Push and Pull in Film Photography: What It Is and How It Affects Your Images

Push and pull processing is one of the most powerful techniques in film photography. It allows photographers to adjust the effective speed of their film during development, creating more flexibility in challenging lighting situations—or opening doors for creative experimentation.

If you’ve ever brightened a digital photo in Lightroom or reduced the highlights to recover detail, you already understand the concept. Push and pull are simply the film equivalents of adjusting exposure after the fact.

What It Means

In traditional film photography, your film stock has a box speed (its rated ISO). Push and pull come into play when you intentionally mismatch how the film is shot versus how it is developed:

Pushing Film

When you push film, you set your camera to a higher ISO than the film’s box speed, effectively underexposing the shot. During development, you extend processing time to “catch up” the lost light.

Results:

• Increased contrast
• More visible grain
• Darker shadows with less detail

This is like taking a digital photo that’s too dark and using software to brighten it—details come back, but the image looks noisier and contrasty.

Pulling Film

When you pull film, you set your camera to a lower ISO than the box speed, intentionally overexposing the shot. You then reduce development time to compensate.

Results:

• Softer contrast
• Finer grain
• Brighter shadows, but risk of washed-out highlights

This is similar to lowering highlights and shadows in digital editing, giving a smoother, flatter look with less “bite.”

Why Photographers Use It

Push and pull aren’t just technical corrections—they’re creative choices.

• Low light situations → Push film to shoot at higher speeds.
• Bright sunny days → Pull film for smoother, softer tones.
• Creative style → Decide whether you want gritty contrast or dreamy flatness.

The flexibility makes it possible to adapt a single roll of film to very different shooting conditions.

Analogy With Digital Editing

Think of film pushing/pulling as “baking in” edits during the development stage, instead of adjusting afterward on a computer:

• Push = increasing exposure in software after underexposing in camera
• Pull = decreasing exposure and contrast after overexposing in camera

Unlike digital, though, once you commit to push/pull development, the effect is permanent—you can’t undo it.

Practical Tips

• Always communicate push/pull instructions to your lab before processing.
• Experiment with small adjustments first (+1 or –1 stop) before going extreme.
• Remember that results vary by film stock—some handle pushing or pulling better than others.

Common Push/Pull Scenarios

• Pushed Tri-X 400 to 1600: Classic look for gritty, high-contrast street photography
• Pulled Portra 400 to 200: Softer colors and finer grain, great for portraits
• Pushed Ektachrome: Not recommended—slide films are less forgiving

Understanding push and pull helps photographers treat film like a creative tool rather than a technical limitation—similar to how digital editors use exposure sliders to sculpt their final image.