Developing B&W NegativesDarkroomSource

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Basic Darkroom Techniques: Developing B&W film

The previous section described loading the film into a daylight film tank, this section will describe the film development process.

You will need

Mix chemicals

The first step is to mix the chemicals you will need, per the manufacturers instructions. Until you are processing extremely large amounts of films, use your developer and stop bath as one-shot processes (this may be refered to in the instructions). The cost savings from replenishment or re-use are questionable compared to the possible loss of chemical effectiveness.

There is a lot of discussion about quality of water.

Measure how much liquid is held in your tank (this is best done with your practice film on the reel so you know exactly how much liquid it takes to cover your film, including the space displaced by the reel and film itself). Record this amount, so you know how much developer, stop, and fixer to use.

Use the thermometer during the mixing of chemicals to make sure that you are following the manufacturers recommendations.

Load the tank

As described in the previous section.

Notes about time and temperature

Film development generally is optimized at one specific time and temperature combination. There have been many hundreds of books written about the way changing the time and temperature will affect the development of the film, however most agree that you should have a consistent starting point. I recommend that you choose the manufacturers suggested time and temperature as the starting point. And you stick to that one recommended temperature until you have exhausted all the possibilities in your experimentation. Often the manufacturer will give a table of other times to use for other temperatures, however the results are not exactly the same with those other combinations. My suggestion is to adjust the temperature of the room, or use a water bath, to match the recommended temperature. (a water bath is just a tray of water not as deep as the tank, that is at the specified temperature, you put the tank and the developer (in it's container) and the stop bath (in it's container) and the fixer (in it's container) in the tray so they can all reach the desired temperature)

Water bath

Set up a water bath, using either a print tray or a baking pan or a shallow bucket, or whatever. This should be flat, able to hold the tank and whatever you are putting the chemicals in during the process. Measure out the right amount of developer, stop, and fixer, and put them into graduates, beakers, or whatever (don't put fixer or stop into anything that you will later put developer into, it will kill the developer). Put these in the tray, put about an inch or an inch and a half of water in the tray, at the desired developing temperature. Every couple of minutes, check the temperature of the developer and the water, keep the water at the desire temperature, by adding hot or cold water (ice cubes can be used to cool it too). When the developer reaches the desired temperature, you're ready to start.

Developer

When the developer and film are at the right temperature (because they've sat in the water bath for a few minutes) start the timer.
If you are using a darkroom timer, then set the time to be the development time plus the fix time, plus 2 minutes
The next time the second hand reaches the top of the timer, pour the developer into the tank.

Do the first agitation. Different people will give you different treatises on what constitutes correct agitation. I think the key to correct agitation is to always to it exactly the same. Here is my agitation ritual:

I agitate at the top of every minute, the first minute might only be 20 or 30 seconds after the first agitation, since it takes time to pour the developer into the tank, or it might even be eliminated if the filling took an entire minute.

Stop Bath

At the end of the development cycle (based on time) pour the developer out of the tank, down the drain, with running water, or into a bucket for later disposal.
It should take about the same amount of time to pour the developer out as it did to pour it in, so the times offset each other, plus, as you experiment with times, you will find the best time for yourself, based on your water, thermometer, and technique.
Pour in the Acid Stop.

Fixer

Pour the acid stop down the drain or into the same bucket you are using for the developer (acid stop is weaker than vinegar). Pour in the fixer, and agitate as you did for the developer.

Wash

At the end of the required time, usually 2 minutes, pour out the fixer, either down the drain or into the bucket. Take off the lid of the daylight tank, the film is now safe, although it will fade if you don't wash it properly. Run water into the tank (at close to the processing temperature) for at least 10 minutes.

Dry

Hang the film up to allow it to dry. Some people use a sponge or squeegee to remove excess water, if you do, be careful to not scratch the negatives, they are very soft at this point. Don't blow dry films. Dry your film in a dust free area. A heated film drying cabinet can be used to shorten drying times. Allow ample time for negatives to dry. The emulsion will be sticky, and easy to damage while damp. After thorough drying the negatives are ready to use. Cut the negatives into strips to fit in plastic negative sleeves available at a photography supplier.

Photo developing chemicals can be hazardous. Please use care, and avoid spending prolonged periods of time in unventilated areas. If you plan to develop film frequently, you may consider a special ventilation system to reduce exposure.

You can dispose of chemicals two ways, down the drain with adequate dilution, or take the bucket of waste to a local photo lab, university or waste disposal center. My understanding is that unless you are processing large amounts of films and prints (like gallons of developer a day) you will be putting less chemicals in the sewer system this way than by one normal toilet usage.

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