Back with the Lowriders (with 35mm Ilford XP-2)

 Here are a few images I scanned today from my recent trip this past July 23rd to the Montebello Park lowrider show. These are supposed to be black and white images because Ilford XP-2 film is a chromogenic film, it is developed in color chemistry but is only for monochrome black and white images. I guess the rationale was that it was for people who wanted black and white images but also the convenience of being able to take them to their nearest photos lab in a corner drugstore to get them developed, since black and white was more specialized. When scanned, my images came out purplish. This might be another alternative, then, to getting the Lomochrome Purple effect, except it won't save me any money. A roll of Ilford XP-2 film in 35mm costs $11.23 (36 exposures), and a roll of Lomochrome Purple 35mm costs $11.90 (36 exposures). The difference is negligible. 

Also, why are these Ilford negatives so grainy? That was never my experience using this film 20 years ago! That was what I liked about it, the fact that I could obtain black and white negatives with a high ISO with no grain! I remember when I was in the darkroom enlarging from these negatives and I would have so much difficulty focusing, because I could not detect the grain. These scans? Super-grainy. It must have to do with improper storage. These are rolls that have been in boxes in the heat for over 5 years. I am sure they are expired and they sustained damage due to this heat. I'll have to try some fresh rolls but, at those prices, I am not eager to waste my precious dollars. I could desaturate these scans and get true black and white images, but I like the purple color.