now i think i just need a darkbag, a spool for the film reel, clips, the chemicals, and maybe a timer. oh yeah, and a roll of black ‘n white film to be developed. i’ll have to find a roll of tri-x 400 once i get paid.

i seemed to remember finding recently one of these old disposable cameras that i was probably using for senior prom about 7 years ago, and so after poking around in my room a bit i turned it up; apparently it still has 9 photos still available on it! i figure that if i start to learn how to develop color film (it’s a bit trickier than black and white, from what i’ve heard), it couldn’t hurt to experiment with this thing. who knows what’s on it!

i brought back my old polaroid camera for shits and giggles as well. needs polaroid 600 film, though.

also, thanks to a girl on flickr who saw my thread with some questions in the “i shoot film” group, i now have a helpful email from her:

From: xxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com

Subject: Re: [Flickr] Re: developing advice

Date: January 7, 2007 8:17:11 PM EST

To: glenn@glennfitzpatrick.com

I’ve written a lot below, but if you’re looking for a general resource for getting started I really like Tom Grimm’s Basic Darkroom Book. I got a used copy off amazon for less than a dollar, I think, pre-shipping, and I still look up stuff when I’m stuck or need to do something for the first time. I live in Chicago and work in an academic library so I can have books from all over IL shipped to me and I looked over a good number of darkroom books and really like this one. People on flickr are always recommending Ansel Adam’s The Negative, but I personally find the zone system confusing and don’t think it’s a good beginner book. Do try checking for books on film at your local library. Too many people forget what wonderful free information is always available there. 🙂

Equipment:

Besides your chemicals and tank and reels you will need a couple containers for measuring, mixing, and storing chemistry.

Measuring tools: Make sure you have enough separate measuring containers to prepare and hold your diluted developer and fixer, and an extra pitcher for water is good too. It’s important that you don’t get one chemical mixed into the other, especially not fixer into the developer, or you’ll have to throw them away because they won’t work. Also, many of the chemicals are toxic so don’t even think about using kitchen measuring tools. Get separate ones. If you use very concentrated developers you will need something with smaller graduated amounts (like individual ml). I have a nice lab-quality glass graduated cylinder, but I’ve heard other people recommend getting the non-needle medical syringes. If you do that, I’d keep them separated by the chemical you use since they aren’t as easy to clean out. You’ll also need a thermometer that includes a 60-80 F/15-25C range

Mixing Tools: The measuring tools can be used for mixing if they’re big enough – I have 2 600ml containers for the fixer and developer and a few smaller ones, but the essential thing is to have ones big enough to hold the amount of liquid that goes in your tank (obviously). Get a long-handled non-absorbent spoon or two for mixing, and keep them separate or wash them carefully before it goes in a different chemical.

Storing: In general I’ve tried to stick to developers that I mix up once and throw away, but for my HC-110 I need to get a few more bottles to store the mixed-up developer. I am very cheap and use an empty Hydrogen Peroxide bottles to store my diluted fixer – we had them around the house and they’re light-tight plastic so the chemicals last longer. You can also buy proper brown plastic jugs at the photo shop, or, if you want to get very precise, get amber glass bottles and glass marbles to keep them perfectly full from a chemistry tool supplier. Too much bother for me at the moment. Mostly you need to make sure there isn’t lots of light hitting the chemicals or air in the container so they’ll last as long as possible. Adorama.com sells accordion-style plastic jugs that work well for this if you want to try another option.

Setting Up:

Darkness: I recently left my darkbag at a friend’s parents’ house out of state, so I’ve been sitting in a dark room under a pile of blankets to do it now. It works – soon enough I’ll have my bathroom light-tight and won’t have to be so silly about it. I’ve also heard of people using heavy sweatshirts as improvised darkbags with the neck and body openings tied shut in a dark room, but I’d do some tests to see how thick they really are. The last thing you want is to carefully take a nice roll and then expose the whole thing to light just before you develop it..

Unloading the Film: You use a square can-opener thing to pry the top off – My mom had a few in the kitchen she uses to open Pineapple juice cans, if that helps you know what I’m talking about. 🙂 There are also tools that you can use to pull the film out of the canister, but I haven’t tried that. Make sure your hands and all the tools are dry as you work, because if anything gets damp the film may get a little sticky and jam.

Loading the Reels: I find plastic reels a lot easier to use – they usually have guides to help get it going, then you just twist the sides to get the film to advance, being careful not to let the rest of the film tangle before it’s loaded. With metal reels, you clip the end into the center and twist the reel in your hand to keep it in line. I’ve never used one of these myself, but there are instructions here that seem pretty clear: http://www.darkroomsource.net/tech-load.shtml. If you can find someone to show you how, I’d l recommend buying a very cheap roll of film and having him or her show you how to load the film onto the reels for developing. I’m a big believer in tactile learning, especially when it’s something you have to know how to do in the dark.

Loading the Tank: If you are using a 600ml two reel-tank to process one roll of 35mm, make sure you have both reels in and the one with film is on the bottom. If you don’t do it that way you may get streaks from it bouncing around too much during agitation or have a ribbon along the top that isn’t developed. Make sure the “pouring section” is firmly attached, since that’s the part that stays on until you’re done. Otherwise you may risk dumping chemicals and film out instantly when you start agitating – or at least spilling a lot of chemicals. I’ve done this before and I’m sure I’ll do it again – it’s another reason you should make more than the minimum amount of chemicals needed to cover the film. You don’t want to fill the tank full, because it won’t agitate properly without some airspace, but make sure there’s at least 3/4-1″ over the reel. You can leave film in the tank (without putting in any liquid) for a while if you want. I’d recommend putting in something to remind yourself what kind of film is in there, though, just in case.

Developers:

Some kinds of developer you mix up from powder or concentrate once and then store that way while others have you mix a small amount into the water just before you use it. D-76, X-Tol, and TMax are mixed up once (some at a specific temperature) while HC-110, Rodinal, and Pyro PMK (not recommended for beginners) are kinds that you mix up just before you use it.

Here’s some basic information about a couple different options:

Rodinal: Because I’m cheap and sometimes like to have an option that doesn’t take a whole lot of bother, I use Rodinal with Yolise’s semi-stand development, diluted 1:100: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yolise/145541042/. With this method you don’t have to worry about your agitation technique and you don’t have to worry about temperature. It looks very good with slow speed films like Fuji Acros (100 ASA). There is a whole group devoted to Rodinal developer and it’s pretty active if you want to check it out: http://www.flickr.com/groups/rodinal/ I don’t do higher dilutions because I’ve heard it gets grainier and, like I said, I do it as a no-hassle developer when I don’t want to watch the clock so carefully. Plus it will last you forever and only cost about 35 cents a batch at that rate. One thing to be careful of – there is a minimum amount of developer you need – about 6ml – so you can’t do the 1:100 dilution in a one-reel tank. Here are some examples of this combination: http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=acros&w=32592441%40N00&m=pool&z=t

HC-110: Also a liquid developer, also has a lot of options with different dilutions for regular developing (agitating every 30 seconds or so) or semi-stand (once every 15-30 minutes). With HC-110 the regular developing can take very little time – about 5-6 minutes for most 400 speed films. It’s better with faster films than Rodinal is, and you can use it to push films (if you only have 400 speed film and you’re in dim light without a flash, you change your settings to 800 speed or 1600 speed and then follow directions to develop for that speed instead of the usual timing). There is more information on it than you’ll ever need here: http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/hc110/. The information from Kodak also has instructions for using it with “replenishing,” which means you add a little bit more concentrate after each roll to your developer and you don’t have to mix it up every time that way: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/j24/j24.pdf

D-76: This one works about the same way as HC-110, except that you mix the whole packet up and store that amount – you can get packets for 1 liter, 1 gallon, or 10 gallons. It won’t last as long as the other ones, but you don’t have to do anything more than measure it out once you’ve mixed it up. Also, you can buy a separate chemical to use as a replenisher so you can reuse the stuff instead of throwing each batch away after one use. I have a packet on hand but I haven’t used it yet, partially because I don’t have a big jug to put it in.

I personally like the liquid developers because they’re easy to store, very cheap if you do high dilutions, and easy to put away. I’ve been doing all my developing in the laundry sink, so being able to pack everything up in a milk crate and stick it in a corner is an advantage.

Developing Procedure:

Temperature: Most of the basic instructions call for chemicals that are 20C or 68F (occasionally 23C/70F), which is cool to the touch but not cold. If you spend much time doing this you’ll get familiar with what feels right – it usually matters most that your developer is the right temperature because it affects the timing for many developers. If you are using pre-mixed developer, you may need to put it in a bucket of cold or warm water to help it reach the right temperature. If you mix it up right before you use it, you only have to make sure the water is the right temperature. As for the fixer and other stuff, as long as they aren’t more than 5 degrees warmer or cooler so you don’t need to worry about getting them exact. In the summer 68F is about the coolest I can get the water to run, which is handy. In the winter in Chicago it takes me longer to adjust it to 68F, so I work on that before I start measuring chemicals. I’ve tried running water before I load my reels, but that is very difficult to do with damp hands.

Timing: Your film and developer may come with charts showing times and temperatures for specific combinations. If you don’t see the combination you want, digitaltruth.com has the “Massive Development Chart” where you plug in your film and developer and get information on times and temperatures: http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.html If you find it confusing, try browsing around on flickr to see if anyone has said anything about the combination you want to try. I use an old Gra-Lab timer, with a big second hand that’s very easy to follow, and set the time without turning it on. If you get one of these you’ll be all set, but any clock with a second hand will work.

Prewash: Some people do this, some people don’t. If you search around on flickr or photo.net you’ll hear differing opinions about the usefulness of it. Basically it means you soak your film for 2-3 minutes in water, then pour it out just before you add the developer. With some films you’ll get a dark colored water after you pour it out, which is just the “anti-halation” layer that has dissolved. It would get washed off later if you don’t do it, but don’t be alarmed if you see extra color at some point.

Getting Started: Mix up the correct amount for your tank – a 2-reel tank usually takes 550-600 ml. Figure out how much time you need for your film and set a timer or have a clock ready. Timers are easier. Make sure everything is in the right temperature range (wash the thermometer before putting it in different chemicals). If the water from the faucet is too hot or too cold, have a bucket of water the right temperature ready to use as a stop bath.

Developing: Always begin timing yourself from second you begin pouring in the developer – which will probably take about 10 seconds, then agitate it for the first 30 seconds by turning it upside down and right side up slowly. I agitate by picking it up off the table (or washing machine, in my case) and swinging my arm up with my elbow bent until the tank is upside down. This gives me about 2 inversions in 5 seconds and I haven’t had any troubles with marks. After the first 30 seconds I agitate it on the 30 second mark and back at the beginning, 2 inversions each time. You should tap it lightly against a hard surface after each agitation to make sure bubbles don’t cling to the surface of the film.

Stop bath: Pour out the developer, discarding it or reserving it according to the directions (I discard Rodinal and keep HC-110, for instance). Immediately pour in water, invert 5 times, and pour out. Repeat that 2 more times and then pour in the fixer.

Fixing: Pour in the fixer and follow the directions – I use Ilford RapidFix and it takes about 3 minutes. I agitate the same as for the usual film times, twice every 30 seconds. Some fixers call for more agitation or time, so read the directions carefully. One caution – don’t fix it for too long or you might wash away bits of your emulsion. I did that on a few frames and got little tiny pinpricks that show up as dark spots all over my images. You can keep the fixer after you’ve used it.

NOTE: Fixer will go bad eventually, so check before you use it and after before you store it away. I use a small bottle of “hypo-check” to check the fixer – just squeeze in a few drops and if it turns cloudy it’s gone bad. I’ve mixed up one batch and used it for about 6 months before I needed to make more. If your film comes out looking milky but has images on it, then the fixer went bad as you used it. Just mix up new fixer and do it again and don’t worry about it – I’ve done this and it came out fine, though I was sure I’d ruined it. Don’t pour expired fixer down the drain – it’s bad for the water company. There’s a nice suggestion instead in a good group here on flickr.

Wash: You can either leave the water running into the tank for 30 minutes or so or do the Ilford Fast Wash method: 1. fill the tank, invert 5 times, then dump out. 2, fill the tank, invert 10 times, dump out. 3. fill the tank, invert 20 times, dump out. All done!

Rinse: If you mix up just enough distilled water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid and dunk the film in that before you hang it up you shouldn’t ever have to worry about water drops. If you don’t have hard water that might not be a problem anyway.

Dry: Hang the film in a dust-free area to dry, with something to weight the end (I use clothespins on the top and a big binder clip on the bottom). If your home is as dusty as mine is this time of the year, a good trick is to run hot water in your shower for a few minutes, then let it cool off and hang them up in there. Run it while you’re washing your negatives, for instance. The steam pulls the dust out of the air and leaves it cleaner in there. It usually takes at least an hour for negatives to dry, but the longer you let it dry the less curly they will be. Try not to touch the film too much as you do this or when you check to see if it’s dry, or at least don’t touch the photo parts. Fingerprints are very visible when you scan or print negatives.

Storage: I buy negative storage sheets in 7 strips of 6 frames because 6 is the maximum length my scanner can hold and I can fit a full roll of 36 frames plus the end shots in one sheet that way. http://www.bhphotovideo.com /bnh/controller/home?O=896&A=details&Q=&sku=78261&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Scanning: Instructions here probably depend on what scanner you have and what software you’re using afterwards. I have a Epson 4490 scanner and I use the full CS2 Photoshop, so I could give you tips on some things affected by that combination at least once you’re at that point.

Good luck with everything – I’ve given you everything I can think of at the moment, but it really doesn’t take a whole lot of thought once you know what not to do.

wow, that’s a lot to digest! she said that someone else had previously asked her for advice, and that she thinks she gives pretty good advice for beginners that more experienced folk might not remember to talk about.

also, i’ve found a girl in my mini cooper club who owns a mini cooper and goes curling. too bad she’s engaged! 😛