Why WOULDN'T you develop yourself ?

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Pepe

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Today I went to pick up a lot of darkroom stuff I won on Ebay for 30 EUR (call it 40 USD).

I bid on it because there was an LPL easel included, and my easel is so far from 90° corners it isn't even funny anymore.

So what did this money get me ?

  • LPL easel, 50 by 50 cm or so
  • 35mm paterson contact printer
  • 120 paterson contact printer
  • 2 paterson system 4 tanks + reels
  • 4 trays, 30 by 40 cm
  • tongs and clamps and thermometres and measuring graduates (spelling?)
  • box of Ilford Multigrade 50 by 40 cm paper, 50 sheets (Three quarters remaining I estimate)
  • Box of 24 by 30 cm Kentmere paper, 25 sheets remaining I guess
  • Pack of 13 by 18 cm kentmere, ten sheets or so left
  • Pack of 50 Fuji RA4 paper, 13 by 18, I think nearly full (if anyone wants it, come get it, it isnt' stored -10°C though ...)
  • Paterson Focus finder
  • FULL bottle of TMAX developer
  • FULL bottle of agfa fixer + half one
  • FULL bottle of NEUTOL WE
  • HAlf bottle of agepon
  • Enlarger timer
Not bad I think. Even if half the paper tuns out fogged or a bottle gone sour or whatever...
 
Pepe said:
Today I went to pick up a lot of darkroom stuff I won on Ebay for 30 EUR (call it 40 USD).

I bid on it because there was an LPL easel included, and my easel is so far from 90° corners it isn't even funny anymore.

So what did this money get me ?
  • LPL easel, 50 by 50 cm or so
  • 35mm paterson contact printer
  • 120 paterson contact printer
  • 2 paterson system 4 tanks + reels
  • 4 trays, 30 by 40 cm
  • tongs and clamps and thermometres and measuring graduates (spelling?)
  • box of Ilford Multigrade 50 by 40 cm paper, 50 sheets (Three quarters remaining I estimate)
  • Box of 24 by 30 cm Kentmere paper, 25 sheets remaining I guess
  • Pack of 13 by 18 cm kentmere, ten sheets or so left
  • Pack of 50 Fuji RA4 paper, 13 by 18, I think nearly full (if anyone wants it, come get it, it isnt' stored -10°C though ...)
  • Paterson Focus finder
  • FULL bottle of TMAX developer
  • FULL bottle of agfa fixer + half one
  • FULL bottle of NEUTOL WE
  • HAlf bottle of agepon
  • Enlarger timer
Not bad I think. Even if half the paper tuns out fogged or a bottle gone sour or whatever...
Click to expand...

Very good deal! But I can answer your lead in question: the twofold reason many do not develop their own film is simply the lack of knowledge and/or the lack of facilities to set up to learn to develop film.
 
My answer? Convenience. As much as I enjoyed developing and printing way back when I was younger and had more free time, the ability to drop a roll of film off at the one-hour place and get back a developed roll and scanned CD is just too easy to ignore. Then I can do my own high-rez scan of any that look worth spending the time on. Of course, if I had the time I would be happy to develop and print and play all day long. But life, darn it, keeps getting in the way of that.

-Randy
 
Yeah I know. 't Was just to get your attention.

I'm not rich enough for digital and this batch of paper puts me halfway into 2008.

And best yet : the extra's can now go back on sale to finance my Oly Pen FT that lies waiting in Germany for my payment... (still no RF, I refuse to pump more money in semi-decent stuff, wasted enough allready)
 
I am slowly (read VERY slowly) working on a darkroom in my home.
My plan is to have my film processed professionally and to do all of printing myself.

Why do I want to do it?
Because I LOVE IT!
It's a part of the process I enjoy, like all other parts of the process for that matter.
I just love the hands on and craft part of printing.
I don't know when I'll have the darkroom up and running, but I can't wait to print my own stuff again.
I'll stick to black and white and have any color stuff done downtown.
Brian
 
Why wouldn't I develop myself?

a. I'm not good at recursions?

b. I hate emersing myself in all those chemicals?

:D :D

Actually sounds like you got a good deal. I envy you the chance to do your own darkroom work. I wish I could. I do well just to develop b/w film and scan it. Never mind the whole darkroom gig, as much as I would like to.
 
Hah, the chance..

My darkroom is an old table in the basement, between cans of paint and spiderwebs, lighted by red bulbs from a dollar store.

But it works, and the one or two nights a month I spend in there (apart from the High you get from the fixer in the unventilated room) keep me healthy and sane.

I mostly develop and scan too, but I wet print the one or two shots I find worth the effort.

My largest project was prnting 50 small portraits of my daughter to send out as invitations to her baptism. Kept me in there for four hours. But the feeling is so much better afterwards then having them printed in ten minutes. Sure they get thrown away by 80 % of the people. But the ones that matter framed them.

Brian: why have it developed elsewhere ? That's the easy part !
 
Pepe said:
Brian: why have it developed elsewhere ? That's the easy part !
Click to expand...

My darkroom to be is small, only 5'x6', so I want to make the most out the limited space I have.
Plus, the place I take it to does a great job and I want to do my part to help keep them around.
Brian
 
Last edited:
Pepe

Add kitchen gloves to your kit, some people cannot go near a darkroon from allergic reaction...

Noel
 
I don't have the room to do it.
I don't know how to properly dispose of chemicals where I live.
My wife would most likely kill me.
 
Oh I have most of the kit allready, But I don't put my hands in the chemicals. Gloves are more a bother then a help

Small kids and poisonous hands do not mix well.... so I take care
 
Ditto. I could easily develop my own B&W, but I never enjoyed the developing process, anyway, as it gave me as much pleasure as doing the laundry. Printing is another matter, but I don't have the space to do it @ home & don't have nearly enough time to go to a rental darkroom. I'm fortunate enough to have enough disposable income to pay some very good pro labs to do my development & contact sheets, even if they're not nearly as conveniently located as your typical 1-hour place.

vrgard said:
My answer? Convenience. As much as I enjoyed developing and printing way back when I was younger and had more free time, the ability to drop a roll of film off at the one-hour place and get back a developed roll and scanned CD is just too easy to ignore. Then I can do my own high-rez scan of any that look worth spending the time on. Of course, if I had the time I would be happy to develop and print and play all day long. But life, darn it, keeps getting in the way of that.

-Randy
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
It's cheaper to do it yourself...picking the shots you want instead of someone doing the whole roll (even the ugly out of focus ones)...most of all it's because I'm a Control Freak when it comes to my photography<---->B&W that is...
 
Nobody processes my TriX (or any of my b&w film for that matter) but me! :) I probably will never go back to wet/darkroom printing. To paraphrase Paul Simon, Mama don't take my Photoshop away! or Mama don't take my scanner away! I'm finally inching my way toward closing the loop by setting up the print end of my whole hybrid workflow. It's pretty exciting. Seems like I learn something new every time. I'm sure that can happen in the wet darkroom too, but I'm having a blast doing it


..
 
Gereat deal!
Most of the the chemistry will probably be dead except for Agepon.

I would hihgly recommend you get new(er) chemistry. Since you are in Atwerp give Fotohuis a chance. Robert is a great dealer, he is close by (Nederland), has eveything you may need and is a great person to talk to.

Good luck!




Pepe said:
Today I went to pick up a lot of darkroom stuff I won on Ebay for 30 EUR (call it 40 USD).

I bid on it because there was an LPL easel included, and my easel is so far from 90° corners it isn't even funny anymore.

So what did this money get me ?

  • LPL easel, 50 by 50 cm or so
  • 35mm paterson contact printer
  • 120 paterson contact printer
  • 2 paterson system 4 tanks + reels
  • 4 trays, 30 by 40 cm
  • tongs and clamps and thermometres and measuring graduates (spelling?)
  • box of Ilford Multigrade 50 by 40 cm paper, 50 sheets (Three quarters remaining I estimate)
  • Box of 24 by 30 cm Kentmere paper, 25 sheets remaining I guess
  • Pack of 13 by 18 cm kentmere, ten sheets or so left
  • Pack of 50 Fuji RA4 paper, 13 by 18, I think nearly full (if anyone wants it, come get it, it isnt' stored -10°C though ...)
  • Paterson Focus finder
  • FULL bottle of TMAX developer
  • FULL bottle of agfa fixer + half one
  • FULL bottle of NEUTOL WE
  • HAlf bottle of agepon
  • Enlarger timer
Not bad I think. Even if half the paper tuns out fogged or a bottle gone sour or whatever...
Click to expand...
 
I know him and have dealt with him. Antwerp also has one of the last shops that stock darkroom materials (that I know of.)
 
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