Do you develop your own B & W films

[Ronald_H]

Just looked at yet another roll of Tri-X. I have not 'nailed' it yet with HC-110, but hey, it's Tri-X, almost impossible to get bad negs with that.

Anyone can do it, and quite well too. But to get the negs that are perfect... well, let's say I'm still learning! And it's funnn.

 

[wdeskiew]

I have marked the 'Some of them' answer because I shoot also C-41 b&w films. Actually my answer the closest to the truth would be 'most of them' - 80% of my films are silver based.

 

[Ben B.]

I develop all my b&w films myself.

That's pretty easy,at least for the 35mm stuff. For me, getting a 120 film into a spool can be really painful!

I can be so distracted and yet I never ruined a film in the darkroom 🙂. For that, I can rely on my tendency to open my cameras with a roll still in it or re-exposing a partially exposed film :bang:

When I first started to develop 😉 an interest in b&w photography I used to have my films processed at my local lab. As I was disappointed with the results (scratches, film cutting, ... and you don't even want to get me started on the prints!) I decided to take a weekend class at a local club. Only 2 days in the dark with peculiar chemical smells learning how to develop and print and I was hooked! The next morning I bought a Paterson tank and some Rodinal and never looked back!

Later on I got some darkroom goodies from my grandfather and I bought a used Durst enlarger, but that's another story...

So, basically, if I can develop and print, anyone can. But be aware that if you decide to take that fun and rewarding road, you're going to need a lot of that special ingredient : time!

 

[Keith]

Definitely and have done for a year now. Aside from the cost of lab development here in Oz my results with pro labs and the local one hour were patchy.

Lately I've been doing my own C41 colour as well ... which to be honest is not much harder than black and white and very satisfying!

 

[like2fiddle]

Yes, I can't imagine shooting B&W and not developing it myself - well, perhaps a trusted fellow enthusiast would be ok. I've been tempted to try c41 at home but have been reluctant for various reasons, but after reading the posts on this thread, I may give it a whirl.

 

[Peter_Jones]

I recently started doing my own for economic reasons but am now hooked due to partly the quality and partly the fun 🙂

 

[Uncle Bill]

I develop and print all my black and white output.

 

[sleepyhead]

Yes, for the last twenty something years - not my favorite part of the process though.

 

[Muggins]

I've not voted as I'm still collecting stuff together for a darkroom. Nearly there, though, and I'm really looking forward to being able to play with my Box Brownies again without spending a tenner a roll to get them done!

Adrian

 

[John Bragg]

I develop all my own output and have done so for 22 years. I have made some improvements to my technique in that time and moreso since joining RFF and APUG. I think I have only entrusted one roll of B+W to a commercial lab and the rest I have souped myself. I wouldn,t have it any other way nor would I trust anyone else to develop for me. Complete control, thats what I like.....

 

[dof]

I've been doing my own B+W processing for the past twenty years, but only discovered the true value of it ten years ago. It all changed when I started my darkroom cookbook and began to take notes of what I did and how things turned out.

As a result I've developed a happy working relationship with my materials as well as a number of recipes for what works well with my favorite films in many lighting situations.

 

[nikon_sam]

Yes, I do...all of them...35mm, 120 & 4x5...
It's been part of the process for my B&W photography since the very beginning...
Years ago I took a few rolls to a lab and the price for them to develop and print these was enough for me to swear I'd never do that again...and the prints weren't that good either.
Developing and printing your own stuff helps in knowing what you're doing right and wrong while shooting...well at least it does for me !!!

 

[benlees]

I started doing my own b&w in Jan. of this year. It was something I wanted to learn to do- I don't even like the look of b&w photos that much (but I am learning)! Where I live it is winter more than half the year so b&w kind of makes sense, though.

I also got crappy results from the lab when I did do some b&w, it was expensive, and had to wait for a least a week. Doing it myself I have saved (so far) enough to pay for all the developing equipment and my scanner! But the best part is no waiting! I can email my Dad some photos taken a couple of hours before.

You have a lot flexibility doing it yourself with regard to contrast and grain, as well.

I am thinking of getting a c41, or e6, kit to do 120 colour.

 

[NickTrop]

I used to develop and print my own black and white. I've stopped - for now, because:

1. As a hobbiest, I am pressed for time with work/family. I would have rolls of undeveloped negatives...

2. Printing - printing 36 exposures per roll becomes unmanagable and is impracticle. I am from the 1-Hour photo generation. I want ALL my prints - not just a few "keepers" with the rest left on a contact sheet.

3. I don't print every day - sometimes I get on a tear, other times a month might go by... So, chemicals go bad (especially Dektol), or D76 (if that's what you use...) etc. It's also "consumable" extensive. Paper, stop, developer, fixer, etc. It seems you're always running out of something...

Plus - let's face it. Printing is a lot of trial and error... a fair number of wasted sheets, magic and fun though it may be...

Scanning is time consuming, a pain, no fun, and if you're printing your own from an inkjet (assuming you have one of the few b&w friendly inkjets) - expensive consumable in the inks...

The sheer volume of frames generated by 35mm (120 is a bit different...), if you want prints instead of contact sheets = for me, lab. The lab I've been happy with is Dwayne's in Kansas. Cost about the same as color prints - around $10 a roll for 36 frames plus ship.

 

[NickTrop]

"consumable" extensive sb intensive

 

[popeye]

I have in the past used a lab on occasion, but I have for the past 10 or so years done my own say 70/30. Since getting back into film, I've found that the labs are mostly gone now and I since enjoy the process I have begun souping them again. I used to process E6 after a neighbor gave me bunches of the kits, but that's been 15 or so years back. That was fun!

 

[Max Power]

All my own developing and printing. For me it's simply a part of the whole package. I initially learned the mechanics of developing and printing in high school. Years later, into my 30s, I took the basics that I'd learned in high school and began to take the time to get my development times and dilutions down. There are tons of simple to follow methods to doing this.

I suppose, though, that I do my own developing and printing because I enjoy it. As with most people, I spend a lot of time behind a monitor cranking e-mails and stuff for work. When I want to 'create' something, it's great to get into the darkroom.

That said, if you're thinking about taking the plunge, after the initial cost, it all becomes remarkably inexpensive. You buy film in bulk, chemistry lasts a long time in the correct conditions, and you never need to go out and purchase new developing tanks every month 😀 You don't need to 'upgrade' an enlarger, or spend a fortune on some fancy storage medium when you run out of space or need something faster. I bring in all of my consumables by mail, and so far, no troubles.

Just my $0.02

 

[Bassism]

I do all of my own black and white developing. Originally it was out of a desire to actually be able to afford photography as a hobby. But as I begin to understand the process more and more, the development becomes more and more central a part of the photography. The control that you can have over your photos in developing them yourself is something that I couldn't give up.

I also quite enjoy the process. Knowing that my images are entirely mine from cutting the film off the bulk roll to hanging them to dry gives me satisfaction. The feeling I get when I pull the film off the reel and try to find some nice shots is something that opening an envelope and looking at an index sheet just can't compete with.

I also do some printing, but the majority of my work is scanned and left there. Printing is too expensive and too much of a hassle without a dedicated darkroom for me to do every image, as much as I would like to. When I do have the opportunity to spend the night in the darkroom, though, it completes that enjoyment of photography as a hobby.

But like most others, I develop myself party out of economic need and partly out of the desire for the control that it offers.

 

[elude]

Do 100% myself. Constant results.

 

[DaCh]

I don’t know about you but digital made me realise just how much I enjoy film.
It is all about being involved in as much of the creative process as possible.
Making my own film is just not feasible but I do as much as I can and I still get a buzz when I unwind the spiral and see the negs for the first time and that moment when the paper slides into the dev and the image starts to appear is still a magic moment.
I take photos because I enjoy it, when I stop smiling I will give up. I don’t care if other people like my images, it is nice if they do but the important thing is that I like them.
I stopped working as a full time pro after 17 years because I was not enjoying it.
Now I enjoy every moment (and still make some money from it).
Life is good.