A forgotten joy

How could you live without it ?

How could you live without it ?

Great to see somebody coming half back (no urge to do wet prints yet ?). The moments after hanging up some processed film up to dry are most precious, I unconciously start humming a tune sometimes (my wife told me later).
And : Doing in some film in a changing bag is the perfect excuse for being temporarily and absolutely unavailable !

Keep up the good work !

bye, stefka
 
Almost all of the UK online retailers for darkroom supplies that I have tried are strange outfits. I'm thinking of Novadarkroom, Silverprint and Retrophotographic in particular. The "user experience" is one of dealing with an outfit who are not really up-to-speed on running a web shop. I get the impression of extreme disorganisation coupled with only working when they feel like it, and a tendency just to ignore emails. I try to lump my purchases together into big ones for this reason.

Last week, I ordered a bunch of stuff from Silverprint, including a 5L bottle of fixer. I received an email saying "sorry, we can't ship 5L bottles". I don't understand why it's on the website, available for purchase, if they can't ship it. I have asked the question, and received no response. This is a typical situation. I'm relaxed about it now that I know this is how they are. They're good honest people, but fishes out of water, or at least that's my impression.

Now, Speedgraphic are excellent. Unfortunately, they don't have all the stock I would like. But the outfit itself is run very professionally.

Just my thoughts.
 
If you're ever in London, the Silverprint shop in Waterloo is an Aladdin's cave of great stuff.

Ian
 
OurManInTangier said:
Kully - I'll change my ways and go to Jessops, I can handle a weel or so's wait for cheap but good chemicals. I've had a quick look on the darkroom.co.uk and had thought they have some good prices and delivery times.
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Be insistent - I've only been into Jessops once and the bloke/bird has known what fix / developer / stop is. Get them to check their stock system, they have suprising numbers of stuff in their warehouse.
 
Jessops

Jessops

You can order chemicals online at Jessops plus the website tells you whether they are in stock (postage is £3.50 for any quantity).

I think now you can also now order online and pick it up later at your local store (you can even check whether your local store has the item in stock already).
 
I'm happy just processing at the moment. Whilst I used to love printing my photographs in my wet darkroom it has to be said that it was not just wet but hot, humid, completely unventilated and very very small. I used to wear shorts and nothing else it was so uncomfortable!

It's also worrying quite how long I could spend in there, it was like a little time machine - I'd go in at 7pm ( just to print a couple of images ) and when I came out I'd travelled through time to 4am and a very huffy girlfriend had long since disappeared to bed.

Having the control over the processing of my negs is invaluable though I do feel I need to get into the swing of things again, when I opened the dev tank I was just so pleased to see images on the neg.

Reminds me of the first roll I ever put through the dev tanks at college - after struggling for some time getting it onto the spiral and going through all the chemicals I eventually turned on the lights to find an empty spiral and a ruined roll of film at my feet...my tutor laughed and assured me most students went through the same experience but I now make damn sure the films where it should be!!
 
This is an interesting thread. I just started developing BW because the local labs, even the pro labs were getting gunk on the negatives and also were doing a horrible job on the developing.

I bought a used Paterson tank, a changing bag, HC110, fixer and the other necessities and did my first 6 rolls. I have no darkroom, so I do this in my kitchen in full daylight.

I'm describing 35mm and 120 film developing. Are you describing the developing of prints or 4x5 sheet film? I'm not in contact with the chemicals in any meaningful way so I'm wondering what I'm doing differently that you are using gloves and I'm not.
 
jan normandale said:
I'm describing 35mm and 120 film developing. Are you describing the developing of prints or 4x5 sheet film? I'm not in contact with the chemicals in any meaningful way so I'm wondering what I'm doing differently that you are using gloves and I'm not.
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With developing sheet film in trays you have to shuffle the sheets - this is how you agitate sheet film - which means sticking your hands in the developer. Even with a paterson tank I get developer and stuff on my hands because they occasionally leak.
 
mrtoml said:
With developing sheet film in trays you have to shuffle the sheets - this is how you agitate sheet film - which means sticking your hands in the developer. Even with a paterson tank I get developer and stuff on my hands because they occasionally leak.
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Okay, now I understand. I thought that the description was for sheet film and it was. You're right I do get small amounts of developer on my hands using the Paterson tank, however I'm by a kitchen sink, so I rinse if I get any on me. I use a "modified stand" so I don't get any meaningful exposure to the chemicals.

I have to say ... doing it yourself is unquestionably better than the results I was getting from the pro labs! I'm quite surprised and pleased. I can't see using a lab again unless time doesn't permit.
 
I'm developing 35mm only at the moment, though I suppose I could give my old mamiya 645 a run out now too.

I'm also using a Paterson tank and kneeling over the bath - I only get a little bit of the chemicals on me from tank leaks whilst pouring but enough to get a heady smell!

As for the labs - it seems a decent lab, pro or otherwise, is gold dust. There used to be one just up the road from me but the main lab technician left and it rapidly went downhill. I decided recently that for £20 I could get all of the processing kit I needed from ebay and save both time, money and hassle by doing it myself.

Alchemy at its best!
 
It's dangerously addictive though. I was shooting no film at all a few months ago, now I'm getting through at least 3 rolls a week, and often more.

Scanning it all is the time consuming bit.

Ian
 
Simon, someone at RFF gave me this idea. I take two paper towels, fold them into quarters ie half and half again. I place one on the top and the other on the bottom of the tank. This seems to catch the small amounts of chemical running out of the tank and keeps my hands relatively dry.
 
Jan - Obvious tip but then the best ones often are, I'll certainly give it a go. I'd happily use gloves but they just feel odd, slightly restrictive...I suppose its a case of whatever works for you.

Ian, I'm a bit like you - having thrown in film altogther after a visit to N Africa in 2003 I'm hurtling headlong back into it. I think a large part of it for me is the sheer difference to digi. The pressure of turning around work in the digital age means that shooting film for pleasure really allows you to enjoy the processes involved in making a complete image again. Alot of my work allows me only enough time to check composition, sharpeness and exposure before sending it out for release. With film, and admittedly no client/editor chasing, you have the time to make the image as you originally pre-conceived it via in-camera work, development chemistry and times through to printing/computer darkroom techniques.

Its also had a positive effect on my day job work - I feel less frustrated at not being able to follow these processes all the time as I'm able to see them as two, often, separate arenas.

So there you go, if I were a doctor....I'd prescribe a healthy course of traditional film photography!
 
Simon, I normally use retro or silverprint. 7dayshop is very cheap on film though. If you want to try your hand at printing again you're welcome to borrow my darkroom. It's a right mess at the mo but I'm slowing tidying up. The main task is to dump 10 years worth of computer parts/cables/boxes etc.

I've got a Devere 504 with Ilford Multigrade head so can handle up to 5x4 negs. Drop me a line if interested...
 
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