Sorry I haven't posted in ages, I'm crazy busy over here! I had to clone myself and enlist the help of my incredible mother
To get everything packed and ready to go (3 weeks earlier than I had expected!)
None of this is easy in the July heat when you live on the 4th floor!
Thankfully it is all gone now, on a boat bound for Munich.
Lama has said his Brooklyn goodbyes to his best friend Peter
(who this year often brought along a friend to visit too)
After driving lama cross country to his happy Wisconsin retreat, I am back in NYC for my final days (sniff!) and am trying to take as many pictures and hit as many of my favorite spots as humanly possible...
but the problem is, the city is SWELTERINGly hot with triple digit temps.
and heat fog is trying to swallow us all up!
At least heat fog can be pretty. It lends a certain kind of nostalgic feel to the city.
I know much of the country is boiling hot right now so I hope that wherever you are, you're staying cool and finding ways to enjoy the summer!
miracle of miracles, we actually had a snow day this week! nyc has actually had the snowiest january on record, with 19 inches of it having arrived this past thursday.
i went to bed completely convinced i'd have to go to work in the morning (it is ridiculously rare to get a snow day in nyc), so imagine my glee upon waking up to this!
i haven't been feeling that well, so unfortunately i had to limit my outdoor time/activity to a 15 minute walk of a 4 block radius. but what a radius it was!
the kids were out in full force, enjoying every inch.
and, having to stay inside was actually perfectly delightful because look who i spent the day with
isn't she the cutest? the patten is called poppy and it was the most charming and fun and easy pattern i think i've ever made. perfect for a snow day!
the only thing missing from the pattern was the fact that i thought she'd feel more comfortable in some underwear. so i whipped her up some.
hope you are having some beautifully snowy days and meeting fun little friends of your own too!
*tank, film & changing bag to load up before developing (plus scissors and bottle opener if you're using 35mm film) see this post if you are confused.
* digital timer
* photo thermometer
* funnel
* sink
* some sort of hanging device and dust-free place
Okay- let's start. First load your film onto the reels in your changing bag. Keep it locked inside your developing tank with the cap on.
Next we need to prepare your chemicals for mixing. It is important that you do this exactly before starting because the chemicals have to be at specific temperatures. Also it is important that you do it in the following order so as to keep the chemicals at the right temperature. (Please note that I am using a plastic 24 oz tank. If your tank is bigger/smaller you will need to adjust amounts)
First, prepare the fixer. Put 24 oz. into one of your clear plastic containers:
Next, prepare the stop bath. Fill second plastic container with 24oz. of 68 degree water and add 1/2 stop bath.
And last, RIGHT BEFORE developing, mix the developer. Temperature is vital to get right on this.
If you didn't get it from the picture (sorry about those- let's remember I'm a Kindergarten teacher), you should START by putting in 12 oz. of developer, measure the temperature and THEN add water bit by bit to achieve the right temperature. After developing for a while, it is very easy to get the knack of adjusting to the right temperature. When I first started self-developing though I used to have both a cup of hot water and cold water standing by to adjust as necessary.
*Note- when cleaning out your containers (mixing or storage) just rinse them thoroughly. Do NOT use soap because it will leave a film which might mess with your chemicals.
Okay- now let's start!
Developer- total time 10 min* (see note below)
Take off the cap to the developing tank and pour in your developer. Immediately give it 3 sharp taps onto the table or counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Then agitate continuously for the first 30 seconds. There are many different schools of thought on agitation, the following illustrates the method I use (for better or worse)- three agitations over 5 seconds (every 30 seconds):
After the first 30 seconds of constant agitation, watch the timer and agitate as above (3x for 5 seconds) every 30 seconds for 10 minutes total.
*Note: Developing time can vary tremendously depending on what kind of chemical you are using, what kind of film and your personal taste. I'd say check the package of whatever developer you're using to find out what time to begin with. Over time you can adjust to your own preferences. (I actually develop closer to 12 minutes with D76 developer)
**Another note: I always prepare my next step while in between agitations for the developer. Rinse out the plastic container and prepare your HypoClear: 5 oz. hypo clear + 20 oz. water. Set it aside (far aside, you don't want it to get mixed up with the fixer!) so it's ready later. Actually, you might find it easier at first to prepare this during your first wash however, now that I think of it.
Open up the plastic cap, dump out your developer in the sink and pour in the stop bath. Agitate immediately for 5 seconds, then let it rest for 10 seconds. Agitate again for 5 seconds and dump out after it's been in stop bath a total of 30 seconds. (this one goes QUICK!)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fixer (total time 5 minutes):
Pour in your fixer and agitate immediately for a 5 second interval. Agitate every 30 seconds until 5 minutes are up. Use the funnel to pour the fixer back into the storage container- you can't dump the fixer down the drain until it has used up its potency. (after about 2 months)
Your film is now light safe. Unscrew the tank and run the tank under the faucet. You might want to pull out the reel to check and make sure the film has developed (yes I know that from experience). Let the tank fill up, then dump and repeat for a total for 5 minutes. Regular tap water is fine, of course 68 degrees-ish would be ideal.
You're done! Grab a hold of your reel, and turn your hands away from each other (like cracking an egg). pull apart the reel and take off the film. Make sure to put the reel back in the same tracks that you pulled it out from. Squeegee your film by firmly running it between two fingers from top to bottom (2x). Hang it up in a dust free place to dry. I use a clothespin attached to a hanger in the shower. 120 film you can just leave hanging but I usually pinch the empty
canister of 35mm film to the end of the negatives to keep them from
curling. And then sit back and marvel at the magic you've made!
Happy developing! Can't wait to see your results!
-cmv
p.s. I realize all of this is very overwhelming and intimidating at first (trust me, I've been there) but in time it will be completely easy, relaxing and second nature.
Did you get your self-developing supplies yet? Well just in case you're ready and waiting I thought it was time for step two: mixing chemicals.
There are five chemicals you'll need for self-developing; developer, stop bath, fixer, hypo clearing and photo flo. Three of these (developer, fixer, hypo clearing) are often bought in powder form. You have to mix them up at least a night before you want to use them because they are mixed at high temperatures and need a night to cool down.
So let's get started! For purposes of this tutorial, I can only really talk you through how to mix the chemicals I use because that's what I know best. However if you choose to use something else, the packages are usually pretty good about giving detailed instructions. The following description is specific to Kodak chemicals.
6. Plastic storage containers, two 1-gallon and one 1-quart
Mixing the Developer (Kodak D76)
You are going to need water that is between 122 and 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe your tap water gets that hot but probably you'll have to heat some water on the stove and mix it with some tap water. It is essential in mixing all of these chemicals that you get the temperature right. Fill the pitcher so that you have 3 liters of water between 122-131.
Cut the corner of the package of D76 and pour in slowly while stirring constantly with your plastic spoon. Keep stirring until all of the chemical is in the pitcher and is completely dissolved. Add more water to the pitcher so that your total amount of liquid is 1 gallon. Use the funnel to pour into your storage container. Make sure that it is a dark light-proof container and that it's labeled.
Mixing the Fixer
For the fixer, you'll need water between 64 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. You should be able to get this by futzing with the tap water. Fill the pitcher with 3 quarts of water at this temperature.
Follow the same mixing directions as you did with the Developer. Funnel the liquid into a second labeled container (that doesn't have to be light-proof).
Mixing the Hypo Clearing
You are mixing a smaller stock solution of Hypo Clearing so you'll only need to begin with 1 quart of water at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Follow the same mixing directions as you did for the preceding chemicals, except this time do not add any extra water. You will store this in a labeled 1 quart container.
NOTE: When cleaning your containers after mixing or anytime during the developing process, just rinse them thoroughly with water. Do not use soap as it may leave a film which will mess with your chemicals.
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That's it! Now your chemicals are ready to go. Next I'll be back with a tutorial on how to load the film onto the reels. That will take some practice. Have your developing tank and bag ready for next time and be prepared to sacrifice an unused roll of film so that we can practice our hearts out.
As many of you might know I am a big time film fan, in particular because I adore being a part of the entire process, from camera to negative to print. I have been self-developing b&w film for over two years now, more so now than ever, since I have begun working with the wondrous 120 film (there will surely be a post coming soon declaring my utter love). Recently I have gotten a few requests for advice on how to get started doing your own self-developing so I've decided to start a tutorial here on the blog on the basics of doing self-developing.
As a disclaimer I will say that I am surely no expert. I merely can walk you through the steps and methods that I've learned and that work for me, as a starting point to finding your own ways/methods. Also, let me clarify that this developing is specifically for black & white film.
So, with no further ado, I give you the first installment of Self-developing 101: The Supplies Edition, everything you need to get started:
1.changing bag- it's basically a giant slippery t-shirt with no neck and two zippers at the bottom. The one I have is I think the 27x30 size. I wouldn't advise getting one any smaller, you need to be able to move around freely in there.
2. developing tank- everyone you talk to will give you different opinions about the best kind. Personally I think that whatever you learn with will be your preference, it's that simple. My plastic tank isn't the fanciest or the best but I will say that I bought a fancy stainless steel one when I switched to 120 film and I HATE it. Other people swear by them. In my humble opinion, I'd go with a plastic tank- they're cheaper and another nice thing is that they can fit either 2 rolls of 35mm or 1 roll of 120.
3. three plastic containers- doesn't matter what kind you get, I just got something cheap at the corner store. It IS important, however that they have measurements on the side and that they hold at least 25 oz.
4. 1 gallon plastic graduated mixing pitcher
5. funnel
6. bottle opener that has a rounded edge
7. plastic spoon
8. 1 1/2 oz graduated 'shot glass'
9. photo thermometer- it is important that you get one specifically for photo so that it is designed to read temperatures high enough. I had a digital one but at first but it gave me a lot of issues so I switched to the analog type and am very happy with it.
10. digital timer! (sorry, I forgot that in the picture)- this is a must.
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And now for the chemicals you will need:
First of all, you'll need two 1 gallon containers pictured here (though only one of them needs to be light blocked) and one 1 quart container.
In terms of the chemicals, you can really use any brands/types you'd like. Here I am including what I use and what is usually the most cost-effective and easy to find.
Powdered chemicals:
1. 1 gallon D-76 developer
2. 1 gallon Fixer
3. 1 1/4 gallon Hypo clearing
Liquid chemicals:
1. 16 oz. bottle of Indicator Stop Bath
2. bottle of Photo Flo (you might want to get a smaller bottle than I have pictured here- it will last you forever!)
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So that's all you need to start! The next installment of the tutorial will talk you through mixing the powdered chemicals. You need to do this at least the night before you begin developing because they mixed at specific temperatures and need time to cool down.
