One of the scariest aspects of working with film is availability and accessibility of resources for processing. As professional digital photography labs are becoming rarer in most parts of the world, developing the film on your own seems to be an ideal option for most photographers.
The good news is developing films at home is pretty easy. You need a little space and a few tools for film development. Also, it gives you better results and control over various things what many labs might not offer. Read below to get comprehensive details on the subject.
How to develop digital photography film at your home
Tools you need
How to develop film at home, you can use certain household items as tools. This includes 1 Can opener, scissors, 1 hanger, 1 clean sponge cut in half, 2 measuring cups, 2 cloth clips, dosing syringe, white vinegar and a minimum of 2 gallons of filtered water at room temperature. Besides these things, you will need developing supplies such as a developer, rapid fixer, photo Flo, developing tank and reels.
Load the film in the development tank
Before you start this process, you have to make certain that you load the film in the tank in a light tight room. Yes, that’s right; you need a completely dark room for development. This may seem extreme, but any light will destroy the undeveloped film. Note this point before you start with the development process.
Loading the film in the tank is the only tricky part when developing a digital photography film at your home. However, you can do this tricky task by staying focused, relaxed while carrying out the chores in the dark. First and foremost, configure the equipment in the dark space. Have the tank and lid along with the reels. A pair of scissors might be handy for trimming the film from the spool or removing the film leaders.
Once you are set, turn on the light to see if any light is creeping in the room. Now go through rolling or ratcheting of the film onto reels. Put the reels in the tank and attach the lid of the tank. Be sure your film is secured before you turn on the light.
Mix the chemicals
Here are the measurements for your chemicals.
Presoak – 2 cups of water (500 ml)
Developer – 5 ml developer (use dosage syringe), 500 ml water
Stop – 1 cupful white vinegar and 500 ml water
Fixer – 100 ml fixer and 400 ml water
Rinse – 1500 ml water
Wetting agent (photo Flo) – 2-3 drops of the wetting agent, 500 ml water
Application of chemicals
First of all, pour presoak in the developing tank. Allow the presoak for about 5 minutes while gently agitating for the first 30 seconds. Also, rock the tank back and forth gently when agitating the presoak. Put out the presoak after 5 minutes.
While the presoak is working, mix the developer (500 ml of water and 5 ml of developer). It is advised to wait a little longer before you mix the developer. This is mainly because the developer starts working the moment it gets in contact with water.
Pour the developer in. Leave the developer in for about 15 minutes, agitating for 10 seconds in the first 2 minutes. It should go this way: pour the developer in, agitate for 10 seconds, and let the developer stand for 50 seconds. Again, agitate the mixture for 10 seconds and allow it to stand for 13 minutes 50 seconds.
After the first 15 minutes are over, repeat the process four times to complete the development time to 30 minutes. Now pour the developer out. Pour in the vinegar (stop). Agitate continuously for about 1 minute, and then pour the vinegar out.
Pour the fixer in. Agitate the mixture for about 2 minutes; then pour out the fixer. Now you have to carry out the rinsing process. Pour in 500 ml of water and agitate for about 5 seconds. Repeat the process two more times. Finally, remove the film from the tank.
After the film is out of the developing tank, the wetting agent has to do the job. Leave the film on the reel. Now gently bob and circle the film in the wetting agent for about 30 seconds.
Unwind the film from the reel. You have to use the cloth clips as well as the hanger for this task. Clip one end of your film to the hanger. Also, add one clip to the bottom of your film to anchor it. This will dry out the film straight.
Use a sponge to clear any left over water on the film. Rub the film very gently with the sponge. Be sure you do not scratch the film when rubbing. Finally, allow the film to dry for a few hours.
Dispose of chemicals
When it comes to disposing chemical waste, there are a lot of differences of opinions. The issue is mostly related to fixer as it contains the silver content. A better advice would be to save the used fixer and take it to the landfill instead of running it down the drains. You can also give the fixer to a digital photography lab; they can use it along with their filters. No matter your choice, it is always recommended to play safe when disposing heavy metals.
Scan or print the film
Once the film has been developed, you have two options. You can make your own prints. Another option will be to scan the film to a disc. Here you can take the film to the photo lab for printing or scanning. You can also carry out this process at home.
Bottom line
Developing a film is an important aspect of digital photography. You can either develop the film at a photo lab or at home. If you wish to develop at home, you need to follow the procedure correctly as mentioned above. By strictly adhering to the process, you can definitely develop a high quality film at home without investing too much. Just be sure you pay close attention to details and take necessary precautions during film development to avoid any problem during and after the development process.