How to Develop Black and White Film

[@bobgeorges]

Thanks to this video I developed my first film ever. Thumb up!

[@morrisalex01]

Loved your informal style and hints and tips thrown in on this. Just completed my first 35mm processing and feel a little easier after watching your commentary on where you can be more flexible with approach. I am sure certain chemicals will be more forgiving, than others, but practice makes perfect. Thanks for posting this.

[@gwizzuk]

If you trim the end of the film neatly between the perforations and do a little chamfer to the corners (This can be done prior to putting the film in the changing bag.) it often helps to make loading the film onto the reels so much easier.

[@thomasmorrison8011]

I was thinking about trying my hand at developing again but hadn't done so since high school. This was a great refresher. Thanks.

[@eatsometofu]

I just tired this out and it worked brilliantly, my first roll of self-developed B&W film. It feels really satisfying. Out of all the tutorials on how to develop B&W film on youtube, this was the most simple and clear to understand, and more importantly it was also geared towards hobbyist photographers on a budget. Thanks for the video!

[@ArmyGF88]

This brought back so many memories! I'm getting back into B & W photography and developing my own film. Thank you for this refresher! I'm going to check out the rest of your videos for more tips and tricks :)

[@1nevi]

Hey! Agitating the tank that hard destroys the silver emulsion.. you may end up with too contrast films then..

[@mamiyapress]

Thank you, this is one of the better videos on B&W film development and if one follows your instructions success will follow. May I just add my own thoughts on the subject, use a plain water pre-wash at 20 deg's for about one minute, use dish washer liquid instead of washing up liquid (there is a specific reason for this) and after you hang up the film to dry with clips top and bottom (very important) use a chamois leather cloth which you have washed out in the same rinse that the dish washer liquid was in to very slowly wipe down each side of the film. The chamois has a smooth and rough side, use the smooth side only, do not use your fingers or squeegee to wipe the film, this can mark the soft film.

[@PhotographyBloke]

Thanks! The idea of a pre-wash is something that the people who taught me to develop never mentioned, although now I've also worked with colour film I can see the reasoning behind it. I think the general viewpoint is that is is better all round to use proper wetting agent, which is what I am now recommending over other types of detergents - thanks for the chamois suggestion, I'd never thought of that but I'll give it a try!

[@eliashowe8418]

Thanks for the video! I was so into making prints in high school but no one ever taught me how to develop the film. I'm so excited to try it.

[@eatsometofu]

If you need to lower temperature, then put your chemicals you've measured in your measuring cups around some pack of ice and wait till it gets to 20C (68F). If you need to raise temperature, then put your measuring cups in a container with some hot water. That's what I did to get it to 20C (68F). However, you can also use whatever room temperature you get and then adjust the developing times respectively. 10% increase in developing time for every 1C drop in temperature, and vice versa.

Proper wetting agent doesn't cost that much and it works way better than washing detergent, such as Fairy. I've tried that myself. You get 120 ml bottles of proper wetting agent probably for less than 5€ and per tank you'd only need 1-3ml because dilution ratio used is often something like 1:200.

[@youthactionpact]

Agreed

[@PhotographyBloke]

Cool, I hope everything works ok when you try out your first roll of film! No, you don't need a darkroom for film processing, providing that you have access to a changing bag (which is a very inexpensive item) as the film is only completely exposed to outside light whilst you're moving it from the cartridge and loading it into the tank - once the tank is closed, the light can't get to the film (as the tank is designed to allow the chemicals to be poured in without the light getting through)

[@bobwatson623]

Just developed my first roll using the technique. Worked great. Thanks for the video

[@PhotographyBloke]

It is yes - as it's only a washing phase, used to stop the chemical reaction and remove any left over chemical, the temperature isn't too important. I do tend to use water which is at around 20 degrees, although most tap water is only slightly below this so its fine

[@PhotographyBloke]

Thank Soyuz - I've never thought about adjusting the developing times! I do tend to find that normal tap water runs at about the right temperature, if you let it run for a few seconds first. Using hot water baths and ice is definitely the best way should you need to adjust the temps - I would definitely advise never to put these chemicals in the microwave or similar, as I'm not sure what types of fumes they would give off

[@cosievee]

When I had first learned to develop film (this was 10+ years ago so I'm here looking to refresh my memory!), I was given a tip for opening 35mm cartridges that aren't bulk-load: a simple bottle opener pops the top off nicely. I think there's a special gadget for it, too, but the bottle opener worked just fine even for us amateurs learning for the first time. :) (Forgive me if this has been suggested already.)

[@PhotographyBloke]

I've never thought of that! There is a special tool for opening the film canisters, and thinking about it now it does look exactly like a bottle opener - nice suggestion :)

[@PhotographyBloke]

Hello, first of all sorry for the slow reply - I've been away recently. Thats no problem. Bulk film does generally work out cheaper yes, if you use quite a lot of film - you can normally buy bulk film from the same specialist stockists as normal pre-cartridged film. In the UK you can pick up the basic kit for around £50 plus the cost of the chemicals (around £20) - I'm afraid I'm not sure about costs in other countries, but it should be about the same :)

[@youthactionpact]

I notice that when you put the reels/spindle in, you do it with the ridged end of the spindle down. I've never used the screw on type, but with my clip on it's quite important that the end with the lip goes up, as that way it will stay light tight. Maybe it wouldn't make a huge difference, but at least for anyone using the clip in sort, definitely have the lip side facing up before you clip the top in place. Also yes, as other people have mentioned, more gentle agitation would be preferable. I used this video to learn how to develop and did get a few markings on my negs from agitating too violently. Aside from that, I did use this video to learn how to develop, and found it really easy to follow, so good job!

[@PhotographyBloke]

Thank you, i'm glad you found it helpful! Yes, gentler agitation is definitely the way forward - when I made this video I was using the technique I'd been taught at college, although I've now learnt better from.the discussion on this video. The lip on the spindle in this particular tank definitely goes down, although this can vary from tank to tank and for different reel types. I have now bought replacement tanks which I think are different, and I will be remaking this video during 2019 to put all the lessons learnt into practice

[@thomastrololo1]

This was very nice. I hope to get into this at some point in the future. Besides it being easier to open, are there an economical advantage to using bulk film? Where do I get my hands on that? How much would you estimate an developing kit like this would set me back? Once again, thank you for taking your time to show us all this. Very clear instructions.

[@theborne]

Great video. I never got a chance to experience this. Well done! Really appreciate the time you took to document this

[@PhotographyBloke]

haha, well that is true, wheres the fun in that! I have to confess, I've never had this traditional type of B+W film developed by a lab, I've only ever had C-41 colour film lab developed, but if you mix the chemicals correctly and get the timings right the quality of the negatives is extremely good and they both scan and traditionally print very well.

[@lawrencewatts1838]

Non-agitation methods do exist! Stand developing uses very little or no agitation, although it does take a few hours to fully develop.

[@alf8990]

Great video really simple to follow, I've got great (imo) results using this method with Kentmere 400 but adjust the developer time to 16 mins

[@expertvillageidiot]

Great video - easily understood. I am doing a B&W photo developing course in September so this is super background info to know so I dont appear too much of a noob!

[@PhotographyBloke]

No problem - thanks! Hope you enjoy the course - would be great to see some of the results!

[@PhotographyBloke]

Great, glad it all went ok! I have to admit I don't scan my negatives, I print them in a traditional darkroom, so I'm afraid I'm not sure on the best way to scan them - sorry I can't help you with that :(

[@lighterpacks]

Great video! I'm starting to develop my own film soon so this was a great thing to watch.

[@PhotographyBloke]

Firstcall Photographic (they have a pretty good website if you google them) is the supplier I use for equipment and film if you're purchasing from the UK - they stock developing kit, black and white film, bulk film and bulk film loaders. I don't have any connection with Firstcall other than as a customer. Hope this helps!!

[@BarnabyRobson]

wonderful, just what i was looking for. thanks for taking the time to put this together.

[@thomastrololo1]

Oh - and what do you do if your chemicals are not the right temperature? On the stove, in the microwave, in the freezer?

[@Pappajb26]

Nice Video,this will help me a lot as i,m new to developing my own films.

[@PhotographyBloke]

No problem :) Fantastic, hope it goes ok - you'll have to let me know how you get on!

[@MB-ml3er]

Great video, one of the best out there which describes the B&W film development process. I got one question: I don't see that you used an agitator in your Paterson setup. Is an agitator really needed or can you compensate for it simply by inverting and tilting the tank more than with agitator?

[@oc2phish07]

Possibly you called them spirals because you were feeling a little wound up? (Loved the video by the way)

[@PhotographyBloke]

I'm afraid not no - you must always take film out in complete darkness. If the film gets exposed to any light at all, including red light, the images will be destroyed. A red light is ok for processing photographic paper as part of the printing process (I'm working on that video at the moment) as it is not sensitive to red light, but film is sensitive to any light so it has to be handled in total darkness until it has been processed fully. Hope this helps :)

[@Chlodaniel]

Great video, is the water you using between steps and at the end at 20 degrees also?

[@soundskribble]

Hey! Followed your procedures and everything went smooth. What I'm having trouble with is scanning the negatives! Any tips?

[@MartinValter]

Joey Valenzuela You're thinking about using it instead of the changing bag? If yes, then no, you can't.

[@pepeg.luthier566]

Thank you. You made it look easy.

[@ChicagoTurtle1]

What are the prices of the the two chemicals (fixer and developer) ...for the sizes of the ones you got? British pounds will be ok? Approximate price is ok.

[@good_youtube_handle]

Whoa, man! That's some pretty rough agitation. Do you ever have problems with sprocket streaking, agitating that fast?

[@PhotographyBloke]

I've never really noticed any problems if I'm honest - I have to confess, this is the way I was taught to do it and it's never even crossed my mind that it my be a bit on the rough side! Would you generally agitate the tank more slowly?

[@good_youtube_handle]

Photography_Bloke Here is an example of what could happen: 2under.net/images/120602-StrangeTriXPattern.jpg Something you might notice even if there isn't dramatic sprocket streaking is that the center of the film might be darker than the edges. The general rule is that each turn when you're agitating should take about 1.5-2 seconds. But, if it's not broken don't fix it! Do whatever works for you. :) Great video.

[@IILOVEMEE]

Shawn S. Barker does that say you're gay? on the film

[@tachikaze7]

Starts the process for mixing developing chemicals at 5:20

[@ludi4u]

Thx and greatly done! u ve got a propper voice for vid tutorials buddy ! cheers ludwig

[@shu002]

Really easy to listen to 👍

[@saulosilva2316]

What kind of artistic differences do you get with the chemicals you have used so far? I mean, have you ever developed the same kind of film with different chem? I have only used D-76, as you say, "it was how I was told to do". :)

[@klarermo]

Very good video! Thanks

[@willparsons32]

once the roll has been "developed" in the tank, how does it go to become a 4x8 (...or larger) photo? IMO, this becomes irrelevant in order to process the end result - the photograph. Thanks for the great demo regardless!

[@youthactionpact]

I'm sure OP has found his answer already, but for anyone else wondering, this is the entire development process. Anything after this would be making prints.

[@colynbarrett8127]

Very Informative....Thanks for ..All The Tips.

[@kandinsky2682]

Thanks for making this video, very helpful.

[@nickfanzo]

The only reason I don’t develop my own film is because I am worried about ruining my sceptic system with the chemicals going down the drain. Thoughts?

[@chaohoachea3323]

in the video, toward the end, u talk about scanning the developed film, r u just scanning in using normal scanner? also is it possible to project the developed film by placing a direct light source or projector behind the film? thanks

[@blackestknights]

I recently started using an enlarger for holding the backlit negative without the lens and carrier i have the head rotated sideways and use a dslr on a tripid with 180mm macro lens as wide an fstop as possible. Too much depth of field brings out dust and scratches. it's pretty easy to set the camera up and crank the enlarger head up and down to get it square with the lens. The enlarger is on a table so quite easy to adjust position side to side and back and forth. if lined up correctly the negative just fills the frame. Then I use base iso and a 2 second delay each frame is around 1/10th to 1/45th duration to raw. In lightroom I invert the tone curve and set a white balance unfortunately the temperature is limited to 2000 K which still leaves a cyan cast with color so I then use an external editor and export a 16bit tiff in prophoto color space to silver efx and then cancel now the tif is a positive and you can finally correct the white balance fully. Now for color getting a good accurate white balance isn't that easy although you can create presets to reuse the settings you finally use. A flat bed scanner normally gives you an extra channel infra red which helps eliminate dust and scratches. This maybe worth using for black&white it isn't any use. so this method is fast and simple My epson at best scan quality takes an hour to scan 12 35mm negatives with near 200MB Tiff files. Quality with the macro method can be excellent.

[@09270107]

Hi!! I'm completely new at this. What steps follow once the film is developed?? How do you get from here to tge actual printed photos?

[@PhotographyBloke]

You have a couple of options after you've got your film developed - you can either use traditional darkroom printing techniques, or a film scanner to digitise your negatives. If you'd like to go down the traditional route to print your images onto paper you will need a darkroom with a red safe light, a photographic enlarger, another (slightly different) set of chemicals and some special photographic printing paper. I am hoping to do a video on printing, so please keep checking back and hopefully there should be a new video soon!

[@ViktoriaYatsenko]

Great tutorial man! Thank you

[@iankilcullen8539]

Excellent video

[@ChicagoTurtle1]

How do the negatives turn out if the developer is in the tank too long (and too short)??

[@extradeluxe141]

look up "pull processing" (means film left in the developer for too long) and "push processing" (opposite of pull processing)

[@jordan1234564]

Hey, do you have a link for a specific kit to get me started on developing my own film? Thanks

[@PhotographyBloke]

Jordan Hernandez I can give you the details for a UK based supplier who has a starter kit available, although if you're not based in the UK I'm afraid I don't have any details of other suppliers - AG Photographic have a number of starter kits available, this one is a good one to start with: www.ag-photographic.co.uk/ag-essentials-film-processing-kit-3683-p.asp (you will need to purchase a changing bag though, as this kit doesn't include one)

[@MtScarFinger]

When putting the film in the developing tank, does it have to be completely black or can it be in dim red light?

[@PhotographyBloke]

No it must be completely dark when you're handling the film whilst loading it into the tank - any light whatsoever (including a red light) will expose the film and destroy your images. You need to keep the film in complete darkness from the moment the canister is opened (which you must also do in total darkness) until it is loaded into the tank and the tank is firmly sealed shut

[@markmconie9430]

Thank you for sharing your process! :)

[@thanelovers]

So how do you control the temperature? I can't seem to keep it steady

[@PhotographyBloke]

I don't tend to have too much trouble with the temperature - the 20 degrees centigrade you need for this process is pretty much the temperature of running cold water (around where I live in any case!). How much do you find it varies by? The temperature isn't super critical, if you find its higher or lower by a couple of degrees C you shouldn't have too many problems

[@rachelmoats]

How would this differ if you were using colored film? Would the only changes be in the chemicals?

[@TwistermanTelevison]

very late reply but yes the only difference would be the chemicals!

[@youthactionpact]

Even later reply but also the temperature you're using the chemistry at would be much higher.

[@soundskribble]

Trying this for the first time later today! Hope it works!! =) Thanks for the vid!

[@steveh3483]

Hi, I have a question, with a solution of developer just having developed a film or two in a tank, can I transfer this to develop another two films say in another tank?

[@PhotographyBloke]

Hi Steve, it depends on how you've mixed the chemical. In most cases the instructions for the chemicals you're using will give you 2 different mixing ratios (how many parts of concentrated developer to use and parts of water you need to mix it with). In this video I'm mixing the chemical for what is known as One Shot use - that is, you can only use it once. For One Shot use the developer mix is weaker, which means you use less of the concentrated developer to make the solution - ideal if you only have one or 2 films to develop. You can however mix it at a different strength, which allows you to use the developer solution over and over again to develop more films one after the other - if you do this, you may need to adjust the development times and, after every so many uses, you will normally need to add some additional undiluted developer to Replenish the solution (which allows you to keep using it). You should find the different mixing ratios included in the instructions you have with the specific chemicals you're using, or on the bottle - hope this helps!

[@FabianSalomonsson]

I have a question about the temperatures, does it need to be the right temperature when you pour the liquids onto the films or is it when you mix the liquids? Cause if you prepare the liquids beforehand and wait 13 minutes in this example would'nt it cool down a bit? Sorry if my english is bad

[@youthactionpact]

I'm sure you have your answer by now but yes, it is very important that you have the right temperatures. It can be a little bit off, but then you have to adjust the development time to compensate otherwise negs will be over or under developed.

[@timppatimo6287]

If i re-use the developer, for how long can i store the dilution?.. I'm planning to re-use Ilfotec DD-X maybe twice so i could develop about 30 films from 1 litre.

[@PhotographyBloke]

+Dani Timo I have to be honest but I'm not sure - I have a feeling that once you've mixed up the chemicals they don't store very well, so you may not be able to keep it for very long. I do know that if you keep the air away from the chemical as much as you can (by using a concertina type bottle and collapsing it down) it does prolong the shelf life by a certain degree.

[@timppatimo6287]

Photography_Bloke alright thanx! I couldn't find this info so far on the official Ilford site, maybe i just can't see, there are many instructions. I'll just try to develop twice within few days and see what happens. I think i'll have to prolong time of development for a second take.

[@ColtonDuckering]

+Dani Timo I put marbles in the bottom of the bottles, even with developer that hasn't been mixed and is still stock strength. Gives less room for oxygen that will oxidize the chemicals.

[@jaredstubbings7921]

Colton Duckering Great idea

[@shaunhall1481]

Excellent, thanks for making this video :)

[@paddyinpoland2208]

i would like to see the photos of this video, if possible ? is it ? i dont know how to use all this you tube stuff so if you or someone can find a way of contacting me please do :) i am old school but a great tutorial, normally the ones i have seen people, stop before they show the developed negatives, they seem to avoid showing faliure. :)i have a lot of fails to come lol we learn by mistakes and teach through our pros and cons :)

[@Beardmondy67]

..Splendid work with the video,. :)

[@elliotcoffin3167]

hey can you use powder film developer with this process?

[@PhotographyBloke]

My understanding is that power developer tends to be C-41 developer - I'm not sure if powder developers are available for the traditional mono process. It's best to check on the packaging and see if it mentions what type of chemistry the developer is for (C-41 developer will not work with traditional black and white film)

[@Jona2t]

amazing, greetings from Argentina.

[@thomastrololo1]

Thanks - very helpful.

[@DantesTheGreat]

Great video

[@heatherlennox3695]

this is ever so helpful

[@joeygmc07]

Could I use a red light in my bath room to take the film out and put it on the reels???

[@DANVIIL]

You are forgetting to hit the tank hard on the table after all inversions or else you get air bubbles on your negatives. Also, you need to know how much chemicals your tank requires for the film you are going to develop. My tank has the amount shown on the bottom for 120 and 135mm film. Your inversions are way too violent.

[@PolaWolfHD]

11:09, cold water?

[@melchiorgenovese6966]

Agitation during development way too vigorous. Simply invert twice, gently, while rotating the tank. Agitation during fixing can be continuous.

[@blakey063]

Useful, thanks.

[@SENTINELREPORT]

Thank you very much. It's a pleasure learning with Photography_Bloke...

[@noureldinAbukhalifa]

that's useful thx Bro :D !! keep helping :)

[@jaredstubbings7921]

Thanks for this

[@bedevere007]

Awesome

[@TheKalikiid]

isn't developer re usable

[@PhotographyBloke]

It depends on the way you mix it - there are 2 methods. You can either mix it as reusable, and every so many films add extra developer to the mix to revive it, or mix it as a '1 shot' solution which is only intended to be used once. If you're developing a lot of film I would agree, mixing it with the ratio required to make it reusable (which will be listed on the packaging) is a better option, although if you're only doing one or 2 films it works out more economical to mix it at the lower ratio which doesn't allow you to reuse it.

[@eugene2155]

thanks!

[@bodez8041]

too much agitation dude

[@rafaelamatarazzo4644]

water as stop = 11:08

[@ghandee]

Wetting agent: Costs about 7 quids. Lasts for decades...