International photographer (Jan-Dec 1936)

Ten The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1936 pleasure involved. He is not likely to find any particular joy in mixing his own chemicals, for the process is, after the novelty has worn off, rather dull and uninteresting, to say nothing of monotonous. And as usually is the case, the stock solution bottles are empty of the precious fluid just when one wants to develop up some particularly interesting or important negatives, and time is at a premium. It would appear that good sense dictate the use of the prepared products rather than get into difficulties of his sort. The professional has his dark or workroom wherein he can mix chemicals to his heart's content. He saves money by so doing. But the amateur? When it is considered that the few cents saved by mixing chemicals is quickly overcome by the time lost, to say nothing of the bother involved, the prepared products certainly are not overly expensive. As many amateur photographers are city dwellers and live in cramped quarters, any additional space required or effort expended seems to be amplified. If the bathroom or kitchen is chosen for mixing chemicals, there will be "the little lady" to contend with. While the element of danger is negligible, it might also be considered. Some chemicals do not improve the flavor of the dinner, nor make the toothbrush work any better. A certain amount of chemical dust can be expected to be carried through the air and into food, cooking utensils, and toilet preparations. Paraphenlylene-diamine, in the most common form, readily powders and dusts itself into thin air when poured, shaken, or agitated. Fortunately few, if any, amateurs use the chemical these days in this form. But enough. My principal purpose here is to indicate the wisdom of using prepared developers and not to knock the idea of mixing chemicals. My thought is that those who have the time and facilities should, and those who haven't, shouldn't. Unquestionably the era of the miniature camera is responsible for the increased use of prepared developers. Years ago, you were a sissy if you used them. Even today some few amateurs consider it "professional" to mix their own chemicals, and for no other reason clutter up their homes and spend precious time at it. A few of the excellent reasons for using the prepared products are as follows: (a) You are assured of uniform strength. (b) Purity of ingredients. (c) Consistency. (d) Avoidance of fuss and bother. (e) Cleanliness. (f) Freedom from staining, chemical infusion, etc. Years ago the photographer carried a little notebook in his pocket in which he kept treasured and "secret" formulas. If he liked you he might let you copy one of his pet formulas as a great favor. Today there is no such secrecy. All formulas are yours for the asking. In case the formula of a prepared product is not made public, who cares? As long as it does the work, and it is made available, why should anyone worry about what chemicals it contains? Practically all of the prepared products are unknown chemically to the public, yet they do their work in a most satisfactory manner. So most amateurs let it go at that. The beauty of prepared developers lies in the fact that they can be obtained in several forms. There are many in powder form, supplied in glass tubes or containers. Then there are the clever "aspirin tablet" kind offered by Burroughs Wellcome. And last but not least is the liquid type, usually sold in concentrated form, but in some cases "straight," to be used "as is." The most convenient is the liquid type, for all that is needed is to pour the contents of the bottle in a tray or tank and get down to developing the films or plates, as the case may be. I like the liquid type because it particularly avoids any possibility of the chemical content of the water supply affecting the solution. Most liquid developers are made with distilled water, hence their action can be accounted for every time. When you dissolve a powder in tap water, the results may or may not be completely satisfactory, particularly when traveling about. And speaking of traveling. It is quite out of the question to mix your own chemicals when away from home unless you want to make a truck-horse of yourself. Travelers always depend upon prepared developers, even if they are not so inclined. There just isn't anything else they can do about it. Even with the prepared products, things can be tough enough for the traveler. Try developing your films or plates on a train, ship, or in a hotel, and see what you have to go through! For home use it is the same. How convenient to merely empty a bottle into the tray or tank whenever the urge to develop strikes you. No mess to clean up, and no time lost. You need never battle with the good wife if you use prepared developers. In this modern age we not only have prepared developers, but also acid hypo solutions in concentrated form. And paper developers. And special hardening solutions. The connection between chemistry and photography is becoming more and more strained. Well, why not? The actual contact with chemicals does not, except in very rare cases, produce better pictures. With the prepared solutions you have a fixed, definite strength of known purity, always at hand. The mystery and element of chance have been eliminated. You make the picture in the camera and trust to several bottled solutions. The chances are that by so doing you can do better than trying new formulas and mixtures of your own mixing. In short, the mechanics of photography have been removed and placed in safe hands. This leaves you more time to produce good pictures. If, as is often claimed, photography entertains certain variations, why not stabilize it and assure the photographer of consistent results? It is the final result which counts — the negative, the print, and not the camera, the formula for developing, or the type and grade of paper. It is the picture that people see and enjoy. Their interest in its birth and travel to maturity on the finished, mounted print is practically nil. This being so, why not standardize a variable process as far as possible and thus gain in the end by producing better and more consistent pictures? In (/QprlJ-QOiiU Use Effects in Daytime'F^ Scenes bif fused. Ftfcus. and many ^ftar effects With any Uamera "" In any Ulimate GcorcjG H. ScKeibo ORIGINATOR OF EFFECT FILTERS 1927 WEST 78th ST. LOS ANGELES. CAL.