Making a Black and White print

Materials necessary to process black and white film:

• developer-converts the latent image to metallic silver
• stop bath-a dilute solution of acetic acid or citric acid (halts action of developer)
• clean water
• a squeegee
• fixer or hypo
• dust-free environment for the film to be dried
• a dark room
• film tanks
• stirring rod to mix chemicals
• thermometer

Chemicals:

• Stop Bath or Glacial Acetic Acid
• developer
• fixer
• hypo-clearing agent
• wetting agent

Process: Remove the film from the cassette in the dark room, pull the flat end off unwind the film and remove the end of the film. Load the film onto a film reel. Place loaded reel in the film tank the film is now in a light tight container turn on the light. Lay out the chemicals in front of you (film developer, stop bath, fixer with hardener, and hypo eliminator bath). Poor developer into open part of the sealed film tank and cover it. Pour running water into the pour spout for one minute to stop development. Remove all of the fixer by pouring in a tank of Hypo Eliminator and agitate for two minutes. Use washing pins or film clips to hand the film to dry in a dust-free area. 1-2 hours the film would dry.

1. emulsion: the substance on the surface of photographic film orpaper that makes it react to light
2. aperture: the unit of measurement that defines the size of the opening in the lends that can be adjusted to control the amount of light reaching the film or digital sensor
3. masking easel: a flat metal plate with sliding arms on all four sides for cropping the image manually
4. exposure: total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium during the process of taking a photograph
5. safe light: safe light used in a darkroom
6. dodging: decreases the exposure for areas of the print that the photographer wishes to be lighter
7. burning: increases the exposure to areas of the print that should be darker