but because of how it feels.

The image reminds me of the first time I saw what kodak could give as an emulsion. It spoke to me in ways that other black and white films could not - although some such as Ilford fp5 came close.

This particular image was captured on a Leica R4 (sadly now sold) paired with the legendary Tamron 24–48mm, this photograph owes much of its character not just to composition, but to the soul embedded in the film stock: Kodak TMAX 400.

The setting itself was a moment of symmetry and solitude, the curving path guiding the eye through the frame, framed by steel and shadow. But it’s the texture of this image, the subtle, grainy bite and tonal depth that gives it life. And that’s all down to TMAX 400.

There's something uniquely organic about TMAX 400. It has that rare ability to feel both crisp and moody at the same time. It’s not a sterile sharpness, but one that breathes. The grain structure is tight but never overly clinical. It dances in the highlights, holds firm in the shadows, and gives skin and skies alike an almost tactile presence.

I have rolls upon rolls of TMAX 400 stashed in my fridge. Call it irrational or maybe it’s just realistic, but there’s always that nagging fear Kodak will stop producing it one day. Film stocks disappear all the time, often without warning. And if TMAX 400 ever goes, it’ll leave a real hole in the medium. It’s that essential to my workflow and to how I see black and white photography.

This image is a small homage to analog soul, captured with vintage equipment that doesn’t know how to quit, using film thats irreplaceable to me.