Opening the Film Cassette in a Darkroom

Series Summary

Ever wondered what went on in the darkroom and what that red light was for? Photographers have been using darkrooms for at least a hundred years to develop their film and make prints. Only recently has the digital medium somewhat supplanted film photography. Yet there still remain some photo effects that are, some would claim, most effectively produced in the darkroom; and some photographers swear by chemical baths and fixing solutions as the only real way to bring a photograph to light.

Whatever your particular bent on the art of photography may be, learn how to use the darkroom as one of your tools for developing and printing beautiful pictures. Our expert will walk you through the step-by-step process for developing film, including removing the film from the cassette, loading it on a spool, using the proper agitation method, prewetting, and the push-pull process. He’ll also help you decide which developer to use, what powder, and how to store everything when you’re done.

Video Transcript

" My name is Jeff, and I’m going to talk to you a little bit about getting ready to process black and white film. You always want to get everything you are going to need out while the light is on in front of you so that you will know where everything is, including a trash can because you are going to generate a little bit of trash. With 35mm, you will have one of 2 types of cassettes; the kind you buy at the store or the kind you load yourself. The kind that you load yourself you can open by putting the little tip down on the table and push the can in it and it pops the opposite end off and you can pull the film out that way. The kind from the store, you use a can opener and on the flat end and of course, you are going to do this in the dark. You just pop that off, throw it away and there is your film. I usually just tear the leader off. Some people want to have some scissors handy to cut that. The film tears pretty easy if you put your fingers real close together and just tear it. It gives you a straight edge. "