Black and White Photography - An Introduction |
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Stage 2 - Processing the FilmThe black and white film is now ready for development. Depending on which black and white film was selected, dictates which black and white developer to use There are many black and white developers to choose from, here is a small section: The black and white film developer should be mixed up according to the manufacturers direction, which are included with the developer. To mix the black and white developer, some measuring equipment is required along with a thermometer to ensure the correct development temperature. For a 120 film in the Patterson System 4, 500ml of fluid is required. Most roll developing tanks use a similar design and therefore similar quantities. During the development time the black and white film or liquid will need to be agitated according to the manufacturer's directions. This can be completed by inversion or by use of the twizzler. When the black and white film development time is complete, either throw away the developing fluid or save for further use, this requires careful monitoring. Some manufacturers provide data about how many films each quantity of developer can process, and the number of cycles may affect the development time. As a general rule of thumb I throw away after a single use. When the black and white developer has been removed from the tank, the development process is abruptly stopped by use of a stop solution. The stop solution is mildly acidic and neutralises the effect of the alkaline developer. The stop should be left in the tank for around a minute and then poured out, back into the storage bottle. The stop solution is diluted with water to the manufacturers instructions Once the solution has been stopped, the film needs to be fixed. Fix prevents the black and white film from being reactive to light and any more development process taking place. It also fixes the black and white film emulsion into transparent material leaving only the black silver oxide. Fixing should be for around 2 minutes depending on the strength and age of the fix solution.
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