I'm worse than a beginner!

[tanya_pruitt]

HI,

 

I have been wanting to start to develop my own film for a long time.

I love to take pictures of my children and spend lots of money for

other companies to develop my pictures.

 

My husband and I just purchased our first home and with it came a

storage building. When we were checking out this building, I

realized that the last owners had built on to it a photo lab. I'm

now so excited! BUT I know nothing about developing film. I only

have an Olympus 35mm camera that is about 12 years old. If I can do

what I want to do with this hobby, then I would probably update my

camera at the least. Please send me any and I mean ANY information

about photo processing, cost, equiment, etc.

 

Thanks so much, Tanya Pruitt

[trooper]

Snoop around in here on some of the threads for getting started. Take a class to see if you enjoy it before committing to the project. There are some incredible bargains for your needs out there and complete darkrooms with all of the endless accessories bought as a package can save lots of $$$ for you. Your camera should serve you just fine, initially (I'm assuming it's an Olympus SLR?). Don't scrimp on an enlarger lens as very good ones are quite affordable used. Check out Ilford's site as they tend to have a lot of tyro info. Have fun!

[phule]

The Ilford Website has a really nice PDF that you can download and keep handy. It shows you the basics in a very easy to follow step-by-step format.

[greg_smith4]

This is one of the best resources I know on line for learning. When it comes to getting supplies, I would recomend B&H. They have very good prices and selection, as well as easy to deal with. Their web page is www.bhphotovideo.com

[stephen hazelton]

First, a stop at your local library, if you have any kind of decent library. They should have books relating to B&W photography specifically, as well as darkroom work. Failing that, a good bookstore. For the photography + developing/ printing, I'd suggest Horenstein's "Black and White Photography", very basic, very clear, very helpful. If you already have the exposure/ composition type stuff figured out, you might want to look for something directed more specifically to darkroom aspects.

 

Both Ilford and Kodak have how-to-develop-your-first-film type brochures on their websites, that you can download and print. If you buy a new enlarger, it will probably come with reasonably helpful instructions.

 

A friend of mine just took a class at the local junior college, which gave him access to their darkroom- you might check into that.

[James G. Dainis]

The advantage of your own darkroom is you can customize your prints, crop in or out make what enlargement size you want, dodge burn etc. It takes about 5 minutes to make a black and white print, about 1/2 hour to make a color print. I suppose you want to do color. It really is not viable to print an entire roll of film yourself. You can get two 8x10 photo papers in most processor drums. If you mask and get four 4x5 pictures on each sheet, it will take you about 1/2 hour to get 8 pictures and 4-1/2 hours to do all 36 exposures. That is assuming that all of the pictures come out right and none have to be redone. If you have a few photos that you want to blow up to 8x10 or 11x14 that is what you do in the darkroom. <P>

 

As I said, black and white is fast and easy. Do up the negatives in about 15 minutes (you don´t even need a darkroom for that) and then make a contact sheet in the darkroom to decide which ones you want to print. Printing in trays under a safelight is fast and easy.

[jordan_w.]

I would second the advice to look for a darkroom class at your local community college or adult-education centre. You'll learn the techniques hands-on and get a better idea of what equipment you're going to need.

[discpad]

Tanya,

 

About the only thing you need to buy new are the chemicals: Wet chemistry labs are dropping like flies, and you can pick up commercial quality (as opposed to "hobbyist") gear, like enlargers, for pennies on the dollar on eBay. In fact, a Durst or Omega color (dichroic) enlarger that sold for many thousands of dollars a few years ago is now worth just a couple hundred dollars these days... And of course, a color enlarger gives you the flexibility to print your photos in color as well as B&W...

 

Another thing you may want to consider is a tabletop processor for your film and/or prints. Something like a Jobo ATL rotary tube processor is handy for film -- Check out these links:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3801536491

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3802284334

 

Oftentimes these processors come fom studios going digital; and they can be picked up for a song... That's how I got my ATL-3!

 

Also, Adorama is a Very Good source for chemistry & darkroom supplies -- Their prices are actually less than the B&H "zoo."

 

Lastly, don't forget you'll need at least one safelight!

 

Cheers!

Dan

[melissa_eiselein]

Worse than a beginner? Then Tanya, you and I are in the same league! LOL

 

I bought a used Beseler dichro 67 enlarger almost two years ago. I think it was about $150 including shipping. I bought it on eBay. Unfortunately, I've not taken the time to put it to use in more than a year. Summer came and it got too hot, winter came and I got too busy...then summer and winter again.

 

You'll find that technique, film, tools and chemical brands vary from one photographer to another. As a beginner, I found it easiest to stick with Kodak products. I call it the Kodak KISS method. :-)

 

Get Kodak's Black and White Darkroom Data Guide $23, but worth it as it gives you instructions and developing times. Also, check out your library for other books on b&w processing.

 

For my Kodak TMax 100 b&w film $3, I use Kodak Tmax film developer $12; Kodak indicator stop bath $6; Kodak Rapid Fixer solutions A&B $10; Kodak Photo-flo solution $4. You'll also need a film developing tank. I use a plastic patterson tank for 35mm film that I bought on eBay. I also like my film dryer. I put the reel of film in and dry it instead of hanging it up where dust can attach itself before it's dried.

 

I use Kodak polycontrast RC glossy paper (25 sheets of 5x7 is $7.50); Kodak Dektol developer $3.75; and the same stop and fixer I used for my film. (read the label as they're lften used in different strengths for film and paper) You'll also need developing trays. I have 11x14 because they'll hold 5x7 and 8x10 sheets of paper.

 

It's a good idea to have a paper safe but the black plastic bag in the paper box will do. (DO NOT OPEN IT UNLESS YOU ARE IN THE DARK!!) You'll need an easel to hold your paper while enlarging the picture. Another handy item would be a grain enlarger (is that what it's called?) so you check the sharpness of the exposure before actually exposing it. You'll need some kind of timer, preferably one that glows in the dark. I have two. I use a Gra-Lab for my film and a Time-O-Lite that automatically turns off the enlarger light. You'll need tongs of some sort to get the paper from one tray to the next. Some people use their fingers, but I wouldn't recommend it. Another nice item is a contact easel (you put the negatives in a sheet sleeve, then the sleeve in the easel and make a positive picture of the negatives). Some people like using filters, but I've not figured out the basics enough to get that far.

 

Gee...since I've listed all of my stuff I'm feeling like using it! Now, all I need to do is rearrange some stuff so that I can get to it all. This little 9x10 room has some of my many books, my computer, software, printer, creative memories/rubber stamp crafts, picture frames, file cabinets AND darkroom stuff...plus a whole lot of dust. Ack! What I don't have in here is a sink. I envy folks that have running water in their darkroom.

 

I'd like to learn more about the JOBO's but I don't think that's something I'll need unless I do color prints. And if I can't get my b&w right, there's no use even trying color. I hear it's a tedious, temperature touchy process.

 

Good luck Tanya. I hope I didn't overwhelm you with everything in this post. Developing film is actually very easy. Making good prints is a little harder--more for me than some.

[discpad]

<i>"I'd like to learn more about the JOBO's but I don't think that's something I'll need unless I do color prints. And if I can't get my b&w right, there's no use even trying color. I hear it's a tedious, temperature touchy process."</i> <br><br>

 

Melissa, <br><br>

 

Actually, color film developing is quite easy: Unlike B&W, you simply "hit your marks" for time and temperature, as there's no such thing as "develop by inspection." That's why I suggested a Jobo ATL processor like the ones on eBay numbered 3802284334 and 3801536491 --- With these, you simply fill the chemistry bottles, load the film, set the times for each step, puch the start button; and in about 20 minutes for C41 or 38 minutes for E6 you come back and you'll hear a beeping telling you it's all done. <br><br>

 

You'll see various Jobo units on eBay: The CPE is the bottom, and is barely suited for color because of the flimsy temperature control; while the CPP is reasonably good -- But you still have to pour the chemistry in, as opposed to having it automatically pumped in with the ATL machines -- Hence my recommendation.

 

<br><br>

Cheers!<br>

Dan <br>

[mskovacs]

<a href=http://www.usefilm.com/photo_articles/5/Basic_Developing_for_BW_Film.html>HERE</a> is a decent B&W film primer. You don't have to do it exactly this way, but its written in a pretty easy to follow format. Myself, I don't bother with a hypo clearing agent or a film washer.

 

<p>Of course, you'll need to think about printing these images which means you'll need an enlarger and a look at the <a href=http://www.usefilm.com/photo_articles/11/BW_Darkroom_Primer.html>darkroom printing primer</a>.