Dark Room Photography
Nothing is more exciting that being able to develop your own photography. You can do this in a dark room in your home. It is a very simple process. First, you will need to be sure you have a room or area that is completely free of light. You can purchase a safelight designed for photography, but any other source of light will damager your photography.
You will need to make sure you have the right chemicals to develop the type of project you are working on. There is a difference in the chemicals you use for black and white film versus color film.
Gently dip the film into the chemical solution. Set your timer and allow your film to process. It is important that you do not leave the film in the chemical solution any longer than needed or it will damage your prints. If you are new to the process, it is suggested you practice will a few sample rolls of film to find the right time for your project. This will prevent your disappointment of ruining important photos should you over expose them. It is also important to be certain the temperature of the water is the proper temperature for the type of project you are working on. If not, your photos will be damaged.
The next part of the process is to put the negatives into a stop bath for approximately thirty minutes. This stabilizes the negatives for viewing in the light. Now wash them. The water should be at approximately sixty eight degrees. The negatives will then need to be hung up to dry. It is very easy to hang a line in your dark room for this purpose. It is important to keep dust in the area to a minimum.
Once you have viewed your negatives, select the ones you want to make prints of. Place them into the enlarger. It is recommended that you use high quality print paper for the best results. The process can be time consuming, but most who do it love being able to make their own prints.
