Easy way of Developing Black & White film and making the final print

[@ribsy]

can't wait to have my own darkroom just like roger

[@basschurink]

I hope to start transforming my shed after summer

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Look forward to seeing it mate!

[@TristanColgate]

Your bathroom prints were always pretty spectacular! I've always assumed anywhere near New York city with any kind of outside space is probably as expensive as London?

[@dan.allen.digital]

I always love watching your videos. Thanks for taking the time to show the entire process you use.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks for watching.

[@nightjedi1026]

Great video again Roger. You are the reason I shoot film. Would love to know your thoughts on the new Pentax 17

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

The final tree print is very nice. The sky and grass "mirror" each other and the light strip in the center draws the viewer's attention to the trees. Also by printing with the trees arcing to the left, they capture the viewer's gaze and focus it mainly on the tree that's largest and centered. It keeps the eyes from wandering away from the picture. Again, very nice work.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks Mike. Accurate composition advice. Yes it was the best composition really for that scene. I also have the option of making the horizon straight and the trees bending far more and you'd never know they sit on a slope. It's a wonderful location for composition with the trees being the main subject the seasons and clouds always change around them. As long as you miss the cars!

[@TristanColgate]

It's probably worth mentioning that the modern style of Patterson tank. With the bigger lid, don't leak at all (if you force a bit of air out whenever to put the lid on)

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I got one for £5 (35mm) in the charity shop Tristan. Brand new too! And it leaks a bit but not as bad. My mate has these new ones and twiddles all the time with great results.

[@TristanColgate]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss the trick with the ones with the big rubber lid is to "burp" it. Put the lid on, push down the middle, then lift the edge very slightly so it "farts", and seal the lid down. Then, when I do the inversions, I make sure not to hold the middle of the lid, just the edge of the lid, and bottom of the tank. I saw this on Ari Jaksi's channel once, and I've not had any leak from my 2 reel since!

[@RCAvhstape]

I have 3 twin lens reflex cameras, a Yashica MAT-124, a Minolta Autocord, and a Rolleiflex. Despite the Rollei being worth a lot more money, the Japanese cameras have sharper lenses, particularly, the Minolta, which is my Number 1 camera. I was told by a repairman that the Japanese camera lenses made in the 25 or so years after WWII were made in factories that previously had made lenses for military aerial reconnaissance, and this is why they are so pin sharp. He's a great repairman, so I choose to believe him.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks. I never knew that. I would have thought the Rollei would blow the socks off the Yashica. Although I'm more than happy with mine. Nice to know! Cheers.

[@RCAvhstape]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss Like I said, I believe him, but I can't confirm. He told me that Rollei used lens more suited to portraits, also unconfirmed. It's not like my Rollei isn't sharp, it's just that the Minolta seems sharpest of the three.

[@MarcoRoepers]

Very nice! I develop with rodinal and shoot FP4 Plus and do wash with water. I was wondering if did it well. Very nice to see how you do it. I find developing film always the most exciting part. If I make a mistake, the film could be gone. Printing is more relaxed. Choosing the right part on the test strip is actually tricky. I always like it when I see a video when doing it and I try to see if I would have made the same choice. There are not filmchannels doing this actually.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Cheers Marco. As you saw in the video my first thought was not right. I ended up with 5s which I thought was too light but was just right. Yes it is fun if you don't take it all too serious. It's easy to get frustrated though when a print isn't going well and you're running out of paper 🫣

[@bruce-le-smith]

fantastic, thank you! love how you include the steps in the process while you talk, it helps me learn when I can watch them being done

[@KieranHighman]

Excellent TARDIS analogy there :)

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thank you kindly!

[@GenerationAI2024]

Thanks for sharing. I have a Yashica Mat 124G and i too was just blown away by how sharp the negatives where. Its my first medium format camera and i will never sell it again. Those negs where developed in ID-11 from Ilford and the film was Kodak TMax 100.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

It's an amazing lens and still blows me away when I shoot it. Especially portraits. ID-11 / D76 are great developers. I use D76 for some negatives. Usually street photography.

[@rockartistet]

Fantastic thank you. About time I setup my darkroom

[@13ahab]

Great informative video, I would add that it is best to check your stop bath and fixer temperatures are at or near 20 degrees C this will stop Photographic Film Reticulation Due to Temperature Change. I use a dehumidifier in my darkroom to stop the damp.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks :). Yes thats true. I did a test once shock stopping the film with different temps and nothing happened. I was a bit disappointed. I was expecting crazy grain. Many said that today's films are more robust against reticulation but it's good to stick to the correct temps.

[@WintherKl]

Brilliant episode.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks for watching

[@rgssaurus930]

Great video Roger. Off I went to my storage room / darkroom to prepare to print tomorrow

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Fantastic! Hope it all worked out well :)

[@m00dawg]

WOOOOOW that print turned out GORGEOUS. Beautiful work Roger!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Cheers Tim. Yeah it was nice to look at a print for once and know you don't need to do anything else. 2.5 grade straight off the neg. Happy days!

[@tylerchristensen6680]

Incredible video - thank you for the mountain of information!! Gorgeous photos

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Many thanks!

[@erichstocker8358]

I agree with you about Delta 100. It is a really nice T-grain type film. I love the look it gives.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Yes I love using it for my scapes Erich.

[@charlesspringer4709]

Very nice. I use an RB-67 and a Canon F1 and have a thousand or more roles of Ilford and Kodak and Fiji and some others. I have simplified to using Diaphine so I have a very wide range of time and temperature. And an old Jobo "processor" which just roles the tanks in a water bath. No enlarger. I have an Epson Perfection V600 Photo scanner. The results are stunning - when I do my job right. Old Luna-Pro light meter and I either do incident light readings or the standard values for time of day and sky condition.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

That's a fantastic setup! It sounds like you've really honed your craft and found a workflow that works for you. I've never used it but I heard Diafine is a great developer for flexibility.I know Martin Henson (KZbinr check him out) uses it. Here is Martins video on Diaphine- kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHe1aXSjeJyUgdU

[@blackhellebore89]

What are the dimensions of your excellent darkshed? I've been contemplating a shipping container (I certainly have space gratefully) but this might be a bit more of a sensible size...

[@mrbwa1]

Wait... some people don't stir with their thermometer? I have dad's old thermometer and it's been stirring in the darkroom since the mid to late 1970s.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I've had so many comments in the past about it shattering mercury everywhere. It's a tough ole thing

[@mrbwa1]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss So we shouldn’t tell them I have also used it to hook onto steel dev reels to pull them out of the tank then? lol The dial ones we have are tough things.

[@monochrome17]

Can the 510 Pyrocat be used at standard 20*C temperature and is a presoak essential? Not a criticism honestly, just wondering that's all. Thanks for your videos.

[@flavioserci6046]

I've recently bought a used Jobo Tank and reels. I can tell you.. it is the best. You should try it.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Ahhh nice! Yes they are brill! I have a brand new Patterson for 35mm that I got from a charity shop for £5!!! Bargain! Still leaks! LOL

[@jeta1383]

That's a pretty hardcore agitation? Do you agitate all your chemistry with the same vigour?

[@theblackandwhitefilmproject]

Have you thought about using a Dehumidifier in your darkroom to reduce the moisture? Cheers!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I don't. After a session I remove all the water. It's always been dry in there but the rain we have had has been non stop pretty much for months and it took its toll on the shed! It sits on a concrete base and raised off the ground by an about 5 inches.

[@cnicolo]

Amazing video mate, thank you

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks for watching.

[@ianlainchbury]

Quick question Roger... when loading the 120 film onto the spool, do you remove the masking tape, or just pull it past the balls?

[@pinkroger007]

I personally remove it.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I always leave it on. I find it easier to load with it on. Especially springy negs. And when it's drying I have the paper strip end hanging at the bottom as it's the last thing to dry.

[@ianlainchbury]

@ShootFilmLikeaBoss Cheers Roger.

[@anthonylovesey1137]

Nice photo of the trees. The second negative with the car in it. Could you cropped it in by an inch to remove the car?

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I could have done so Anthony and often thats a choice I would have made but I had the other neg exactly the same just a different sky density. I remember as I hit the shutter that car came into view. I thought I'd beat it!

[@AnotherOtherMan-alive]

personally I'd consider adding an in-line filter for the water, you might not need it if your water isn't that hard but I know for me I would for consistency's sake

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Our tap water has always been fine but only recently I have had trouble with my D23 developer when I make it from raw chems. The tap water had changed! Maybe harder. I don't know. So I started using de-ionised for my chemicals but still use the tap water for developing the film. But the inline filter you have is a great idea as you say.

[@AnotherOtherMan-alive]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss Being in Canada with the cost of distilled water being so cheap I just get some from the shops but if I could setup my own still for it I would. But that's just me on the spectrum, I like to have more control of the process if and when I can to get more consistent results. If what you have works for you, you do you. If you get weird issues well, start controlling for variables and you can find that culprit fairly easily given practice. Note, you should be using fresh gloves everytime to limit cross contamination and getting the chems on places they shouldn't.

[@danem2215]

I'd kill for a darkroom that size. I'm stuck with a 3 x 10 closet. Also I think you should try out stainless reels and tanks sometime. I switched and never looked back!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Yes I have often thought of the steel tanks and reels Dane. I guess you crack on with what you have. I used to be in my bathroom which is tiny and done my back no favours! There is an Italian guy called Giacomo Brunelli and he done well with getting his work out there. Simple 10x8 prints he makes on his bathroom floor! There is an old interview with him on YT. Check out his collection called 'Animals'.

[@GirdHerd]

Roger, I'm enjoying your videos. A question - Do you use a squeegee on your film or just a wetting agent like Photo Flo?

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Hi Gird. Thanks. No I never use a squeegee. I have one and tried but I got scratches!! So never used it again. Instead I let them dry naturally. After the final wash when the film is hung I pour a bit of the final wash water (De-ionised water) over the negatives back and front from the top and let it run down the negatives. Because I use a drop of dishwasher liquid for my final wash there can sometimes be little soap bubbles on the film so that washes it all away and then dry in the bathroom. I used to use wetting agent and when the bottle ran out I reverted to dish washer liquid! I ended up sticking with it.

[@stuartconnelly5397]

Do you stop or wash with normal tap water or do you use distilled?

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Distilled is hard to get here. I could get it online but I don't. I use normal tap for the develop and stop and the di-ionised for the wash which I reuse time and time again. I've had ups and downs with water marks but so far so good with the de-ionised for the wash with a drop of dish washing liquid.

[@iancadwallender9779]

Good refresher video for me.thanks. How many times do you use your developer?

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Just once then dump it Ian. I reuse the fixer many times.

[@thenutter2003]

cool video do you know what happened to stan and his gear.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Stan passed away from Cancer before he even saw my first prints. I heard the family (Who he never saw much of) trashed much stuff probably his gear also :( He was also into model trains and I think that all went too.

[@thenutter2003]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss sorry to hear that shame he did not get to see your prints.

[@mikek2218]

How many times do you re-use your film fixer? Thanks for a great tutorial.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Cheers Mike. I have never counted but when the film comes out not looking fixed properly then I will make a new batch up and re fix. I'd say that I get maybe 15 rolls if I'm lucky out of a fixer. Could be more! You can always test your fixer with putting a clip of film in there and see if it clears.

[@mikek2218]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss Again, many thanks for your advice and time. Very much appreciated.

[@JanneRanta]

Arent you missing the center column for your spiral? I use 500ml and never had issue with the spiral moving around.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

No it was in the tank Janne. 500ml is enough but It happened once where the top wasn't developed properly so since then I've added the extra 100ml to be sure.

[@rgrbrn]

Thanks for sharing! Grazie mille Roger!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thank you!

[@mikek2218]

What do you use for your water? My tap water is very hard and can leave spots. So would you suggest distilled water? Would it only be important to used distilled water for the final wash? Thanks.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

If you can get distilled water it is best. To be honest though I would only use it for mixing chemicals and final wash. I use tap water for my development and for final wash I use the di-ionised as you saw. And I will pour it back into the bottle and reuse it for another film! With a drop of dish washing liquid. So far so good!

[@mikek2218]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss Thank you kind sir. You are always so generous with your time as well as advice.

[@kdj.imagery4317]

Just out of curiosity, how difficult would it be to load your film into the developer bottle inside of a film changing bag? Me dad said that was how he did it back in the day and that it was somewhat difficult. I don't have access to a darkroom, yet I'd like to process my own film one day it's just too expensive (mail out). Cheers!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I used to do it under a bedding duvet when I first started! It's not hard to do inside a changing bag. I find 120 film more tricky than 35mm inside the bag though. But I get where your dad is coming from. It can be fiddly!

[@scottpurdin2452]

Do you have to deal with heat in your darkroom in the summer?

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Yes Scott. I can't go in there in the afternoon without shedding a few pounds!! Early morning and late evening in the summer months.

[@picnet]

The GW690 is great - I asked Fomapan for Ortho in bulk to make 220 rolls but they said there's not enough interest. Is it really that hard to shove film in a can? more related: I read that a "focusing negative" with high grain can be made. "This involves exposing a piece of film with a very grainy developer and including scratches or marks to enhance the texture. Use this negative in your carrier to focus, then replace it with your actual negative for printing." - is that really needed or is there enough contrast to just eyeball it?

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

@picnet, I'm sure that they would do it for a large enough order. That's what the re-spoolers do. But you would have to order enough for maybe a hundred thousand rolls. So unless you're reselling it, or are independently wealthy, it's just not practical.

[@danem2215]

I've never heard of a focus negative before, but if you don't have a grain focuser it sounds useful.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

To be honest I always eyeball it but use the focus finder just to be sure and I'm usually okay. My enlarger has a habit of slipping out of focus very slightly which is a pain

[@eltinjones4542]

Great video

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Glad you enjoyed it Eltin! Hope alls well :)

[@RickMahoney2013]

I’m going to name my next dog Tickety Boo. Thanks Roger !

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

ha ha please do! It's not a name I would like to shout across the park in front of the local hoodies but could be fun Rick.

[@alanreid208]

Have you tried Pyrocat HD?

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I never have but Martin Henson tells me its awesome

[@alanreid208]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss I'll be making a fresh batch this weekend. And some FX55. I can send you some to try if you like?

[@user-ve3gh5xg9q]

Develop like a Bos🇬🇧s👍