How to Develop Film

Developing your own black and white film is a challenging experience that will take practice. It is worthwhile to have a solid understanding of the fundamental processes. Once you have the basics down, there is plenty of room for artistic expression and playing with different films and processing procedures.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A developing tank with black and white film loaded on reels
• A pair of rubber gloves
• A mercury thermometer
• 2 film clips or clothes pins
• A 600 ml graduated cylinder or measuring cup
• A stopwatch, or clock with a minute hand
• Chemicals: Film developer. Stop Bath, Fixer, and Hypo Clearing Agent
• A clean work area with at least one sink and running water
• Water (tap or distilled)
• Plastic Jugs to hold mixed chemicals

1. Load film onto processing tank reels. See article “How to Load Film onto a Reel for Developing”. Note your tank has a screw top lid which keeps the film safe from light, and a “Cap” on top of that, which keeps the chemicals inside during the development. You may remove the Cap to pour chemicals in safely.

2. Prepare the chemicals, the Film Developer, Stop Bath, Fixer, and Hypo Clearing Agent, with their proper ratio of dilution and set aside. Chemicals must be diluted exactly as instructed.

3. Bring your chemicals to the correct temperature for processing. Note that different film speeds (100, 400, 800) have different processing temperature recommendations and timings. You should consult the instructions that come with the chemicals you purchase for recommendations on specific times and temperatures for your film speed.

4. When your developer is at the right temperature, make note of the time, and pour it into the developing tank. Put the cap back on top of the canister and tap it on the counter top to dislodge any bubbles clinging to the film. You will then “agitate” your film canister every 30 seconds by turning it upside down and right side up for about 3 seconds. Tap it again on the counter top. Agitation ensures fresh chemicals are continuously being distributed to all parts of the film. Continue this process for the length of your Film Developer processing time. Ten seconds before the end of your processing time, start pouring the developer out. (Do not remove the screw-top lid)

5. Quickly pour your Stop Bath in your developing tank. Again, put the cap back on top of the canister and tap it on the counter top to dislodge bubbles. You do NOT need to agitate the tank in this step. Note the recommended time for your film speed on your clock or stopwatch. Again, ten seconds before the end of your processing time, start pouring the Stop Bath out. (Do not remove the screw-top lid)

6. Pour your Fixer into the developing tank. Again, put the cap back on top of the canister and tap it on the counter top to dislodge bubbles. Note the recommended time for your film speed on your clock or stopwatch. Agitate your film canister every 30 seconds for about 3 seconds. Tap it again on the counter top, and repeat through the length of your recommended time. Again, ten seconds before the end of your processing time, start pouring the Fixer out. Once this step is complete, the film is no longer light-sensitive, and the rest of the process can be completed with the tank lid off.

7. Pour the Hypo Clearing Agent into the tank with the screw-top lid off. Tap the canister to dislodge bubbles (carefully so you do not spill). Note the correct time, usually about 90 seconds, and pour out when the time is up.

8. Start running water and bring it to the correct temperature (usually the same as your film developing temperature. Put your tank directly under the tap and leave it there for about 10 minutes. The water should fill up the tank and continuously overflow. Every couple of minutes, dump the water and let it fill back up again. This allows the water to progressively become fresher.

9. After 10 minutes, take the reel out of the tank and gently shake off. You will now un-spool the film, by turning the reel clockwise or counterclockwise until the top half comes loose from the bottom half. Use one of your film clips for the end of the film strip to lift it off the reel. When free of the reel, put the other clip on the bottom of the strip to act as a weight. You should be able to see your images on the film strip if they were exposed properly and the developing was done correctly.

10. Hang the negative is a safe, dry, dust free room to dry, approximately 2 hours.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice taking apart and putting your film reel together so you become familiar with how they work before attempting to process films.
• Warm or cool chemicals by submerging your chemical container in either hot or cold water.
• Do not ever pour chemical mixtures directly down the drain. They are toxic, and bad for the environment. You should mix your developer and stop bath together, this neutralizes the PH balance, and then flush with water when disposing. The silver in your fixer chemicals are equally bad. It should be heavily diluted with water when disposing.
• Advanced photographers often play with dilution levels, temperatures and times in development to add or reduce film grain. This is not recommended for a beginning photographer. You could ruin your roll of film if you do not follow temperatures and times exactly.
• Wear rubber gloves when handling chemicals. They are toxic!
• If you do not load your film exactly right on the processing reel, the film may stick to itself, ruining several exposure frames.
• Expect to ruin more than one role of film as you are learning – its all part of the fun of learning a new trade!

Resources

• Get the book Photography by Barbara London and John Upton (most recent edition)
• Freestyle Photographic Supplies