Pushing and pulling Portra 400 for Street Photography

One of the reasons I consistently use Portra 400 for street photography is due to its flexibility. Rated at box speed, it delivers balanced tones, wide latitude that makes it perfect for both professionals and those starting out in amateur street photography. But Portra 400 really shows its character when you push or pull it and not just in the darkroom, but by how you set your camera.

Shooting Portra 400 at a Higher ISO (Pushing)

Let’s say light is fading and you still want to capture some images. Instead of keeping Portra at ISO 400, you can manually rate it at ISO 800 or even 1600 on your camera. This underexposes the film in-camera, and when the roll is developed, it’s “pushed” to compensate.

The effect? Contrast deepens, shadows get heavier, and grain becomes more pronounced. For street photography on film, this can heighten the sense of grit and depth to the images. Scenes at night, in neon light, or under overcast skies carry more drama when Portra is pushed a stop or two.

an image I shot on London underground which is dimly lit and has no natural light. I used Portra 400 and the set the camera to ISO 800 with a 1/125 shutter speed. I was interested to see how the film would handle deep reds, yellow and blues whilst experimenting with some symmetry in the composition.

Shooting Portra 400 at a Lower ISO (Pulling)

On the flip side, imagine a bright afternoon where the light is sharp and harsh. Here, you can set your camera to ISO 200 or 100, essentially overexposing the film by one stop. When developed as a pull, the negatives soften.

The result? Colours lean pastel, shadows open up, and the overall image feels gentler. Pulled Portra works great in harsh daylight, where it smooths the extremes and gives a calmer quality. For amateur street photography, pulling can be an accessible way to experiment with mood without needing to change film stocks.

Why It Matters

By simply adjusting the ISO dial on your camera, you’re teaching yourself to see how film responds to light differently.

What’s good about this process is how it slows you down. Choosing whether to overexpose or underexpose a roll forces you to commit, to think about not just the frame in front of you, but the character you want across an entire roll. That’s part of what makes street photography on film so rewarding, it asks for intention, not just reaction.

Final Thoughts

Portra 400 has earned its reputation because it’s reliable, versatile, and expressive. Whether you push it by rating it higher in-camera or pull it by going lower, you’ll discover new sides of its personality. For me, experimenting with Portra is less about technical precision and more about finding ways to see the things differently.

Here is a cheat sheet of camera settings for pushing/pulling Portra 400.