Darren Smith Photography's photographic tutorials are aimed to teach anyone interested in photography the basics in how to operate their camera and what to consider when you move beyond taking "snaps".
This video is all about how to process your own photographic film using the chemical process.
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hello and welcome to the Darren Smith photography tutorials. This video is all about developing your own film when using traditional 35mm instead of using digital camera.
I'm going to concentrate on the fact that if you are interested in developing your own film then you have already looked at the equipment you require to do it.
In my work, I hold tutorials on developing colour film to children and increasing number of adults. The information shown here is aimed at this level and is based on the standard c41 processing kits available at leading suppliers.
This tutorial acts as a starter in the process of developing colour or black and white film. Results will vary and you may improve your results, between the chemical strength temperature times and condition that you work in.
I would however recommend that you pay close attention to the information provided by the kit manufacturer and the measurements you make with regards to the time and temperature. These chemicals do react with air so it's best not to leave the chemicals exposed to air for very long periods of time you should always make sure you tighten the lid on the bottles and store them safely
The chemicals used in developing film are hazardous and irritant,
The first thing you should do is practice loading the film onto the reel using a test or a sacrificial film before loading your exposed film in the dark. It is important that you get this right otherwise there may be areas of your film that are in contact with each other and will not be exposed to the processing chemicals.
Once the initial film is loaded the rest of the transfer is easy, if there is resistance, then it's not loaded correctly.
once you've practised enough it's time to begin put your film canister, your reel and your developing tank into the changer bag, don't forget the wrench to get your film out of its canister. Seal the bag making sure that it does not have any gaps before moving on double-check the seal as any light leaking in will ruin all of your pictures .
The next step is to make the room as dark as you can so to make sure that any light leaks are minimized this is not essential when using the changing bag it's just a precaution really, now put your hands into the sleeves of the changing bag familiarize yourself with its contents without being able to see them using the wrench remove the lid of the canister and take a the exposure film from inside, now transfer the film to the reel in the same way you practised earlier once the initial spool is loaded the rest of the transfer is easy. If there is resistance then it may be jammed reverse the process and repeat whilst your hands are still in the changing bag put your reel of film into the developing tank and seal the lid make sure you feel around the tank to ensure the lid is on correctly.
Once you've secured the exposed films to the tank, open the changing bag and remove the developing tank the wrench and the old film canisters, please remember to dispose of the empty film canisters in your metal or plastic recycling bin once you've loaded the film into your tank. Then it's time to prepare the chemicals.
These chemicals will need heating to the correct temperature using a hot water bath, the information provided by the manufacturer of the chemicals will tell you the correct temperature to use the temperature needs to be checked using a thermometer and topped up with hot water is necessary. The more water you use in the bath the longer it will take to cool down some more water helps to maintain a steady temperature. When at the correct temperature pour the developing chemicals into the tank and start the stopwatch, tap the tank on the work surface to remove any air bubbles that may have formed on the film. Agitate the tank continuously for about 15 seconds put the developing tank in the hot water bath to maintain its temperature and agitate the tank every 30 seconds until the developing time has elapsed as per the instructions on the processing kit.
When the time is up enter the developer back into it's original flask to use for the next film to be processed and record the amount of times this particular flask of developer has been used and the date as this will determine how long the process will take next time. You now need to stop the developing process you will need to rinse the developing tank with four separate and rigorous washes with clean water to remove any developer from inside the tank
After the fourth wash you then need to remove the water if the temperature has dropped in the hot water bath top it up with hot water to raise the temperature and when the correct temperature has been reached pour the fixing solution into the developing tank and start the stopwatch.
Tap the tank on the work surface again to remove any air bubbles that may have formed on the film and agitate the tank by making complete inversions every 20 seconds until the fixing time has elapsed as per the instructions on the processing kit . Empty the fixing solution back into it's original flasks used for the next film to be processed and of course record how many times this particular fixer has been used and the date as this will determine how long the process will take next time
It is now time to rinse the developing tank again with four separate and rigorous washes with clean water to remove any of the fixer from inside the tank after the fourth wash you need to remove the water
Now that you fixed your film you can remove the lid of the developing tank and remove the developed film from the spool, try to avoid touching the film surface at this point and gently dry the surface with a soft sponge or squeegee. Try not to use any other type of dry cloth as it may scratch the surface and leave dust on the film. Once you've done this, hang the film to completely dry and look at the hanging film if the rest of water marks on the film wash it again in clean water and dry it again with the same soft sponge or squeegee. It's now time to leave to dry and when it sees completely dry you can then scan or develop your prints
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