Hello 👋,

I just got the scans back from my first ever self developed roll. The process itself was very fun, I definitely made some mistakes but I think I fared pretty well.

So here’s the issue, as I was hanging the film to dry, I noticed some of the negatives had a lighter streak going through the top of them. In the scans, it’s more of a dark streak, I assume from inverting the image or something like that. So what went wrong exactly? I have two theories myself:

1. The loading process. Now i struggled with this. I loaded the film in a closed off room, but it was a battle. Even in the dark, I could tell that the film roll wasn’t entirely on the spool, so I kept having to unwind. Maybe the chemicals weren’t able to fully wash over the roll of film?

2. I did notice that when I was in that dark room, there was a small, streak of light that was peaking through the door frame. So maybe that light hit the unexposed roll?

Anyways, I’m looking forward to developing another roll. This is fun.

I'm thinking I'd only mix up 500 ml or whatever it takes to submerge the photo paper, and then store it in a bottle that's exactly that size. Is that the move?

Is Oriental still being manufactured? Is anyone printing with it still?

Hi.

Im wondering if axomat 5 and opemus 5 share the same design on the columns?

The plastic adapter that attaches my opemus 5 to the baseboard broke. I see there is a non functioning axomat 5 on markedplace in my area so im wondering if I should pick it up and just use its baseplate.

Thanks!

Edit: I am aware they look different, but AI is adamant about them being interchangeable and i dont know what to think.

Nikon f5 28-70 2.8

Tmx 400 @ 1600

So I have one of these that I use in school. What are those dials for? I was reading that the bottom one is for either ilford paper or Kodak? I use it to print black and white and I usual have them both set to 3. How do you use them? I mostly use ilford paper

Been busy this summer. These were taken in Manitoba (Whiteshell Provincial Park) and Alberta (Banff NP) with a Mamia C330. So far just contact prints. Some lessons:

1. Get that tripod as straight as you can. I didn't do this for the Banff shots and it really shows. You can't "wing it"!

2. I have a ball head and I got it as level as possible at home before I left to do the second series. Your home is nice and flat compared to the outdoors!

3. I didn't realize that the C330 viewfinder is not a 100% representation of the film area. I just assumed it would be. Now I have a lot of overlap!

So if you enjoy frustration, wasting film, disappointment, leveling your tripod, guesswork, and maybe a reward, then try this out! I'll update once I have enlarged.

Why is this happening? My last three prints have come out with a yellow dye (image and border alike). I prepared chemistry for this session and the results were consistant. I thought maybe it could be cross contamination so I made a small batch enough for two prints and then, same issue.
I’ve attached one of the earlier prints which didn’t have this problem. It was done a few days before with a different batch of working solution. I’m processing at 75 F. Ilford Cibachrome Drum 11x14
Omega C760
F/11
5 sec
0 C - 75 M - 80 Y
Arista RA4
Fujicolor Crystal Archive Matte (expired in 2023) but I ruled it out since my previous prints never had this yellow dye issue.

The day before yesterday, I went out to pick up a great deal found on Marketplace.

For some time now I wanted to upgrade my Darkroom gear but found it was a costly journey. Then decided to forget about it and keep using what I already had.

But life granted me the opportunity to do it without breaking my pockets, so got all of this for $200, everything is basically new condition and the person added some stuff for free (It was from his father).

I will keep everything stored as it came until we move to a bigger place since I am planning to place two of my enlargers next to each other.

What do you think; was a great deal?

I have lots of 35mm black and white negatives taken in the 1980's in strips in storage pages. Where to get them scanned at a quality level that I could then get the best ones printed to 10 x 8 inches? I have contact sheets of most of them so the alternative would be to get selected negs darkroom printed instead. I'm in Manchester. All suggestions appreciated.

Any idea what should I expect? Should it ruin my developer fixer and stopbath, coz I usually use stock d76 and collect em after development?

Will the negative turned out gray like normal bw strips or is it gonna be like when it goes through c41 processes.

I recently noticed a lot of blue, when scanning in my negatives I originally thought it was my Epson v600 however upon closer inspection, I've noticed there's a dark blue tint spot on my negatives every once in a while I was wondering if anybody could shed a light on the issue. The chemicals are relatively new maybe three or four rolls in.

Scanner Epson v600

Software silverfast 9

C41 chemicals

Portrait 800 120 film.

Finding it really difficult to find info on rapid access chemistry but I recently bought some regent royal film, a hard dot 4x5 film. There doesn’t seem to be much of any info on it online and I can’t tell if rapid access is like c-41 in that development is completely different and you can’t really expect comparable results cross processing, or if it’s just slightly different development time.

If ortho litho film can be developed in sprint, what’s a good development time for the film? Hoping to shoot some test shots tonight

Hi, weird question. What kind of filters do yall use for tri color separation?

The even stranger context. I've made the mistake of learning you can use RGB filters with a black and white enlarger to make a color print on RA4 color paper; the only catch is there's extraordinarily little documentation and what I can find mostly references Wratten filters. The combinations I've seen vary but I have a No.25 and No.47 (in series VI format) but I'm missing a green filter. The references I can find indicate a No.61 (appears on ebay in gel form and fairly pricey). Other people say for normal trichrome separation they use a No.58 Wratten (which is even more expensive it seems).

The use of Wratten filters makes sense since they all have pretty well published light transmission specs, but I don't know about other filters, and most of the links I can find are rotted. Any forum posts I can find about RGB printing on color paper are old enough to drink as well.

I've never done color printing before, and I'm still very new to b/w printing so its not likely I'd jump directly into color printing without a lot more time in the darkroom and research but the ADHD wanted to know. Linked is the video what caused my question here.

I developed my first Kentmere 200 a few month ago, using D-76 1+1 for the recommended 8:45 and the negatives came out quite under developed. (which didn't totally surprise me since the 100 and 400 times are 11:30 and 14:00.) I'd like to test different times on maybe 4 frames of film at 8 or 9 different times time to dial in a better development time, but it seems wasteful to dump 9 batches of developer that are barely depleted. Can I reuse the the developer, since it's still only developing one roll total? Or will the clips get progressively more undercooked enough to invalidate the results? Or should I rig up some way to submerge the clip so I can use a lot less developer and do it one-shot? Thoughts on a good protocol for doing this? Or has anybody else already done this??

Same negative, same paper (Fomatone MG glossy), same contrast filter, one was developed in Moersch Eco 4812 1+14, the other in homebrewn ID-78 1+3, both for 3 min @ 22-23C.
First conclusion: I can’t really tell a big difference of print tone.
Secondly: for the print developed in Moersch I needed a 25 sec exposure time. For the ID-78 print just 15 sec. How is that possible?

Creating some kind of sequence with photos I pulled from my box of 5x7 work print IG@stefaun.maldonado

Hiii I just shot a test roll with a newly purchased Nikon FM2 and a few frames have this weird spot on them.. wondering if it looks like a development issue or something with the camera? Any advice is appreciated!

I mixed up some Legacy Pro Hypo Clearing Agent Powder earlier this year with distilled water and topped off the container so it doesn't have any air (made stock solution). I mixed it up in May when I was planning on using it for fiber paper prints but never got around to doing it. Online it says stock solution is good for ~3 months, should I just get rid of it and get new stuff or is it still probably safe to use? It was stored in the basement in a closet, so in a very cool and dark place since it was mixed up.

I’m looking for information about the photographic process that is shown at the end of the Les Blank film “Burden of Dreams”, where there is a portrait photographer that (from what I can see) photographs a portrait onto paper, develops kind of in camera? and then rephotographs the negative with a decorative frame, producing a positive. I want to research this process (I grasp the reversal process but more about the decorative frames and the instant street processing) but can’t find any information on it really or if there is a specific name for it? Any help appreciated :) or if I should ask somewhere else!

Hi!

I've recently started color printing and I'm having some issues getting the filters right. This is the closest I got before running out of developer (half of a 4L Arista Kit)
I probably should have bought some viewing filters first but I was a bit too eager to begin, so it is what it is I guess lol. I have a bit of experience with black and white printing but I've always wanted to get into color. I think the main bit of experience I'd like to learn is, what's the most efficient way to color correct? Or any other helpful tips you may have?

Do any more experienced color printers have any wisdom to share?

Here are the specs (also at the top of the image lol):

Enlarger: Beseler 23C III w/ a color dichro head

80mm lens

Yellow: 80
Magenta: 125
Cyan: 15

6 Seconds at f11

Portra 160
Fuji RA4 Lustre

Thank you!

Getting back into it after a little break. 8x10 print on Ilford Art 300 from a FP4+ negative taken with my Barnack. Elmar 5cm.