Advanced Photography at Cardonald College - Glasgow 2002/2003
Developing Film
Developing films is a process that is not that difficult providing a few
basic principles are followed.
The film needs to be loaded onto the reel of the developing tank in complete
darkness (so not in a darkroom with red safety lights!). It is best to
use a changing bag, or, in an emergency under a blanket or in a dark wardrobe.
The developer, stop and fix chemicals need to be mixed in proper quantities
and be at the correct temperature (20C).
The first step in the process after loading the film in the tank is pouring
in the developer. Agitate the tank for the first minute and 10 seconds
of every next minute. The total time is dependend on the speed of the film,
but is about 8 minutes for 100 iso and 10 minutes for 400 iso.
Then pour the developer liquid down the sink and either wash the film in water to stop developing or use stop bath.
Now pour in fixing solution and keep it in here for 5 to 10 minutes, agitating
the tank for the first minute. After fixing pour the solution back in the
bottle.
Next wash the film in running water for 10 to 20 minutes to remove all
traces of chemicals. It is important to realize that the more thoroughly
you wash the film at this stage the longer the negative will last. Finally
rinse the film in water with a wetting agent added, this will help the
film drying evenly without to many drying marks.
Weigh the film with pegs or special weights and hang out to dry in a dust
free area or for 5 minutes in a drying cabinet. Next cut in strips of 6
negatives and make a contact print.
Chapters