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developing color prints

Developing color prints is a lot easier than you might think. If you can already develop black and white prints then I would recommend that you try printing color. If you already have a black and white style darkroom, here are the extra things you will need.

Printing filters are needed only if you have a black and white enlarger. They are used in combinations to adjust the color of your prints. I bought large Beseler color printing filters and then cut them down to the size of my filter tray. You can find these filters at your second hand camera shop or on eBay.

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Cross-processing and printing a cross-processed negative

Cross processing is the process of developing Slide film in Color negative chemicals. Slide film is higher contrast than colour negative and the colours become strange because the film is supposed to be developed in a different way (E-6 slide film chemicals).

Below are some recently developed prints. The prints were all developed with the same settings which should have produced a regular color print. But because I am using a cross processed negative, the colours  are shifted. This is not a bad thing however as this is the desired effect. You can reference what film I used by looking at the contact sheet samples below. All of the photos were developed with the same settings to keep consistency. If you look at the contact sheet samples below, you can see if the photos were taken at different times of the day or under different lighting conditions by their variation in colour.

If you are into Lomography or similar styles of photography, this is usually the process in which people use to make their images look more interesting. There are many Lomography books that are filled to the brim with cross processed shots.

Every brand of slide film which is cross-processed contains a distinctive look. I hope the guide below can help you choose what negative you would like to use.



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printing color negatives in black and white

Before I got my Enlarger I wondered if I could print a color negative in black and white. After a little bit of research (google) I found out it was possible.  I was very pleased as a lot of my negatives were color and I only had a black and white enlarger. After printing my first print, something just wasn’t right. All my prints seemed super flat so I researched more and found out that a color negative’s orange coloured mask affects the contrast of a print. You still get an image but the contrast is a lot greyer than usual. Even if you increase the contrast using filters, the results are not as strong as when you use black and white negative. The contrast is really affected by the contrast characteristics of your film and the actual contrast of the image it self.

On a more positive note, I have made many decent black and white prints from color negatives. I would say that you have to start at grade 2 and then print at a higher grade if further contrast is needed. Please remember that it is almost impossible to get ultra rich blacks from a color negative when printing it in black and white.

Cross-processed negatives on the other hand print a lot better due to having less of an orange mask and naturally being higher in contrast due to the slide films latitude. Below are some of my prints from cross-processed color negatives and regularly developed color negatives. I think you’ll be surprised at the results. Please bear in mind that each brand of negative film has a different contrast. Also remember that the clearer the whites are in your negative, the richer your blacks will be.


                             Fuji velvia 100 cross processed (grade 3)

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print development + negative scanning comparison

In the digital age, less and less people are developing prints and choosing to scan their negatives instead. This is admittedly more economical and cheaper than printing, but there are still many advantages to making prints via an enlarger. I feel there is a certain magic when developing prints that cannot be felt when simply scanning a negative. I am a big fan of scanning and also digital photography, but I really get my kicks out of developing a traditional print.

Some myths or over exaggerations

‘’Developing prints is hard’’ - It’s easier than Photoshop! Bad joke, it is very easy.

‘’You must be a chemical wizard’’ - 100ml concentrate + 400ml water hmmm… pretty basic if you ask me. Making hot chocolate is harder.

‘’If you get the temperature wrong, it will mess up your print ‘’ - nope, the majority of my prints were at the wrong temperature actually.

‘’you need a darkroom’’ – it is useful to have a darkroom, but you can just buy a dark curtain instead and convert a small room into your own darkroom. Here is my setup below (nothing fancy right?).

   

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Use your ipod / iphone as a mini lightbox!

An iPod can be used for many things in the darkroom. I mentioned digital truth’s timer app earlier in my blog which allows you to look up development times and also use a red-light timer interface while listening to your music simultaneously. I’m sure other people have thought of this next idea, but your iPod can also be used as a mini light box. Rather than paying £80 for a light box which will get in your way, just use your iPod/iphone.

Here’s how:

1. Download the white tkbmedia image below by right clicking and selecting ‘save as’.

2. Add the image to your iPod.

3. Maximise the brightness and open the image on your iPod/iphone and DONE!

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Developing colour film by yourself

Developing your own film is a lot easier than people think. In fact, in some ways it’s easier than developing black and white film. Chemicals can be bought as a set, and this means you can buy all your chemicals in one. The sets are easily mixed and there are only 2 baths (two chemicals) during processing. The only difference is that you have to keep your chemicals at 38 degrees via a thermostatic heater similar to that of a tropical fish tank heater. After development, you can either print your photos via an enlarger or by scanning them using a negative scanner.

I have only used 2 brands of development kit but I have had good results with them both. Tetenal can be found in England or America, whilst Naniwa can be found on shop shelves in Japan (Yodabashi, bic camera ect). English instructions for the Naniwa kit can be found here.

                  Colortec C-41 kit by Tetenal (1litre kit / 5 litre kit)

             

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Developing your own black and white film

People often get put off developing their own black and white film due to the thought of mixing chemicals and the myth of having to have everything exactly right. The truth is, that it’s not actually that hard, and it is a very rewarding experience to have full control and continuity over your negatives. Developing can teach you so much about photography, not only in terms of exposure and how you should expose, but also understanding contrast and each film’s traits.

This is how simple it is:

1. Load the film into the tank in the dark bag

2. Mix the chemicals to the correct ratio using the beaker and measuring jug at around 20 degrees.

3. Pour the chemicals into the tank, timing them with your app or stopwatch and then rinse for a few minutes and hang up to dry.

What are the advantages of developing your own film?

Pushing and pulling

pushing and pulling allows you to two things mainly. It allows you to shoot in low light/very bright conditions boosting or reducing your exposure in development (+1 to +3 or -1 to -3 stops). It also allows you to alter the films usual characteristics such as contrast and grain. This may not seem like a big deal at the start of developing, but if you really want to control and ‘know’ film, it’s time to start pushing and pulling. It all sounds a bit technical, but all you need to is develop for a longer/shorter time (and of course rating your film at the correct ISO during exposure).

The photo below was taken on Tmax 400 which was then pushed +3 stops in development. This was shot at 1/60 with a f2.8 lens with no flash. Pushing your film means you can take pictures in darker circumstances and create a more dramatic image using contrast.

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Super 8mm Negative DIY telecine

During my final year in University I made an art film called ’ The City’. It was a film shot on an old, spring wound Kraznogorsk 3 (k-3) using kodak vision 3. I was deeply fascinated with negative film and wanted to find a way to capture a roar image from a negative without having to pay expensive telecine prices for an image I had no control over.

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