Exploring with Ilford Delta 400 and the Nikon F6
For this roll, I loaded Ilford Delta 400 into my Nikon F6 and carried it across several locations in Chesapeake and Norfolk between December 28, 2024 and February 14, 2025. Delta 400 is one of my favorite black-and-white films because of its fine grain and wide tonal range, which make it a good fit for different subjects and lighting conditions.
Battlefield Park – Great Bridge
I caputured a couple of images at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens after changing film on my F6. From there I moved to Battlefield Park in Great Bridge, where the film’s tonal range really stood out. The mix of open spaces, tree lines, water and the Great Bridge bridge made for varied scenes, and Delta 400 delivered consistent results across them.
Veteran’s Bridge – Dominion Blvd, Chesapeake
Next up was the Veteran’s Bridge area around Dominion Blvd. The strong lines of the bridge structure against the sky gave the film a chance to show off its contrast capabilities. Delta 400 rendered the details crisply while still holding on to midtones in the surrounding environment.
Northwest River Park
At Northwest River Park, the quieter trails and natural scenery played well to Delta 400’s strengths. The film rendered textures in trees, water, and sky with fine grain and smooth transitions, keeping the scenes true to how they felt in person.
Winter around the house
We had a pretty good snow storm in late January so I grabbed this image from my driveway.
Great Bridge Locks
I wrapped up the roll at the Great Bridge Locks area. The industrial details mixed with water and sky made for interesting compositions, and Delta 400 had no trouble balancing the range of tones. The film gave me sharp detail without being too harsh, which is why I keep coming back to it. This image is of an abandoned boat just behind Tilden Avenue.
Final Thoughts
This roll confirmed again why Ilford Delta 400 is one of my go-to black-and-white films. It’s reliable, flexible, and pairs well with the Nikon F6’s precise metering. From gardens to bridges to parks, it produced consistent, clean results that make it a solid choice no matter the subject.