tutorial

If I can do it you can too – how I develop B&W film at home.

Photography

I have had a few people ask me how I develop film, so I thought it would write a blog post about it. I realize that there are dozens of blog posts on this process, and each person has their own way of doing this. As you develop your own film at home you will find our own way of doing it that works for you. And the way I do it is probably the easiest and laziest because I haven’t moved on to more intricate methods. But maybe you are just getting into film photography and haven’t ventured in this realm yet. Maybe, since the new year is beginning in two days, you want to try something new. Then this is the blog post for you!

I am writing this for the person who who hasn’t a clue about how to get started. This is where I was when this whole film photography adventure began. I thought about it so much that I talked myself out of it and it became this big scary thing. It took me years to finally gather the courage to develop film at home. YEARS. I had to take a class first to get up the courage to do it by myself.  I am here to tell you that it is not at all scary and it is so cheap that it is crazy to not do this yourself, given the cost to have a lab develop Black and White film. A lab would do exactly what you will do at home (this is why it is so costly to have them do it – they do not use fancy machines to develop B&W – it’s all done by hand).

 

At the end I will post a list of the supplies that I use – which is the very bare minimum.

A lot of people think that they need a darkened room to develop film. This is false. You could use a completely darkened room or you could use a dark bag to load your film into a tank. I use a dark bag to load my film. I prefer steel reels and tanks (as opposed to plastic) because I find it much easier to load film on steel reels. This is a matter of opinion though! In the dark bag you will need something to pry the top of the film canister off – like a bottle opener. You will also need a pair of scissors, as well as your tank and reels.

When you have the top of the film canister pried off and the film out of the canister, you cut the film so that the end is straight. If you are using 120 film, simply separate the paper from the film.

It might take a few tries to get it right! This is the hardest part.

I found this video helpful when I was learning how to load film on my reels.

I like to use a 32oz tank – I’ll save up my film so I can get 4 35mm (or 2 120) to a tank. I stand develop and it’s best to use a 32oz tank for this because you are mixing up such a small amount of developer.

Once you have your film in the tank and the top of the tank on it,  it is safe to be in the light. So I take the tank to the bathroom where I have everything set up and ready to go.

I have a gallon jug of water under the sink that I keep filled and it’s always at room temperature. I start by using this water to soak the film for 5 minutes. Use a 32 oz graduated cylinder to measure out the water and then use it to to fill up your 32oz tank.

While that is soaking I mix up the developer. I use Adox Rodinol and since I stand develop I use a very small amount.  Measure 10 ML of developer (I use one of these to measure such a small amount). Pour your developer in the 32oz cylinder and fill it up the rest of the way with water from your gallon jug. When the 5 minute soaking time is over, pour out the water that is in your developing tank and fill it up with the developer mixture. Agitate the tank by turning it upside down slowly 20 times and then set it on the counter for an hour. Pour it out down the sink when the hour is up.

After developing I like to fill the tank up with water and pour it out three times to give it a good rinse. Then it’s time for the fixer. Fix for 5 minutes.  I like to agitate for the entire time. I use Illford Rapid Fix.  which I have mixed beforehand. You can reuse fixer a few times. The instructions for mixing this are on the bottle. I think I use 1+4 – which means for 32oz (1000 ml) I would fill 200 ml with fixer then the rest is water. After the 5 minutes is up, pour the fixer back in the container.

Now it is time to wash the film.

Wash by opening the tank (it is now safe open) and letting water run over it for 10 minutes – pouring out the water every 2 minutes.

After washing, I pour in a mixture of photo-flo (2 drops mixed with 1000ml of water) and let it soak for 2 minutes. I hang the film from the shower curtain rod using binder clips and shower curtain hangers.

That’s it!!

 

List of supplies:

 

Again, this is pretty bare bones.  But for getting started, stand developing is pretty simple and easy.

Now go forth and shoot film!

 

Blue (a cyanotype tutorial from a cyanotype newbie)

Craft, Photography

BlueI spent some time last Monday doing more cyanotypes. I made them 4×6 so I could use them as postcards for the postcard swap.

I am really enjoying this printing process. I am learning all kinds of things about printing in general, and specifically contact printing (which I am finding myself interested in).

In case anyone is interested in how this is done, here is how I made this particular print:

1. Find a photo that you think might make a good print. I am still trying to figure what kinds of photos make good cyanotype prints. I have read a few things about this but I learn best via trial and error. Her is the original shot I used. I took it last year in Vacouver B.C. at the farmer’s market on Granville Island.

Sunflowers

2. Invert your photo in your favorite image editing software. The idea is to make your photo into a large negative, as cyanotype is a contact printing process. I use Adobe Lightroom so for me to invert my image I had to adjust the tone curve (using the instructions here).  I created a develop preset for this function.

3. Make your digital negative printable. This, oddly, was the hardest part of this whole process for me at first. Then I discovered Lightroom has a printing module . It makes this part really easy.  I save my file as a PDF.

4. Print digital negative onto transparency paper. You can buy  transparency paper at office supply stores or at Amazon.

5. Mix chemistry. I use the Photographer’s Formulary liquid kit. Mix even amounts of A and B. You will not need very much of each. A small cup used for cough syrup works well to measure out your chemistry. I mix it into a small glass jar recycled from the bin. Once the chemistry is mixed it is photo sensitive so you must mix it in a darkened room. I have a safelight, so I keep that on so I can see. I don’t think the room has to be pitch black dark. I’ve done this in the bathroom with the lights off and light streaming in from under the door and everything turned out fine.

6. Apply chemistry to watercolor paper. This is the part I am still struggling with, so I am not sure I can give much instruction here.  At the moment I am using an art sponge brush and it seems to work OK. I brush it on in horizontal strokes, and then go over it again using vertical strokes. The idea is to get it on evenly and just the right amount.  After you have applied the chemistry let it dry in the dark.

7.  Place your transparency negative on the paper and put a piece of glass on top (sandwich the transparency between the paper and the glass). You want the transparency as flat as possible  on the paper.

8. Place your paper/transparency/glass sandwich in the sun. When your image turns army green it is done.

9. Rinse in running water for 5 minutes. You will watch it develop before your eyes like magic.

10. Place in a hydrogen peroxide/water bath of  for a second to bring out the deep blue color. 50 ML of hydrogen peroxide to 500 ML of water.

11. Let dry.

If I can do this anyone can! It’s fun and easy and a great way to learn about making prints. It would probably be a great thing to do with kids.