Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER-] fa 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER a | August 9th, 1933 n Every week an article will appear under this heading dealing with a topic of interest to the novice in photography. DISH DEVELOPMENT. NOTES L NOTIONS Joy the LESS ADVANCED WORKER I SHOWED someone the twelve negatives I had just made from one quarter-plate film pack, and as the whole dozen were successful he asked for details of my method of working. The success of this particular batch was not entirely due to my methods, because I get failures like everyone else ; and I warned him that I included in my method every possible effort to get the exposures as nearly right as I could. Although the story is not new I will repeat it in some detail in the hope that it may help others. The Solutions. One of my stock solutions is pyro. I dissolve 100 grains of potassium m.etabisulphite in about 6 oz. of water, then add 1 oz. of pyro, and make the volume up to 8 oz. I take 1 oz. of this stock solution and 9 oz. of water to make 10 oz. of Solution A. In about 6 oz. of water I dissolve 1 oz. of anhydrous sodium sulphite, and 160 grs. of anhydrous sodium car¬ bonate, and add water to make 10 oz. of Solution B. If I use crystals instead of the dry form, I take x oz. of sulphite and 1 oz. of carbonate. When I have a good deal of developing coming along I make up 20 oz. of A and B instead of 10 oz. For the fixing-bath I dissolve 1 lb. of hypo in 40 oz. of hot water, and when it is cool I add another 20 oz. of water in which I have dissolved 1 oz. of potassium metabi¬ sulphite. Dishes. For quarter-plate developing I use two half-plate xylonite dishes. One has a notch cut in its rim — developing ; the other has two notches — fixing. I have pairs of such dishes of several sizes, and each one is notched. Each dish is used for its one purpose only. In the sink I have a large dish of water, and a similar dish elsewhere. For covering the dish during development I have a piece of stout millboard. Preparations. My first step is to block up the window with a wooden frame covered with linoleum. Then I plug in for the electric dark-room lamp, with its appropriate safe-light. I put on the table the dish for developing, and its cover ; the dish for fixing, a pair of plated tweezers ; an empty 5X4 plate box ; the two bottles of developing solution, and a 2-oz. and a io-oz. graduate. The two large dishes of water are placed in position. All this sounds a great deal ; but it becomes a matter of familiar routine, and is soon done. I break open the film pack, and put the contents in the plate-box. Then I measure out 2 oz. of Solution A, 2 oz. of Solution B, and 2 oz. of water, mixing them all in the io-oz. graduate. This mixture I pour into the developing dish, and put the cover on. 1 take out two films from the 14 box, and lay them face down on the cover with the tweezers handy. Developing. I tear off the paper from the first film, take hold of one edge with the tweezers, lift the cover, and get this film into the developer. This I do by drawing it several times through the solution with the tweezers. It soon becomes limp, and I leave it lying on the left side of the dish. Mean¬ while I have held the cover in my left hand, with the other film lying on it face downwards. This film I now strip, and immerse as before, leaving it on the right side of the dish, which I now cover and rock gently. This is all done in less time than it takes to describe. Presently I lift the cover for a moment, to see that the films are not overlapping, and it is possible as a rule to tell at a glance what the two subjects are. This is often im¬ portant. I may decide to give this negative a little longer, and that a little shorter time ; or there may be one that it is advisable to put into plain water at intervals for a purpose I have previously described. When I know that I have such a subject I have a special dish of water ready, with a cover. When to Stop. How do I know when to stop developing ? Mainly by the appearance of the back of the negative. I admit that this demands experience and pretty careful observation. The appearance varies considerably according to the character of the sensitive material, and also of the subject. I seldom use unfamiliar plates or films, and when I do I soon get to know them. Sometimes, the mere suggestion of the high lights showing at the back is sufficient ; some¬ times there must be a distinct darkening everywhere except at the margins. After a time a rapid glance at the back is sufficiently informing to give the clue to stop. The method is not perhaps ideal, but when relying on observation it is the safest guide I know. Fixing. When I consider that a negative has gone far enough I lift it with the tweezers, and then, by hand, rinse it quickly in the dish of water in the sink. I then transfer it to the fixing bath, submerging it carefully. I find myself unable to describe how I handle a delicate and slippery film without damaging it. I only know that I do so, and that no damage of any kind ever occurs. After putting a film into the hypo I rinse my fingers in the dish in the sink, and wipe them dry on a towel — often renewed. I leave the two negatives in the hypo till they have cleared, and then leave them there while the next two negatives are being developed. Just before com¬ pletion of this developing I take out the fixed negatives, and drop them into the other dish of water. Then I wash my fingers again, and empty and refill the dish in the sink. 128