The Smooth Guide to Photography
              How to get started ...
  • Basic Camera Equipment
    • Standard Camera Lenses
    • Equipment and Materials
    • Etiquette
    • Camera Care
    • Picture Elements
  • Health and Safety
    • Responsibilities
    • What the Law Requires
    • Safety in Photography
    • Safety in the Darkroom, Processing Room + Studio
    • First Aid
  • Film
    • Shutter Speeds
    • Aperture
    • Exposure
    • Lighting Conditions
    • Film Processing
  • Black + White Film
    • Developing Times
    • Processing
    • Tank, Spiral + Core
    • In the Darkroom
    • Printing Papers
    • Exposure for Multigrade Paper
    • Assessing Negatives
    • Printing Film
    • Making a Contact Sheet
    • Making a Test Strip
    • Processing the Print
    • Using the Enlarger
    • Film Cropping
    • Burn-In and Dodging
    • Photograms
  • Technical Term Glossary
    • A
    • B
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G - H - I
    • L
    • M - N - O
    • P - R
    • S
    • T - U - V - W
In the Darkroom
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  • Pull the film from the cassette
  • Cut the leader strip between sprocket holes
  • With thumbs on the entry point of the spiral, move the right hand forward and back until all the film has been wound onto the spiral
  • Agitate if necessary
  • Pull the cassette down whenever necessary
  • If the film is cross-threading, remove the would film from the spiral by arching the film to retrieve it.  Re-thread as above
  • When completed, the cassette will be dangling at the end.  Tear the film the cassette end
  • Pour the DEVELOPER - 150ml Developer and 150 warm water at 20 degrees centigrade - briskly in the tank
  • Agitate / rotate the tank approximately three times (15 seconds) to dislodge any bubbles

                                                                             START THE TIMER
====================================================================================
                           THE TANK SHOULD BE AGITATED for 10 seconds ONCE EVERY MINUTE, 
                                                           on the minute, during the developing time
====================================================================================

                           WHEN THE DEVELOPING TIME IS COMPLETED, POUR AWAY THE LIQUID


  • Pour the STOP BATH into the tank (a weak acetic acid that is used to neutralise any alkaline in the tank)
  • The temperature of the chemicals from now on is irrelevant
  • Swirl this solution around and POUR AWAY THE LIQUID
  • Pour in the FIXER, which clears the milkiness on the developed film and makes the image permanent
  • Leave for 5 minutes, agitating the solution from time to time

                                                                        KEEP THE LIQUID
====================================================================================
                   POUR IT BACK INTO THE FIXER BOTTLE using a funnel.  If in doubt, throw it away
​====================================================================================

                                                         THE FILM IS NO LONGER LIGHT SENSITIVE
  • Wash the film under running water, to get rid of any chemicals, before examining it
  • Use a couple of drops of WETTING AGENT (washing up liquid) on the film to the final rinse to break down surface tension so that excess water slides off and the film dries evenly.  Do not use too much or it will become too soapy
  • Agitate in the tank, raising a few bubbles
  • Remove a few inches of the film from the spiral and attach a film clip
  • Draw out the rest of the film and attach another clip as a weight to the other end
  • Remove excess water with a squeegee or run the film between two wet fingers (twice).  Be sure that they are completely clean, otherwise grit may scratch the film
  • HANG THE FILM UP TO DRY IN A CLEAN, DUST-FREE CABINET/ROOM
  • When dry, cut the film into strips of 6 negatives and place them in a protective negative bag

ACCESSIBILITY AND FONT ADJUSTMENT
SITE MAP
Acknowledgement:  
Tutor:  Peter Perry

These notes are an accumulation of those written by myself - or obtained from the College during the course.
  • Putney Public Library
  • Wandsworth Reference Library
  • Earlsfield Library

​This is not a commercial site.
Polly Healy  - Course Work :  2000
SOUTH THAMES COLLEGE,  LONDON, SW18 2PP
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Copyright:  THE SMOOTH GUIDE TO PHOTOGRAPHY - How to get started ...
pollyhealy@live.co.uk
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                        See other Smooth Guide sites:
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www.englishlanguagetips.com
www.smoothguide-mahjong.com
www.smoothguide-internetfundamentals.com
www.smoothguide-kenyacoast.com
www.healyshandyhouseholdhints.com
www.smoothguide-sunbury.com
  • Basic Camera Equipment
    • Standard Camera Lenses
    • Equipment and Materials
    • Etiquette
    • Camera Care
    • Picture Elements
  • Health and Safety
    • Responsibilities
    • What the Law Requires
    • Safety in Photography
    • Safety in the Darkroom, Processing Room + Studio
    • First Aid
  • Film
    • Shutter Speeds
    • Aperture
    • Exposure
    • Lighting Conditions
    • Film Processing
  • Black + White Film
    • Developing Times
    • Processing
    • Tank, Spiral + Core
    • In the Darkroom
    • Printing Papers
    • Exposure for Multigrade Paper
    • Assessing Negatives
    • Printing Film
    • Making a Contact Sheet
    • Making a Test Strip
    • Processing the Print
    • Using the Enlarger
    • Film Cropping
    • Burn-In and Dodging
    • Photograms
  • Technical Term Glossary
    • A
    • B
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G - H - I
    • L
    • M - N - O
    • P - R
    • S
    • T - U - V - W