Who here develop or developed b&w films at home?

[Rhodes]

A few weeks ago I began to develop at home, my b&w films. First because the photo shops no longer provide a good service in this kind of films, secondly it was something that I liked to do, after making a small course of it!
Here are a few examples, of my first, second and third films. Every one has some kind of mistake (I'm just beginning...)







This two were from my first try, I didn't close the tank properly so


The following are from my second try: http://img8.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=scan0001a.jpg

The film ended at 1996, but it still do the job...


The next two are from my third develpment, and the ones i like more. Do to the type of film, I should had made the things a bit different.

[VipertheSniper]

The last shot is quite a stunner. great pics

[SteamWake]

Either my firewall is blocking the photos or your code is messed up.

But I used to have access to a dark room back in the 80's and did a good bit of developing. But its been so long I forgot more than I ever knew.

I just remember trying to spool the film onto the spiral canistar thingy without touching the film

[Etienne]

We used to have a full service B&W blackroom in the basement at my parents - even had a printing processor in there for a while, at the end. Long story. Eventually, everyone went digital, and I'm not sure where the stuff went.

Film was never my forte - I usually did prints off of archive negs, and trust me, they were ****ty. (Who uses plywood as a copy stand table?) Never got the reeling thing down pat, but then, I was sixteen.

Your last picture has too much contrast, and is exposed for the sand at the bottom. Usually, expose for the face of the subjet, and try not to get the kind of white spots you get in the sand behind her. (And if you're not sure, use test strips of leftover paper. No need to wast a full size sheet for an exposure test)

The third picture looks good, maybe a touch overexposed. You seem to have dust on the film, tho.

The first and second ones are pretty good, lacks maybe half a filter of contrast. Although it looks like you've scanned the negatives - if so, just ignore everything I said.

I kind of miss printing the old fashionned way... Kept your hands clean. Gotta love Lightroom for the lack of smell, tho.

[Sailor Steve]

I can't help you; I just wanted to say that first swingset pic is totally professional. Love them all.

[FIREWALL]

I thought they all were very good.

Reminded me of old , Time or Life magazine pics.

[Rhodes]

Thank You all!

SteamWake, blame imageshack! I know what you mean, for me it's the part that i have a bit trouble yet, since my development tank and reel are old.

Etienne, yes, I scan from the negatives, because I only doing the development. The I scann the negs (also, in photoshop I ). I do not have space to do a proper darkroom with the enlarger! Possybly on day, I will have the means to.
It is not dust, it's pink spots on the negatives. For that kind of film I sould have fix more time. The scanne pick it up as similar to dust (the last 2). And possibly, the light metter got the light from the sand, and give me a wrong value.

PS: the third film was taken with a German rangefinder camera (guess what mark), with a russian (FSU) lens+hand light metter...

[Etienne]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

PS: the third film was taken with a German rangefinder camera (guess what mark), with a russian (FSU) lens+hand light metter...

Yeah, that excuses pretty much every thing hand held light meters can be kind of tricky.

If you're scanning straight from the negatives, you might want to consider Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. It's a bit expensive at 250$, and it doesn't replace photoshop, but it's both a catalog management / virtual development tool. I don't know how we ever handled digital pictures without it.

But considering you're scanning from the film, it's pretty good!

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Etienne

Yeah, that excuses pretty much every thing hand held light meters can be kind of tricky.

If you're scanning straight from the negatives, you might want to consider Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. It's a bit expensive at 250$, and it doesn't replace photoshop, but it's both a catalog management / virtual development tool. I don't know how we ever handled digital pictures without it.

But considering you're scanning from the film, it's pretty good!

excuses, excuses...ehehhe. Thanks, I will try to get it and try it out!

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

A few weeks ago I began to develop at home, my b&w films.

First of all, congratulations on starting a wonderful hobby. I have developing my own film on and off for about 30 years (recently more off though )

One of my favourite books on the subject is

The Darkroom Handbook by Michael Langford

I can also recommend several of the books written by Steve Anchell on B/W development and printing techniques.

Good luck with it. It is a wonderful hobby

[Sailor Steve]

Murphy's Laws for photographers:

1) All the best shots will be lost because you left the lens cap on.

2) All the other best shots will be lost because you forgot to put the film in the camera.

3) Any remaining best shots will be lost when someone opens the darkroom door and lets all the dark leak out.

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Murphy's Laws for photographers:

1) All the best shots will be lost because you left the lens cap on.

2) All the other best shots will be lost because you forgot to put the film in the camera.

3) Any remaining best shots will be lost when someone opens the darkroom door and lets all the dark leak out.

1) Reflex cameras doesn't suffer this!

2) Digital cameras doesn't suffer this!

3) That's why I lock the door! (trouble is, the light switch of the bathroom/darkroom is on the outside......................)

I didn't know the murphy's laws of photographers!

Platapus, thanks, I will look in too!

[Etienne]

2) Digital cameras doesn't suffer this!

Trust me, some people have forgotten to stick a memory card in. By the time the big red NO CF flashes, it's too late

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

1) All the best shots will be lost because you left the lens cap on.

True story:

My friend was printing pictures in his basement darkroom, and changed negative size. As such, he switched the diffuser, removed the enlarger lens and set everything up for 4x5 film, then went upstair for a glass of water. He came back, slid the negative in, turn the enlarger on... Nothing.

Checked the power connections.

Checked the lights.

Checked all the connections.

Checked that he'd put in the negative correctly.

After a few minutes of trying, he shut the enlarger down and went upstair to get his father, a photographer of 20 + years of experience. The father comes downstair, and puzzled, check the connections. My friend checks the diffuser, they also check the bulbs.

Then after ten minutes, as they were about to start foraging for the enlarger manual, the father had a stroke of genius. He reached under the enlarger and removed the lens cap.

...

Triumphant, he hits the FOCUS button.

Nothing.

So my friend suddenly gets a flash of genius, remove the lens, peels off the butt cap, and slam the lens back in.

You know, sometimes you get those awkward silences when you do something really, really stupid and you feel like your father has just lost all sense of pride in you? It was kind of like that.

You know that moment when your son looks at you like he just realised that your not superdad after all, and his dreams shatter? It was kind of like that.

We just looked at each other for a long moment, then walked away in different directions.

:rotfl:

Also, by the way, you shouldn't ever check the diffuser while the enlarger is on. It's been ten years, and my eyes still hurt when I think about it.

(Now that I think about it, I don't remember how the lens could attach with the butt cap still on, but that was the day we found out. Since we sold that enlarger a long time ago, I can't go and check how it was set up, but I swear this happened.)

[GoldenRivet]

i have a few "pin hole" cameras... i occasionally take pictures with them and develop here at home.

nice photos

[Christopher Snow]

HAHAHAHA!

Absolutely LOVE the postscript you add to your posts there, Platapus.

"There are two rules for success...^."


CS