Film development backlog

GeneW

GeneW

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When I'm shooting B&W film that I develop myself, I sometimes get behind on the development cycle. I have 5 rolls of undeveloped Tri-X sitting on the shelf as I write this -- it's gardening season and photography has taken a back seat for awhile.

How do you handle it when you get a film backlog? Do you keep shooting? Switch to C-41? Switch to digital until the backlog clears??

Gene
 
I keep shooting. I've got about 20 rolls I need to get caught up with... :eek: :bang:

That's in addition to the C41...

William
 
over 20 years my backlog has grown considerably...

if i have stuff to process and it starts to grow i have a tank that can do 8 at a time.

used to have 2 of those but bj got one in the divorce, er, i mean sale.

keep shooting. there is always winter to look forward to for in the house processing time.

joe
 
Keep shooting. Winogrand had something like a 1000 rolls of unprocessed film when he died. Now that's a backlog! :)
 
That's one mighty big tank, Joe. I have a 5-roll Paterson tank but my 5 rolls of film were exposed at different iso settings so I need at least 3 different developing sessions to clear the backlog. It's not the development that bothers me as much as the subsequent scanning...

I confess that when I get behind I switch to digital until I get caught up again. I guess I could use an RD-1 :D

Gene
 
RayPA said:
Keep shooting. Winogrand had something like a 1000 rolls of unprocessed film when he died. Now that's a backlog! :)
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Yes, but is that a Good Thing[tm] ?? :D

Gene
 
i (used to) have a bad habit of averaging the times for any of the films i might have been using and doing them all together in the big tank.

wasn't so bad...

joe
 
GeneW said:
Yes, but is that a Good Thing[tm] ?? :D

Gene
Click to expand...

Probably not, but he NEVER stopped shooting, backlog or not. :) There has to be a limit though. At some point you need to review what you were doing and self critique your efforts, but where's that line? hmmm...
 
backalley photo said:
i (used to) have a bad habit of averaging the times for any of the films i might have been using and doing them all together in the big tank.

wasn't so bad...

joe
Click to expand...


Sounds like the perfect time for a Diafine plug to me. ;)

Counting the pour times, you will be turning out a tank full of film every 8 to 10 minutes.

Easy. :)

Tom
 
Diafine is why I'll get caught up :D I can use it with a changing bag in the kitchen while still taking care of my 3 year old.

William
 
T_om said:
Sounds like the perfect time for a Diafine plug to me. ;)

Counting the pour times, you will be turning out a tank full of film every 8 to 10 minutes.

Easy. :)

Tom
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Are you on commission? ;)

I have 3 right now, and will have another 3 or 4 after this weekend. Good new is that only one can't swim in Diafine. So yes, I will catch up quickly when I have just a little time.
 
I actually like to have a few rolls for development if I plan to use DDX.
I have 3 2-roll tanks, so I can so up to 6 rolls in one session. I prepare 1l of DDx 1+4 and then develop each set of rolls, adding 10% to the 3rd set. No problems so far, and helps with the eocnomy.

My problem now is having 15+ pages of negaives that I have not printed!!!
Darkroom time is a premiuim for me, using a bathroom and having 2 little kids
 
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Well, I have a darkroom, being that I am a pro photographer with a studio. When I shoot b/w, for my personal work, I can hardly wait to see the results. I have been known to process at 2 AM, so negs will be dry for scanning the next morning. I don't let myself get a backlog.
 
phototone said:
Well, I have a darkroom, being that I am a pro photographer with a studio. When I shoot b/w, for my personal work, I can hardly wait to see the results. I have been known to process at 2 AM, so negs will be dry for scanning the next morning. I don't let myself get a backlog.
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I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who doesn't like a backlog. I'm the same -- I want to see them asap.

Gene
 
i read (in an article linked to this site) that Winnogrand left his film purposefully for at least a year before processing in order that he might be emotionally divorced from the shots and thereby be a better editor of them...

something to think about i guess.
 
cp_ste-croix said:
i read (in an article linked to this site) that Winnogrand left his film purposefully for at least a year before processing in order that he might be emotionally divorced from the shots and thereby be a better editor of them...

something to think about i guess.
Click to expand...

That's waaaay to "artistic" for me.
 
cp_ste-croix said:
i read (in an article linked to this site) that Winnogrand left his film purposefully for at least a year before processing in order that he might be emotionally divorced from the shots and thereby be a better editor of them...

something to think about i guess.
Click to expand...

This is probably getting OT.

What's interesting is Szarkowski, in the preface to Winogrand: Figments of the Real World, suggests that toward the end this habit may have worked against Winogrand, as it resulted in technical and compositional mistakes compounding, since the feedback wasn't there. Szarkowski paints a sad picture of Winogrand in the eighties, and seems to attribute the huge backlog to other personal matters.
 
Film Development Backlog

Film Development Backlog

RayPA said:
...What's interesting is Szarkowski, in the preface to Winogrand: Figments of the Real World, suggests that toward the end this habit may have worked against Winogrand, as it resulted in technical and compositional mistakes compounding, since the feedback wasn't there. Szarkowski paints a sad picture of Winogrand in the eighties, and seems to attribute the huge backlog to other personal matters.
Click to expand...

Interesting is right. TOATQ, when I'm backlogged the only thing I can do is wait until I have time to process. I try to keep the film in a cool place (not the fridge) and sometimes wonder how many silver molecules are flying away from the film, how fast my images are degrading. Of course I come back to reality and realize it would take 200 years for it to go blank, so I stop stressing myself.

Re: RayPA's comment on Winogrand, I think this brings up the issue(again) of conservative vs. lots of shooting; from all the RFF heroes we adore, how many of their lame shots were tossed for the 1-2 money shots? Is it better to burn a lot of film (thus being backlogged).....or shoot conservatively (processing 1-2 rolls per week)? Which act improves your shooting in the long run? Both? Neither?
Makes me wonder what Winogrand had on those 1000 rolls....and which ones would actually end up in a book. Is film backlog due to getting a dozen good images of one or more subjects/events....or only due to impulsive shooting in the hopes of getting one or two....?

I think the bar should be raised and examined by each individual as to what they are shooting and why (unless it's as simple as "because it's fun." Then no personal examination of the issue is necesssary). I'm not referring to ANY images in our RFF Galleries; I think this is a personal decision to be made by any photgrapher intent on improving their skills. But, since photography is one of the free-est artforms, in the end what one does, shooting more or shooting less, is a personal choice of freedom.

cheers

chris
canonetc
 
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