My First Go at Developing and Scanning

[Cold]

Hi all,

Over the past 6-12 months I've really started to expand my photography into the fulfilling, visceral world of film, specifically fixed lens rangefinders.

While I was content, at first, to shoot color film and get it developed at a lab, both knowing my own tendency to want to see a process through to completion on my own...as well as the closing of the best local shop a few months ago, I knew that self developing and scanning were in my future.

Just a few weeks ago, I did my first batch, and I'd like to share a few shots from that batch here, for technical critique (not so much what you think of the images, though if you feel the need to comment in that vein, so be it) but more in the line of suggestions for when I develop my next two rolls, and then go on to scan them. If you have something to offer in terms of the photography itself, that's fine too, but I'm really after the post-capture technique advice.

So without further ado, here's the goods.

Canon Canonet QL19 G-III
Tri-X 400
HC-110, Kodafix
Epson V600

 

[Terry Christian]

Looks great! And I have that same exact scanner.

Clean the glass surfaces of your scanner every time you scan, with either a lint-free cloth dampened with a little glass cleaner, or by using a microfiber cloth. Also, use filtered or distilled water when mixing your chemicals and for your final rinse with Photo-Flo, which will also cut down on the amount of imperfections on your negatives. And if you're hanging up your negatives to dry in the bathroom, run the shower a little first to get the humidity up, which will also drive dust out of the air.

To get rid of dust spots on your scans, run them through Photoshop and use the healing brush, set as small as will work.

 

[Haigh]

They look good. Wish some of my earlier attempts had been as good.

 

[Cold]

Thank you, gentlemen, the encouraging words are appreciated.

Terry, my tap water is filtered, first through a treatment to remove minerals, then through a UV sterilizer, and finally through active carbon and reverse osmosis processes. While distilled is almost certainly better still, I think the tap water is probably pretty close to the distilled, for film developing purposes. Would you agree?

 

[jschrader]

water

water

If You filter Your water, the dust that is visible on the pictures if not from your water, that should be clear. I would guess it is on the scanner?

Dust is enemy #1 of negatives. Be clean 🙂!

Nice start, let us see more!

 

[John Bragg]

Very good first try. Plenty of detail in highlight and shadow. My advice is to get the exposure and development as dialed in as possible for your camera before looking too much at post manipulation. The same holds true today in a world where we scan our negatives instead of, or as well
as printing. A good negative is the key to a great positive image. Expose for shadows, develop for the mid tones and agitate as little as you need to keep the highlights in check. HC-110 is a great choice for this technique with Tri-X. It can be used highly successfully diluted 1:63 with double the standard time for 1:31. This is dilution H or the unofficial dilution and it is my standard choice.

 

[kanzlr]

excellent work 🙂

for cleaner negatives you could invest in an electrical static cleaner. I got a used Konica-Minolta one for cheap. run your negatives through before you put them in the scanner.