Bone_Idle
Mr Maybe
Reged: 28/07/2006
Posts: 1279
Loc: Bradford
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Reading this thread has got me thinking about developing my own B&W film. It seems like it is quite a simple process, once you get used to it, plus the satisfaction must be great.
I was just wondering what do people do once they have a set of Negatives?
Do you produce a contact sheet and then decide what you want to enlarge?
Do you scan the negatives and then work on the PC?
Is enlarging an easy process, or is there more to it than developing?
I'd love to be able to do it myself, save a bit of money on d&p and also have a bit of fun. But is it a lot of pain, for little gain?
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Thanks
Nick
Edited by Bone_Idle (25/10/2007 13:04)
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4194
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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Quote:
Do you produce a contact sheet and then decide what you want to enlarge?
Do you scan the negatives and then work on the PC?
Well what I do these days is first of all do do a low-to-medium res scan, arrange them into a "contact sheet" and print that on an ink jet printer - as an index as much as anything.
Next for the images I want to work on, start with a high res scan and work on the screen until I get the effect I want. Then I have some idea as to what to do in the darkroom. Cuts out a lot of the "trial and error" that used to go on. Nice to be able to do this, but I don't find ink jet monochrome prints as satisfying as a proper wet process print.
Quote:
Is enlarging an easy process, or is there more to it than developing?
Well you need to be able to position the paper and manage the exposure. You don't get much automation - you will want to focus the enlarger lens wide open (for accuracy) but you will want to stop it down to actually make the image so as to get better definition, this has to be done manually. You will need a clock to time the exposure by, and you will have to make test strips so as to get the right exposure. You will probably want to try different grades of paper to vary the contrast in the finished print, or different colour filtering with multigrade paper to achieve the same effect.
It's not hard but it is involving.
Developing paper is less of a "black art" than developing film, you can see the image forming under safelighting, this is probably the most magic moment in the whole process. 
BTW you will probably want to fix the image after developing it, then wash the fixer out of the paper.
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NorthernMonkey
enthusiast
Reged: 01/05/2007
Posts: 269
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Making a print is very easy, but making a very good print is very hard.
The process is very similar to making developing a negative.
The negative goes in the enlarger, and shines onto a piece of paper. You start by making a test strip, where you expose different parts of the paper for different times, to find the best exposure. Then you make a print, by exposing the paper for an amount of time.
You then place the paper in the developer (normally for 60 seconds) this is when the image appears. It then goes into the stop, to stop the deveopment, then into the fix for a couple of minutes, to fix the image to the paper.
The final step is to wash in running water, then hang up to dry.
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Bone_Idle
Mr Maybe
Reged: 28/07/2006
Posts: 1279
Loc: Bradford
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Thanks for the replies.
would you say it is somethign you can teach yourself, or would it be better to get some guidance?
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Thanks
Nick
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Roger_Provins
Made-it Man
Reged: 22/10/2005
Posts: 2584
Loc: Gloucester, UK
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Quote:
Is enlarging an easy process, or is there more to it than developing?
The one thing that seems to have been missed out here is ... you need a darkroom!
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Rog
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Bone_Idle
Mr Maybe
Reged: 28/07/2006
Posts: 1279
Loc: Bradford
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I have provision to make a dark room, I think. Depends if running water is essential?
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Thanks
Nick
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Roger_Provins
Made-it Man
Reged: 22/10/2005
Posts: 2584
Loc: Gloucester, UK
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No running water is not essential .. just a bucket with water in it to receive the developed/stopped/fixed prints until you can go somewhere with running water to finish the washing. Washing the prints takes 20-30 minutes in running water and it's important to do it properly otherwise stains will appear after a while.
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Rog
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Woolliscroft
veteran
Reged: 23/08/2005
Posts: 1253
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No there is more than a little gain. With good technique and equipment (especially a good enlarger lens) the quality you can get from doing your own printing can be way better than any high street lab.
You can learn to dev and to print easily in a day. Then you keep on learning for life.
Yes you can teach yourself with a decent book, but it's probably easier to be shown, and to have someone you can ask questions.
I still make traditional contact sheets. If I am going to be printing anyway and so have the chemical trays out, it takes no longer than scanning. I also still make traditional prints, rather than inkjets. Like Beejaybee, I prefer the look of them, they are often cheaper and you can print bigger than A3 without it costing a fortune.
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David.
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topoxforddoc
newbie
Reged: 27/07/2007
Posts: 30
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IB,
Once you start printing silver prints, you'll find it addictive. You could buy a second hand darkroom setup very cheaply now. Some pro photographers are almost happy to give their's away to make space. You'll need an enlarger plus lens, a timer of some sort (old fashioned smiths clock or a fancy enlarger timer) a safelight, some trays (cat litter trays are fine), some tongs (plastic or metal), a bucket of water to hold the prints, a thermometer, paper and some chemistry. If you using multigrade paper, then also you'll need some filters (only if your enlarger has a filter drawer). You can use a colour enlarger for multigrade, but it's easier with a multigrade head. Buy a copy of something like Michael Langford's 'Darkroom Handbook' and you can't go wrong (unless you open your paper in the light!!).
If money's not too tight and you only shoot 35mm, then buy a Leica V35 enlarger with 40/2.8 Focotar lens. They're virtually bomb proof and the autofocus, once set up, makes life so easy.
Charlie
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