I was a Photo Lab professional for many years and by processing my own film and making enlargements taught me to be a much better photographer. I started at age 14 shooting at all school events and would process 2-3 rolls of film per night at times. Black + White was my specialty having the knowledge on how to do many "pushes" for film. Anyway, the video is very well done, my only comment is that I use to wash the film after developing and fixing for up to 1/2 hour and there use to be chemicals to help washing with what was called "Clearing agent". My last notation, whe I would hang the film to dry, I would hang the film straight and the "Loop" like the letter 'U' because you might get water marks at the bend, and it was not easy to clean that chemical "build up".
A "how to" video which shows poor techniques liable to cause damage to your film is not a good video, and this is not a good video. The lesser issues are the unnecessary "pre-bath" of water " to warm/cool (?) the film and tank, as tank, film and chemistry are all operating at room temperature. A water bath in lieu of a stop bath makes no significant difference if the developing time is 10-12 minutes, but if it is 6 minutes, then you will end up pushed your film development about one stop while fussing around with a water bath, as the film just keeps on developing during that water bath. The big sins are completely inadequate water wash after fixing and hanging the film to dry so that water will pool on the emulsion during drying. Kodak recommends (for the last 70 years) a 20 minute was in running water. This assumes use of a hardening fixer solution. Ilford recommends a sequence of "flush and dump" steps more extensive than shown here, but that only works for non-hardening fixer. If Ilford's "Method" is used with a hardening fixed, the resulting wash is completely inadequate. The video doesn't discuss this distinction, and its recommendation is insufficient in either case, but just sends you on the way to damaged film. The stupidity of how she hangs the film to dry should be self-evident.
My Dad used to develop his own B&W film and develop prints from the negatives when I was young. I am interested in the developing process for negatives since I can now scan them in. Thank you for this video. It doesn't seem hard ... just a little practice.
I feel like it should be noted that "pitch black" for the purposes of photography means no light of any kind and that fluorescent bulbs have a UV afterglow that will ruin your film. Some LED bulbs also suffer from a similar problem. Giving the bulbs a 5-10 minute "cool-down" should eliminate this afterglow.
There's just a simple way...put your film on a white screen. Then get a photo from your camera. Then put that on Photoshop and invert your photo...Then just fix white balance. For more details check out a video by PiXimperfect.
As a professional I grew up developing my own film and prints long ago. It was fun for the first few months, but the smell of fixative chemistry and the endless lost hours in a darkroom get old fast. I embraced digital photography and never looked back. Don't get me wrong, I still appreciate medium and large format film quality, and a pro an do wonders with the right talent and patience.
2 года назад+17
You're usually not spooling the film off the roll but you open up the original film container since it's very unusual to have the leader sticking out after you shot it.
When I’m done shooting a roll I specifically leave enough leader hanging out of the can to ensure I can use this approach. It’s way easier to do what’s shown in the video in the dark bag then to pry the top off, and I don’t have good luck with those tools that let you “pull” the leader back out.
over 50 years ago I learned the secrete to reduce grain during developing. Keep the "wet time" down during development. Film grain swells the longer it is wet. Do not per-soak before before adding developer. Use fresh developer, use developer once and then toss out. Use stop bath not water after developer. Use clearing agent after fixer, it cuts down on the wash time. Yes, this method costs more money in chemicals but you get less grain. Yes, I am an old photographer at 75 and I still say "ASA"
I took photography classes before the first digital cameras came out and was wondering if people still can develop film at home. This answers my question. The school use to save the silver solution because of the number of students developing film in the lab. In my opinion digital photography took away from the craft of photography.
This video was a good reminder on how to develop. I used to do it at school, but never at home. I will be soon. I would love to see how to scan. I use my Epson Perfection v500... And I haven't been too happy with my results. Would love to see what the best settings would be. Thanks!
Yes, I would be interested in a video on scanning negatives with a DSLR ( and how to use Darkroom to bring them to life :-) .Many thanks for what you do.
HEY! when you poured out the diluted developer into the jug to reuse, is it ready to just pour to develop another roll? and about how many times before you cant use it anymore?
So-called "one shot" developer solutions should be used just once. Other developers may be used multiple times according to their instructions or specification sheets. >Mark
A prepared wetting bath solution or distilled water with a very small amount of wetting agent works equally well. Developer solution works best when used once and disposed of. If reused, note that its effectiveness diminishes with each subsequent use. >Mark
awesome step by step video. Feel more confident in picking this up and doing it myself. is there one for color film as well? and or 110mm color and B&W film???
Developing colored film is very different than developing b&w, you will need to be in almost complete darkness without ruining the film. So that might be a little harder to make a video for. But it is an idea to bring to the table.
@@BandH thank you for letting me know! And for consideration! I also would be interested in knowing how to scan high quality to digital. Thank you for all you do for us!! Keep up the great work!!
They used to make plastic aprons to use instead of reels, which were much easier to use (to avoid the file getting twisted on the reel). Are they still available?
Film developing at home can have environmental impact as well as lead to issues in your home. Study before developing or making a darkroom for prints. Home with well water and septic system: Ph levels in developer and stop bath can change your ph levels in your well water. The acidic levels in stop bath can actually lower a ph in your well and affect the water that goes into your well, over time. This can lead to low ph on your home, which will damage and erode copper piping and lead to leaks in the house, and a rusted water heater. Eroding pipes can put metals in your drinking water, not safe. Septic systems themselves can also be damaged with film developing and darkroom printing . Most film companies advise against processing at home with a septic system. The running of water for long period for rinsing film and especially fiber prints can over flood your septic and cause major issues with your leaching fields and ecosystem of your septic tank. The chemistry itself can also kill enzymes in your system and cause septic back up and even tank damage. Please study the risks before processing and printing at home. If you have a well, or your neighbors have wells, and a septic system, digital is probably the way to go. There may also be laws in your neighborhood or state that prohibit film developing at home. Be advised.
There are no hard and fast rules here Marshall. Fixer may be reused multiple times and over several days as long as it remains clear and has no suspended detritus floating about or suspended in it. Film developer should be considered one shot for the best results. Paper developer may be reused. Note the manufacturer's recommendations. >Mark
I'm wondering, when you adjust the concentrations or times of a developer to change the ISO of the film, say pushing HP5 (400) to be 800, do you need to expose the film in the camera at 800 as well or expose it at its natural 400 rating and its the developer alone that makes it an 800 film?
It would be best to use a film scanner to get those images on your computer. For example, the Plustek OpticFilm 8200i Ai Film Scanner, BH # PLOF8200IAI would handle 35mm film: bhpho.to/3drnAmu
There are film scanners such as the Plustek OpticFilm 8200i Ai Film Scanner. BH # PLOF8200IAI which can handle 35mm negatives and slides with ease. bhpho.to/3Ovc619
You obviously do not live in Houston, TX where cold water averages 85 degrees in the summer and many other months. Present a realistic video and I will respect you.
Instead of using the stop watch on your phone, use the timer which has an alarm when you reach the end of the time. Stop watch just keeps going. Count down not up.
This is such a toxic process and throwing it down the drain... Use a professional lab they can capture the silver and recycle it Look into developing your film with coffee, much safer.
Want to learn how to scan film? Leave us a comment below!
If that video will be a DSLR scan, why not? : )
Yes plz
Definitely!
Yes please
Yes that would be great
I was a Photo Lab professional for many years and by processing my own film and making enlargements taught me to be a much better photographer. I started at age 14 shooting at all school events and would process 2-3 rolls of film per night at times. Black + White was my specialty having the knowledge on how to do many "pushes" for film. Anyway, the video is very well done, my only comment is that I use to wash the film after developing and fixing for up to 1/2 hour and there use to be chemicals to help washing with what was called "Clearing agent". My last notation, whe I would hang the film to dry, I would hang the film straight and the "Loop" like the letter 'U' because you might get water marks at the bend, and it was not easy to clean that chemical "build up".
@@MatthewHyatt My thought too
A "how to" video which shows poor techniques liable to cause damage to your film is not a good video, and this is not a good video. The lesser issues are the unnecessary "pre-bath" of water " to warm/cool (?) the film and tank, as tank, film and chemistry are all operating at room temperature. A water bath in lieu of a stop bath makes no significant difference if the developing time is 10-12 minutes, but if it is 6 minutes, then you will end up pushed your film development about one stop while fussing around with a water bath, as the film just keeps on developing during that water bath. The big sins are completely inadequate water wash after fixing and hanging the film to dry so that water will pool on the emulsion during drying. Kodak recommends (for the last 70 years) a 20 minute was in running water. This assumes use of a hardening fixer solution. Ilford recommends a sequence of "flush and dump" steps more extensive than shown here, but that only works for non-hardening fixer. If Ilford's "Method" is used with a hardening fixed, the resulting wash is completely inadequate. The video doesn't discuss this distinction, and its recommendation is insufficient in either case, but just sends you on the way to damaged film. The stupidity of how she hangs the film to dry should be self-evident.
Yes, a video on how to scan film would be great, I have a basic all in one Canon scanner/printer. Thank you Maria.
My Dad used to develop his own B&W film and develop prints from the negatives when I was young. I am interested in the developing process for negatives since I can now scan them in. Thank you for this video. It doesn't seem hard ... just a little practice.
You’re going to love it!
I feel like it should be noted that "pitch black" for the purposes of photography means no light of any kind and that fluorescent bulbs have a UV afterglow that will ruin your film. Some LED bulbs also suffer from a similar problem. Giving the bulbs a 5-10 minute "cool-down" should eliminate this afterglow.
I had to watch this as a refresher for developing film. Also, I didn't know you could use water as your stop bath for film.
Beautiful, I did this development hundreds of times. Now how to digitalize it? Please suggest a good affordable scanner. Thanks
There's just a simple way...put your film on a white screen. Then get a photo from your camera. Then put that on Photoshop and invert your photo...Then just fix white balance.
For more details check out a video by PiXimperfect.
@@evil.artist_lnj Thanks
@@FranciscoDreux Notify my if it works 😅
Great video. Please make a follow-up video recommending a scanner for 120 film.
As a professional I grew up developing my own film and prints long ago. It was fun for the first few months, but the smell of fixative chemistry and the endless lost hours in a darkroom get old fast. I embraced digital photography and never looked back. Don't get me wrong, I still appreciate medium and large format film quality, and a pro an do wonders with the right talent and patience.
You're usually not spooling the film off the roll but you open up the original film container since it's very unusual to have the leader sticking out after you shot it.
When I’m done shooting a roll I specifically leave enough leader hanging out of the can to ensure I can use this approach. It’s way easier to do what’s shown in the video in the dark bag then to pry the top off, and I don’t have good luck with those tools that let you “pull” the leader back out.
I have been watching a lot of these and this video made the most sense.
Great refresher for me! I’d love to see how you put the negatives on a computer. Thank you!
Holy heck!! I just purchased film for my camera last night! My dad gave me a film camera a few days ago. What perfect timing 😀
Great! Best of luck with your film adventures.
over 50 years ago I learned the secrete to reduce grain during developing. Keep the "wet time" down during development. Film grain swells the longer it is wet. Do not per-soak before before adding developer. Use fresh developer, use developer once and then toss out. Use stop bath not water after developer. Use clearing agent after fixer, it cuts down on the wash time. Yes, this method costs more money in chemicals but you get less grain. Yes, I am an old photographer at 75 and I still say "ASA"
thanks for the added tips!
hi, can you do a video with monobaths? (with powder version please :)
I took photography classes before the first digital cameras came out and was wondering if people still can develop film at home. This answers my question. The school use to save the silver solution because of the number of students developing film in the lab. In my opinion digital photography took away from the craft of photography.
This video was a good reminder on how to develop. I used to do it at school, but never at home. I will be soon. I would love to see how to scan. I use my Epson Perfection v500... And I haven't been too happy with my results. Would love to see what the best settings would be. Thanks!
Yes, I would be interested in a video on scanning negatives with a DSLR ( and how to use Darkroom to bring them to life :-) .Many thanks for what you do.
Just shoot with the dslr?
Good job showing the steps. I have an old 3D camera and want to develop the negatives and then make prints for 3D viewer
Thanks! You make it look easy! Can't wait to try it. Film shots are gorgeous.
Have fun!
HEY! when you poured out the diluted developer into the jug to reuse, is it ready to just pour to develop another roll? and about how many times before you cant use it anymore?
So-called "one shot" developer solutions should be used just once. Other developers may be used multiple times according to their instructions or specification sheets. >Mark
and also a next video for the process and tools to print please.
I would be interested in a video on scanning negatives
Thanks, Maria! ❤ How many times I can use stored solution? And does it work using distiled water instead of wetting bath?
A prepared wetting bath solution or distilled water with a very small amount of wetting agent works equally well. Developer solution works best when used once and disposed of. If reused, note that its effectiveness diminishes with each subsequent use. >Mark
Thanks!@@BandH
would love to see a video on scanning negatives!
Excellent video, I love to see videos from THE photography supply company! Did you ever make the video about the negative scans?
Thank you for this! Very helpful!
More Maria Please! :)
awesome step by step video. Feel more confident in picking this up and doing it myself. is there one for color film as well? and or 110mm color and B&W film???
Developing colored film is very different than developing b&w, you will need to be in almost complete darkness without ruining the film. So that might be a little harder to make a video for. But it is an idea to bring to the table.
@@BandH thank you for letting me know! And for consideration! I also would be interested in knowing how to scan high quality to digital.
Thank you for all you do for us!! Keep up the great work!!
We defiantly have film scanners. For high quality scans check out the Epson Perfection V850 Pro Scanner: bhpho.to/3QpY0lp
If commercial stop bath is not available, use dilute white vinegar. Worked for me for many years
How much dilution? I’d like to try this
A scanning video would be excellent
They used to make plastic aprons to use instead of reels, which were much easier to use (to avoid the file getting twisted on the reel). Are they still available?
Thank you for checking out the video. We invite you to contact us via Live Chat today until 8PM ET to go over your options.
Film developing at home can have environmental impact as well as lead to issues in your home. Study before developing or making a darkroom for prints.
Home with well water and septic system:
Ph levels in developer and stop bath can change your ph levels in your well water. The acidic levels in stop bath can actually lower a ph in your well and affect the water that goes into your well, over time.
This can lead to low ph on your home, which will damage and erode copper piping and lead to leaks in the house, and a rusted water heater. Eroding pipes can put metals in your drinking water, not safe.
Septic systems themselves can also be damaged with film developing and darkroom printing . Most film companies advise against processing at home with a septic system.
The running of water for long period for rinsing film and especially fiber prints can over flood your septic and cause major issues with your leaching fields and ecosystem of your septic tank.
The chemistry itself can also kill enzymes in your system and cause septic back up and even tank damage.
Please study the risks before processing and printing at home. If you have a well, or your neighbors have wells, and a septic system, digital is probably the way to go. There may also be laws in your neighborhood or state that prohibit film developing at home. Be advised.
I did have a couple of questions. How many times can the developer be used? Can the fixer be reused as well, and if so how many times? Thanks
There are no hard and fast rules here Marshall. Fixer may be reused multiple times and over several days as long as it remains clear and has no suspended detritus floating about or suspended in it. Film developer should be considered one shot for the best results. Paper developer may be reused. Note the manufacturer's recommendations. >Mark
I would like you to show us on how to put them on to picture paper
I'm wondering, when you adjust the concentrations or times of a developer to change the ISO of the film, say pushing HP5 (400) to be 800, do you need to expose the film in the camera at 800 as well or expose it at its natural 400 rating and its the developer alone that makes it an 800 film?
Expose the film at 800 and then change the developing times accordingly. >Mark
@@BandH ok thanks.
"Honey, What you doing here in the dark'?
"Don't open the Door"!! Damn.....
good job how do i put negatives on my computer
It would be best to use a film scanner to get those images on your computer. For example, the Plustek OpticFilm 8200i Ai Film Scanner, BH # PLOF8200IAI would handle 35mm film:
bhpho.to/3drnAmu
Why the lamp on the coffee table?
Last time I developed film there was no option to scan the negatives! How do I do it?
There are film scanners such as the Plustek OpticFilm 8200i Ai Film Scanner. BH # PLOF8200IAI which can handle 35mm negatives and slides with ease.
bhpho.to/3Ovc619
Thanks I’ll find a changing bag
You obviously do not live in Houston, TX where cold water averages 85 degrees in the summer and many other months. Present a realistic video and I will respect you.
Yes please, scan onto computer
Instead of using the stop watch on your phone, use the timer which has an alarm when you reach the end of the time. Stop watch just keeps going. Count down not up.
Hey Google or Alexa Timers work also!
Did we forget to show humans how to open the 35mm film canister? what 35mm film comes with the tab out? new film!
Extremely helpful but painful. There is no 'undo' button if you make a mistake during the processing.
Where are the pictures?
*20°c for every other person on planet earth. 20 is much easier to remember than 68. Go metric, USA.
Saving 1 shot developer to reuse? not a great idea...
Bringing your film to get developed? there's no film developing stores any other need to know someone or know how to do it yourself
y
This is such a toxic process and throwing it down the drain... Use a professional lab they can capture the silver and recycle it
Look into developing your film with coffee, much safer.
Can't you just wipe it dry?
That seem dumb to sacrifice the film. You will only spoil it if you do it like that
My first time was easy because my mentor was smart. We use the same containers to develop
No wonder film went obsolete
it’s actually a great process if you do it yourself it’s also affordable and not too complicated.
One more hobby I'll skip ✌️
Yes please, scan onto computer