Developing photographs at home is labor-intensive and requires specialized equipment and chemicals, yet handmade photographs convey craft and satisfaction that is hard to duplicate in the digital world. Although color developing requires more precise control over time and temperature, black-and-white processes are flexible and forgiving.
Instructions
Developing Film
- 1
Load the film developer spool in complete darkness. Place the spool into the film developer tank and attach the lid. A lightproof cap on the lid allows pouring chemicals in and out. All steps remaining in film development can be performed with lights on.
2Mix film developer, stop bath and film fixer according to the manufacturers' instructions, in the amounts required by the tank. These chemicals are packaged with charts for common film and various time/temperature combinations. Follow instructions carefully and use current room temperature to mix the chemicals and to determine how long to develop your film. Set your timer.
3Pour the film developer into the tank and start the timer. With the tank on a slight angle, tap it sharply several times to dislodge any air bubbles on the film. For five seconds out of every 30 seconds, swirl the tank gently to keep fresh developer in contact with the film.
4Pour the developer out of the tank with 10 seconds left in developing. Immediately add stop bath, tapping the tank again when full. Swirl the tank throughout the brief stop bath cycle. This solution halts the action of the developer on the film.
5Reset the timer, and add film fixer to the tank. Fixing time is not as critical as developer time. Tap the tank and swirl for five seconds out of every 30 seconds.
At the completion of the fixing cycle, empty the tank and remove the lid. The film is light-safe now. Set the tank under running water of about room temperature. Instructions with the fixer will advise how long to wash the film. Consider these times as minimums for longest film life. Then hang the film to dry.
Developing Prints
- 6
Mix enough paper developer, stop bath and paper fixer, according to manufacturers' instructions, for the developing trays. Choose the time based on current room temperature. Fill the trays with the chemicals, left to right: developer trap, stop bath tray, fixer tray, and tray of clean water. Turn out room lights and turn on the safelight. Black-and-white photographic paper is not sensitive to red light.
7
Load a negative into the enlarger. Turn on the enlarger, and focus and compose the image on the printing easel with the enlarger lens wide open. Set the lens to a medium setting such as f5.6 or f8 to print. Use one quarter sheet of 8-inch-by-10-inch paper for a test. The emulsion side of the paper, which feels sticky to a wet finger, is where the image forms.
8Place the test strip on the easel, emulsion side up, in an area of the image that has average exposure. Set the timer for 10 seconds and cover 3/4 of the test strip with a heavy card. Expose the test strip for 10 seconds. Move the card carefully (do not move the test strip) to reveal an additional 1/4 of the strip. Expose for another 10 seconds. Move the card again, so that 3/4 of the strip is revealed for a third 10-second exposure. Remove the card completely and expose for 10 seconds.
9Develop the test strip, Reset the timer for the recommended time, start the timer, and place the test strip emulsion side down in the developer tray. Lift a corner of the tray slightly and lower it to cover the test strip with developer. Continue to gently agitate the tray to supply fresh developer. After about 10 seconds, turn the test strip over and immerse it again in developer. The image will appear on the strip. At the end of developing time, transfer the strip to the stop bath.
10Agitate the stop bath tray to complete developing action. Transfer the test strip to the fixer tray and again agitate the tray. Transfer the strip to the wash tray, and place that tray under running water.
11Evaluate the test strip. The darkest strip will have received 40 seconds exposure, the lightest 10 seconds. A dry print will be slightly darker than the wet test strip. Choose the strip that you prefer and set the time for that time. Place an entire sheet of photographic paper into the easel and expose it for the time chosen. Repeat the previous two steps to develop the full print exactly the same way you processed the test strip. Extend the wash step to the minimum recommended for the paper fixer.
12Dry the print. Modern resin-coated papers dry quickly and lie flat. Using a plastic clothes pin (wood absorbs chemicals) to allow air to dry both sides is an excellent method. Heat is not required. When your photograph is dry, it is ready to display or frame.
Developing photographs at home is labor-intensive and requires specialized equipment and chemicals, yet handmade photographs convey craft and satisfaction that is hard to duplicate in the digital world. Although color developing requires more precise control over time and temperature, black-and-white processes are flexible and forgiving.
Instructions
Developing Film
- 1
Load the film developer spool in complete darkness. Place the spool into the film developer tank and attach the lid. A lightproof cap on the lid allows pouring chemicals in and out. All steps remaining in film development can be performed with lights on.
2Mix film developer, stop bath and film fixer according to the manufacturers' instructions, in the amounts required by the tank. These chemicals are packaged with charts for common film and various time/temperature combinations. Follow instructions carefully and use current room temperature to mix the chemicals and to determine how long to develop your film. Set your timer.
3Pour the film developer into the tank and start the timer. With the tank on a slight angle, tap it sharply several times to dislodge any air bubbles on the film. For five seconds out of every 30 seconds, swirl the tank gently to keep fresh developer in contact with the film.
4Pour the developer out of the tank with 10 seconds left in developing. Immediately add stop bath, tapping the tank again when full. Swirl the tank throughout the brief stop bath cycle. This solution halts the action of the developer on the film.
5Reset the timer, and add film fixer to the tank. Fixing time is not as critical as developer time. Tap the tank and swirl for five seconds out of every 30 seconds.
At the completion of the fixing cycle, empty the tank and remove the lid. The film is light-safe now. Set the tank under running water of about room temperature. Instructions with the fixer will advise how long to wash the film. Consider these times as minimums for longest film life. Then hang the film to dry.
Developing Prints
- 6
Mix enough paper developer, stop bath and paper fixer, according to manufacturers' instructions, for the developing trays. Choose the time based on current room temperature. Fill the trays with the chemicals, left to right: developer trap, stop bath tray, fixer tray, and tray of clean water. Turn out room lights and turn on the safelight. Black-and-white photographic paper is not sensitive to red light.
7Load a negative into the enlarger. Turn on the enlarger, and focus and compose the image on the printing easel with the enlarger lens wide open. Set the lens to a medium setting such as f5.6 or f8 to print. Use one quarter sheet of 8-inch-by-10-inch paper for a test. The emulsion side of the paper, which feels sticky to a wet finger, is where the image forms.
8Place the test strip on the easel, emulsion side up, in an area of the image that has average exposure. Set the timer for 10 seconds and cover 3/4 of the test strip with a heavy card. Expose the test strip for 10 seconds. Move the card carefully (do not move the test strip) to reveal an additional 1/4 of the strip. Expose for another 10 seconds. Move the card again, so that 3/4 of the strip is revealed for a third 10-second exposure. Remove the card completely and expose for 10 seconds.
9Develop the test strip, Reset the timer for the recommended time, start the timer, and place the test strip emulsion side down in the developer tray. Lift a corner of the tray slightly and lower it to cover the test strip with developer. Continue to gently agitate the tray to supply fresh developer. After about 10 seconds, turn the test strip over and immerse it again in developer. The image will appear on the strip. At the end of developing time, transfer the strip to the stop bath.
10Agitate the stop bath tray to complete developing action. Transfer the test strip to the fixer tray and again agitate the tray. Transfer the strip to the wash tray, and place that tray under running water.
11Evaluate the test strip. The darkest strip will have received 40 seconds exposure, the lightest 10 seconds. A dry print will be slightly darker than the wet test strip. Choose the strip that you prefer and set the time for that time. Place an entire sheet of photographic paper into the easel and expose it for the time chosen. Repeat the previous two steps to develop the full print exactly the same way you processed the test strip. Extend the wash step to the minimum recommended for the paper fixer.
12Dry the print. Modern resin-coated papers dry quickly and lie flat. Using a plastic clothes pin (wood absorbs chemicals) to allow air to dry both sides is an excellent method. Heat is not required. When your photograph is dry, it is ready to display or frame.
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