Photo processing

In the past, many photographers took photos with film, developed them in a simple darkroom, and then developed or enlarged the photos. I am one of them, and I still miss this experience when I was young. There are too few people still doing this kind of thing, and the materials are not easy to buy. Actually, to put it bluntly, the whole process is very simple:

1. Reeling: Put the film into the film-making tank in the darkroom (or special darkbag). If there is no professional film-making tank, you can also use a flat plate (even a bowl or plate) to directly support the two ends of the film back and forth in a dark room without light. The advantage of using the film processing tank is that after loading the film, it can be processed in a bright place.

The liquid medicine used for rolling mainly includes developer and fixer, and some acetic acid solution can also be used to neutralize the residual alkalinity of developer. Developing solution and fixing agent should have different proportions and their concentrations should be controlled according to the requirements of rolling. As amateurs, they don't pay that much attention. They often buy ready-made small bags of developer powder from photographic equipment stores, and prepare developer and fixing solution according to the instructions on the small bags.

Because the concentration, temperature, soaking time in the liquid medicine, whether the soaking process is uniform and the formula of the liquid medicine all have direct effects on the rolling effect, it seems that a thermometer, a timing clock and a measuring cylinder for measuring water are needed. Thermometers and measuring cylinders are naturally used to prepare the liquid medicine, and the preparation of the liquid medicine does not need to be carried out in a dark room.

Don't have problems with the use of the liquid medicine, you must develop it first and then repair it, otherwise the film will become a whiteboard.

Development takes a lot of time and temperature, so the whole development process can't be observed directly under strong light. We can only control the development by experience, and strictly follow the temperature and time specified on the powder bag when conditions permit. During the whole development process, it is necessary to continuously rotate the central shaft of the developing tank filled with films, or lift some films with both hands in the darkroom and twitch them up and down in the container filled with liquid medicine, so that the films can fully and evenly contact with the liquid medicine.

Up to now, there is still no light. In the case of film processing tank, the developer can be poured out, washed with clear water first, and then fixed solution is injected to dissolve unexposed silver halide, leaving only the exposed part of the film and developed into silver particles. The fixed time requirement is relatively less strict. After the repair, you can actually see the light.

In order to completely remove the residue of fixing solution on the film, it is also an important step to soak and rinse with clear water repeatedly after fixing. After repeated soaking and washing in water for about an hour, you can hang the film in a clean, ventilated and dust-free place with a small clip to dry. After thorough drying, the negative can be used for printing or enlarging photos.

In all the above processes, be careful not to scratch the film, otherwise it will become waste.

2. print photos. It is more convenient than developing film, mainly because printing paper or enlarged paper is color blind to dark red, so making photos or enlarging photos can be operated under dark red light.

Different from developing film, there is a process of exposure of photographic paper (enlarged paper) when developing photos or enlarging photos first. The equipment used is a printing box or a magnifying glass. The intensity and time control of exposure are similar to those when taking pictures. It should not be excessive or insufficient, but just right. Amateur printing can only rely on experience, after many experiments. Expose photographic paper. Subsequent development and fixing processes can be performed under dark red light. After fixing, put it in a big basin, soak it in running tap water, and clean the residual liquid medicine on the paper, so that you can observe your own labor achievements in normal and bright light.

At the end of the soaked photo, there is also a program to "polish" the photo. Of course, if possible, it is best to use professional glazing machine. Amateurs can only stick photos on clean glass, so that the photos are completely dry and fall off automatically.

I wrote a lot, not for points, but to recall my childhood happiness. In retrospect, people may not understand how many joys and sorrows they enjoyed in the process of developing films, developing photos and enlarging photos.

Almost all the limited pocket money is spent on buying powder, photo paper and enlarged paper. A lot of equipment is indigenous, there is no special perforated pot, and you can only eat with plates, bowls and washbasins. There is no special red light bulb, so we use a red scarf to wrap the ordinary light bulb instead, and use chopsticks instead, without a special stainless steel clip. Needless to say, the special timer is equipped with a high-grade ordinary clock. In fact, the timing of film development and exposure is often solved by the meditation of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Poor housing conditions, no special darkroom, can only wait until the dead of night, work at night, that is, one night. One careless operation made a mistake, and all the work was wasted. I finally got a photo that I thought was satisfactory, and my heart was naturally full of sense of accomplishment and happiness ... Now everything sounds like a story, but I believe many people over 50 may have been the protagonists of these stories.

Sitting in front of the computer, retouching digital photos taken by digital cameras with Photoshop, and developing photos online with the mouse, beautiful photos will be delivered to you tomorrow, which was absolutely impossible 20 years ago at 10. ...

I hope I can help you.