Developing a Negative

CHAPTER 5

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Negative to Positive Process

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35mm Negative 8 X 10 Print

Negative to Positive-Workflow

NEGATIVE

1. Chose appropriate film and ISO setting

2. Expose the film to ensure shadow detail

3. Develop the film for optimal highlight detail

4. Carefully process, wash, dry, and sleeve film

POSITIVE (PRINTS)

1. Contact negatives for a positive print reference

2. Carefully select negatives that are in focus, have detail in shadows and highlights

3. Enlarge negatives using exposure to control highlights,

4. Use enlarger filtration to control shadows and contrast.

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The Negative: Step # 1 Choose a film speed• Choice of sensitivity • 100 is daylight film

• 800 more sensitive for very low light

• Relationship to grain• 100 very little grain-fine detail

• 800 lots of grain-less fine detail

• ISO changes meter reading

The Negative: Step #2 Expose for shadow detail

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Exposure for the shadows

• Almost all detail in the darker, or shadow areas of the print, is controlled by the amount of exposure given to the negative.• Detail in the highlights, although effected by exposure, can also be easily controlled by altering film development.• This ability to control shadows and highlights allows tone and contrast control.

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Exposure

• To get a rich image with realistic tones, dark but detailed shadows, and bright, delicate highlights, you need to expose your film correctly

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Exposure The ability to produce a fine print is first determined by sufficient exposure to render detail in the shadow areas of the print.

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A correct exposure on negative film

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Overexposed

Too much light has reached the film

Highlights are blocked up by too much density and will print pure white after losing important details

Contrast level will be too high. 10

Underexposed• Not enough light has reached the film

• Shadow areas are void of detail because insufficient density was rendered

• Print will be very low in contrast, visible grain will increase, shadows lifeless

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Exposure

CorrectUnderexposedThumbnail DarkPrint needs less time

OverexposedThumbnail LightPrint need more time

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Shutter too fast orf/stop too small

Shutter too slow orf/stop too large

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When exposed correctly, contact sheet looks like this

Film Curve - reciprocity

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Reciprocity Failure

• Films respond predictably to exposure through a wide range of shutter speeds.• Long exposures or extremely short exposures cause the film to fail to respond as calculated.• If the exposure is 1 second give it 2 or 4 or more!!!! 15

The Zone System

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X

IX

VIII

VII

VIV

IVIII

II

I

0

Zone System Exposure

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How film responds to light

Recording an image on film involves a reaction between light and silver halide crystals.

A photo-chemical reaction is needed to reveal the latent image.

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The Negative: Step #3Developing the film

• Highlight detail is controlled primarily by the development. (assuming correct exposure)• Control is accomplished by• Time• Temperature• Agitation (of the film during development)• Dilution of the chemistry

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Black and white film layers

Surface Emulsion Adhesive Film base Anti-halation coating

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Silver Halide Crystals

Crystal are spread through the gelatin of the film emulsion.

They are a compound of silver plus a halogen such as bromine, iodine or chlorine.

Charged silver ions are effected by light and combine with impurities within the crystal to build areas of density.

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Black and White Development

Millions of the crystals are exposed converting the silver metal into areas of density where light strikes the film.

In areas where no light strikes the film there is no silver density. In other areas there is a mixture of heavy and light density creating mid-tones.

Development is the chemical process of building up this density.

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Processing

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Processing Steps

• Pre wash Saturate film emulsion• Development Converts latent image• Stop Arrest the development• Fixer Dissolves silver halide crystals• Clearing Washing aid to remove fixer•Wash Remove all residue•Wetting agent Prevent water spots• Dry Clean dust free slow drying time

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Step 1• Remove the film from your camera

• Look for a button on the bottom of your camera•Hold button while winding until no tension in the winder• Pull the winder and back should pop up•Remove film • Either replace the film or close the back of the camera

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Loading the film• You will need

• Light proof bag•Under shelf along wall with refrigerator• Silver on the outside•Double zipper•Bottle opener• Scissors• Tank and reel• Film cartridge

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What’s next• In a bag

•Use bottle cap opener to open end of film cartridge•Remove film from cartridge• Cut film leader and attach to inside of steel reel•Roll onto reel• Place reel into steel container• Put on the plastic cap•Remove from bag

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Chemicals to process film•The first thing is to check the time and temperature chart. That is essential to a good development.•Developer•½ developer and ½ water•Stop bath•Water•Fixer•Fill with fixer only, don’t dilute•10 minute wash•Wetting agent•Best to use distilled water

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•Dry film• 20 minutes in dryer or 1 hour in box•Cut film• 5 prints wide• Put into archive sleeve

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Developer D-76

Arista 100 ISO 35mm film

Water Temp  

65 degrees

68 degrees

70 degrees

72 degrees

75 degrees

Normal 9 1/2 min. 8 1/2 min. 7 1/2 min. 7 min. 6 min.

This is a time and temperature chart. They are on the wall in room 9.

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What happens?•Developer• Free metallic silver from the emulsion’s exposed crystals to form an image•Metallic silver forms the dark part of the image• Called silver halides•At this point you can see the latent image on the film if you opened the canister. However, DON’T do that. It will ruin your negative.

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After stop bath

• Fixer• Silver halides will continue to turn dark if exposed to light• Fixer stops this process by dissolving the crystals• 5 minutes to fix• Too much longer and image will bleach• Too short or weak fixer the image will get darker when exposed to light

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Develop too long• The image

•Highlights become more dense. Increase in contrast.• Later you can use this to create a different print.• Temperature affects outcome• See chart• Too cold the developer works poorly• Too hot the gelatin can separate from the film

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Agitation• Gently agitation moves fresh chemicals over the film/emulsion• Too little may cause chemicals to stop working• Too little or too strong can cause uneven development

• Agitate 5 out of every 30 seconds• In more than 1 direction.• Put canister down in between agitations.

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After fixing• Film must be thoroughly washed.•Remaining silver will darken/stain the film

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Best Outcome•When properly exposed and correctly developed, film…•Makes printing/scanning much easier•Begin by following the manufacturer’s recommendations• Later you can may adjust exposure and developing

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Exposure (more later)• When there is no single subject and if you don’t have a gray card, expose for the shadows where you want detail. (develop for the highlights).• In every case expose for the subject!• Developing times have little effect on shadows• Developing times have a great effect on the highlights• For us…take shadows into account when setting your exposure if you want detail in the shadows• Follow the directions (for now)when developing

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Last Step • The final step is making a contact sheet to see how your negatives look as thumbnails• If you exposed each frame correctly, each thumbnail will appear clearly, without enhancement.• First run a test strip on your archival sheet.• Find the correct exposure time for your contact sheet• Develop your contact sheet

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Quiz review

• 1st thing you need when you are going to develop you film is the time and temperature chart.•You can first see an image when in the developer, even though you won’t see it until the whole process is done.•You can look at your film AFTER the fixer step.

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More Quiz Review•Density is a negative or print is• The amount of silver built up on the surface• The overall lightness and darkness of either the print or negative• Is controlled by the exposure

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Review

•Write the full stop shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/1000 sec.• 1 2 4 8 15 30 60 125 250 500 1000•Which end is more light? Less light?

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Next Step Today• Watch video on film development• Develop your own film-if you are ready.

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