 Kristen A. Lichtenauer |
How you decide which filter to use!?! okay! well you dont know how glad I am that I found this website!! Hoefully you can help..i need to learn the ropes basically, I have read the other q&a's and they have helped a ton already. See im in my second year in photography at my high school, and well we have only offered photography for two years, so we basically are the guinea pigs. When I develop my film (we use black and white) they often come out foggy looking, or to light...are the chemicals not getting to them properly? also, when I am enlarging I never get like a true black in the picture..i try to use filters but I ahve no clue which one or what color to use! if you could give me any suggestions or anything to help a kid out you dont know how much I would apperciate it! thanks guys, I hope you can help me!
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Andy |
I don't develope B&W film myself, so I cannot help you with the development process issues. But there are filters that will make the B&W photos with a different look. Here are some sites from the filter manufacturer that will give you some idea: http://www.schneideroptics.com/filters/filters_for_still_photography/black_&_white/ http://www.tiffen.com/filters.htm http://www.thkphoto.com/products/hoya/hoya-04.html Hope this helps.
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Kerry L. Walker |
OK, I don't want to admit how many years it has been since I was in high school developing and printing B&W film but I will admit it has been a few. (I suspect your parents were in elementary school.) The first thing you need to know is that if the negative is properly exposed and developed, you won't need to use any filters. If your negatives are always foggy or too light, it seems to me they might be overexposed. It could be a light leak in your camera or a light leak in the developing process. Are you using spools to load your film into the tank? Are you sure the room is completely dark when you are doing this? Your do not have a safelight on when you are loading your film do you? Give me some info on this and I will do whatever I can to help. And thanks for bringing back the memories.
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Kristen A. Lichtenauer |
well...i developed two rolls of film this past week and one came out...but it was a little dark...but I thought workable. The other one though was like all black, now im not sure if it was just a bad roll of film or I exposed it somehow. Although since we have only offered photography fro two years, we havent worked out all the bugs yet. I know that we just ahve a regular door and that lets some light in, and we are trying to get the right door but our schol is being stubborn..so could that be the reason why they are coming out like that? Yea we use the spools to load it into the tank and we dont turn on the safelight util like the whole process is done. haha--i dont know, it gets so frusturating sometimes, but lets say if the negatives are foggy is there anything you can do to make a clear enlargment? I just got a new camera for christmas, and these arelike the first two rolls I ahve shot with it, how would I know if there was a slight leak? are there any self tests you can do? Thank you both for helping me out, im so happy I found this website! See, my photography teacher is also the art teacher, and sometimes im not so sure he knows what he is talking about, hes a good guy, hes just confusing sometimes, so thank you!!
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Kerry L. Walker |
Sounds like your problem might be with the door, especially if it lets some light in. Film is EXTREMELY sensitive to light. Not much that can be done with the negatives once they get fogged. However, there are things that can be done with the door without having to resort to an entire new one. Get a roll of flexible rubber, like the type used for a floor sweep on a door. Tack it all the way around the door to where it is so dark in the room you can't see your hand in front of your face. This is a lot cheaper than a new door so the school may be willing to buy that. If you have a new camera, I doubt there is a light leak there. It is possible but unlikely. Also, what type of film are you using and what chemicals are you using to develop it? It may be a type I am familiar with.
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Kristen A. Lichtenauer |
I dont know off the top of my head the film that we use, my teacher like ordersit in bulk so theres not really like a company name on it...but the chemicals we use ilford im pretty sure. Now, we are just startng to use like the powdered chemicals, because some of my lovely classmates dont know that leaving off the cap of chemicals spoils them...i know the door lets some light in, but I think there is also a vent like that lets some in...is there anything I can do to hide that? so the door could be the problem to why my film isnt coming out exactly right?
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Kristen A. Lichtenauer |
the film I use is ilford HP5..plus 400...what does reload by FSC mean?
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Kerry L. Walker |
I have a suggestion for a way to find out if your light leaks are causing your problems. Shoot 2 rolls of film under the same lighting conditions. Develope the first roll under the conditions that exist now in your darkroom. Before you develope the second roll, get a roll of duct tape and tape up the door. Also, tape something black over the vent. Black construction paper will work, even if you have to tape a few pieces together to fit over the vent. Then, develope your second roll. If only the first roll is fogged, the light leaks are your problem. If both rolls are fogged, it is something else.
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Kristen A. Lichtenauer |
alright, ill try it! My photography teahcer is going to be so surprised when I give him your suggestions! haha Thanks I really apperciate eveything you have done for me, hopefully youll still be here if I need some more help!!!
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Kerry L. Walker |
I hope I'm still around. For your info, my Mom was the yearbook sponsor at the local high school. She started teaching when I started first grade (no K back then) and she taught me how to develop and print before I got out of elementary school. I hope everything works out OK. Let me know, one way or the other.
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Kristen A. Lichtenauer |
i talked to my photography teacher I told him about how much you ahve helped me out...he went and got the tape stuff for the door today, I developed one roll and it was still a bit foggy...ill develop the toher tomorrow after I seal up the door. Have you ever used like the powder chemicals?
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Kerry L. Walker |
Back when I was your age and worked in a darkroom in high school, all we had was powdered chemicals. We used D-76 to deveop film. We had to mix it using hot water to get it to disolve and shake the fire out of it. Since it was hot, we couldn't use it to develop film until the next day because using it hot would speed up the developing process. Naturally, since we were developing and printing every day, we kept a bottle of D-76 mixed all the time. Let me know how your next roll works out.
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