Developing...

Under REAL Construction...

1. Some notes
2. What is it needed
3. Doing it
4. Sample profs
5. A little more

1.   Some notes

 Developing is easier than you can think but sometimes it becomes so complicated that you can take HOURS to develop a single photo.
 At home, you can develop paper and film. Either one has easy steps and complicated steps. If you develop paper, you have to take more care with the paper it self and if you develop film you have to be more careful with the room conditions.

1.   What is it needed

 First, the obvious:

1. The negative of the photo.
2. A dark room (see Dark rooms)
3. Fotografic paper

 To use in the dry bank

1. Scissors or a guillotine-cutter to cut the paper.
2. An enlarger. (Confuse? See Dark rooms)

1. Developing fluid. You can buy this at a photografic store. Be sure to buy developer for paper and not for film! There are also universal developer that you can use both for paper and film.
2. Stop bath. This you can buy at a store or you can simply use simple plain water. Is stop bath is used to stop the developer to work. The faster it works, better. You can also use plain water with a little acid (like some lemmon juice or a few drops of vinegar). I use plain water.
3. Fixing fluid. Another liquid you have to buy. Universal fixing fluid is very common.
4. Two or three tweezers. To dip the paper in the fluids. If you use plain water as stop bath, you can use the tweezers of the developing bath. If not, another tweezer is advisable.

1.   Doing it

 The process of developing is quite simple. It has two main parts, as the photo is treated at the dry bank and the wet bank.
 The first part is used to expose the photo from the negative to the paper. The second part, is used to actualy develop the paper. When you expose some photographic paper, it remains blank as if it wasn't exposed. This is a good point to say that you must be careful with the exposed and not exposed paper! Never mix them! When you expose some paper, either develop it or keep it in a different place from the unexposed paper.

 First, at the dry bank.

1. Keep the paper safe from clear light until I say so. You don't want to loose a whole set of photo paper for nothing.
   
2. Try to get in mind where you got the tools you need to the operation before you turn the light off. You dont want to turn the light on while the paper is in the developer because you don't know where you have put the tweezers. Ok?
   
3. Put the negative on the tray of the enlarger specified for that purpose. The enlarger head have a simple plastic red filter to protect the photo paper. Put it under now. You will forget to put it later. Turn the light of the enlarger on and get the enlarger head closer or farther from the base to get the correct size. This is just for a generic size and not the exact size. Focus it. Turn the light off and the red light on. Turn also the light from the enlarger off, while you proceed to the next step.
4. You can take the photo paper off the box. Take off only one paper and if you have to cut any piece you want to profit, keep it inside of the box along with the whole photo paper you don't want to expose yet. BE SURE TO CLOSE THE BOX!!! Don't make it easy and just put the paper aside thinking you will put it inside of the box before you turn the light on. You will forget it! Trust me.
   
5. Put it on the base of the enlarger with the light of the enlarger off. Be sure that the protecting red filter is on and put the paper with the emultion faced up. Readjust the size and focus.
   
6. You can make a sample proof of the photo to get the precise exposure needed for this photo. The exposure times are determined by the size of the photo, aperture of the lens, distance betwen lens and paper, paper sensibility and many other conditionants. You can learn more about this step on sample proofs.
7. Once you have an idea of the times to apply, set it on the timer of the enlarger and get the things ready. Soon has you have all set, turn the light of the enlarger off and remove the protection red filter. Expose the paper.

1. You have just exposed the paper. You can now place it on the developer fluid. You can place it with your hands, with the care of not touch the liquid with your bare hands. Developing fluid is a basis. Alkaline, just like lixivium. It's nocive. Try to use rubber gloves just as protection. The time it's going to be in the developer depends of the developer fluid and the paper. Try to get the information on the user manual at the box or container of the product. I use Ilford PQ Universal with a dilution of 1-9. One part of stock developing fluid to 9 parts of water. The paper should enter in the water faced down. After a certain time has passed (I use 30sec.) face the paper up. Always use the tweezers to work with the paper. After the time has passed, pick up the paper (with the tweezers) and wait to let part of the fluid drain from the paper.
2. Place the paper on the stop bath. This bath needs less time going from 10sec. to 30sec. There isn't need to leave it much time. Paper faced down. The time here depends on the fluid you are using. Using bought fluid, the time needed is on the package. I use plain water and leave it there 30sec. I never had problems.
3. Once the time has passed again, take the paper off the stop bath and let the fluid drain from the paper again. Place the paper on the fixing bath. Don't let the tweezers from the fixing bath touch the fixing fluid. This will cause the mixing of the fluids that will cause the product to loose life time and quality. Try to use one tweezers for one especific bath. You will need 3 (three) tweezers. If you are using plain water as stop bath, you can use the same tweezer for both the developing and stop bath.
4. Now you can do something that look a little weird. Once half the time for the fixing bath has passed, you can turn the light on. Yes, the light of the room. Now you can see if the exposure times were correct or if you got a good work. Nevertheless, let the whole time pass at the fixer. When it ends, drain the paper and wash it. Put it at the sink or a bucket of water. Just wash the paper. This way, the photograph will last longer.
5. When you have washed the paper, you can dry it with a hair dryer or you can just hang them over a wire to that purpose.

2.   Sample proofs

3.   A little more