Rick- The Palacio stands out to me. But your first picture for some reason is a great favorite. Maybe due to its bold clean lines? I appreciate you sharing.
I’ve been developing black and white at home since January, using Adox FX-39 as a developer with HP5 Plus, Kentmere 100 & 400, FP4, Tri-X 400 and Neopan Acros II… you get the idea. It’s mostly gone smoothly but I got weird colour shifts on a couple of rolls due to inconsistent water temperature (you live and learn). I’ve been scanning with my Nikon Zf + an adapted 60mm F2.8 macro using the Valoi Easy35 system and then inverting the negatives using Filmomat SmartConvert and any tweaks in Capture One. So far I’m happy with how things are going, but I’m considering buying the AGO film processor which ought to make colour processing much faster and easier.
Thanks Ari, seems like there are plenty of options to develop film. I'll be trying Ilfosec from Ilford to see how it goes. Cinestill Monobath is quick, but I have the feeling that Foma 400 doesn't get along very well with it. Also, I tend to forget what you mention about water temperature 😬. For example: to rinse a film, does the water needs to be a certain temperature? Sometimes, the water from the faucet is colder than the developer and I'm not sure if that could affect somehow.
I unfortunately have nothing to offer in terms of home development except that your photos have turned out great and congrats on taking on such a daunting task, I don’t think I could do it. I do have a question though. I’ve also been looking into home scanning and the Plustek is on my list. Do you need to scan into Silverfast? Can you not just scan and edit in Lightroom with a negatives plug in?
Hmm the only other option I’ve tried was Vuescan. I use Lightroom in my iPad, so I’m not sure if via computer it would work. You should give it a try. For me, it was something I believe to be impossible and actually, is fun and rewarding, haha.
Awesome Rick! Developing at home can be such a daunting task. But once you do it you really fall in love with the process, and it’s such an amazing feeling being able to take your photos from beginning to end. This was a great read, and will inspire others to try it for themselves.
I too feel fortunate for the community I have found on here. This has been a place I’ve seen people really lift each other up. You have also inspired me to keep writing and sharing and I’m thankful for your friendship.
Thanks bro, hopefully we will have some coffee if you end up doing that trip we chatted before. Substack it's been amazing for me. I really enjoy looking pictures of all over the world, reading articles and being part of a cool community.
Loved it! I remember having the same anxiety when pulling that first role out and the joy of the process actually working. I'll say though, your first role turned out way better than mine!
If your interested in just trying out new film until you find something that works for you. Might I recommend the analog wonderland wonderbox. They send you a curated box ever 2 months (I think) based on a season or theme. It a great way to try out new films in my opinion.
Look forward to seeing more of what you shot so far.
Thanks Brian! I'll check on Wonderland Wonderbox. Seems fun, haha. And thanks for the compliment, I guess I'm just lucky that monobath exists because the "normal" flow seems a bit more complex (not that much, but nothing beats monobath in terms of easiness)
No! Losing film is the worst. I remember my very first roll being destroyed by both the camera (shutter speed capping) and crappy lab that didn't know how to reveal black and white. Super frustrating. Yes, try it, at first with B&W. It's really easy. If there's something unclear, you can totally ask me. I'm not an expert, but I think I'm managing OK with B/W.
Removing remjet layer are big words for me right now, haha. Eventually, I will jump into developing C-41, but right now, I'm still learning with B&W. My motivation will be to not to pay for dev & scan, as it's crazy expensive these days. Thanks for the tip with alcohol 98%, I'll save it to my personal notes for this future endeavor.
Rick- The Palacio stands out to me. But your first picture for some reason is a great favorite. Maybe due to its bold clean lines? I appreciate you sharing.
I’ve been developing black and white at home since January, using Adox FX-39 as a developer with HP5 Plus, Kentmere 100 & 400, FP4, Tri-X 400 and Neopan Acros II… you get the idea. It’s mostly gone smoothly but I got weird colour shifts on a couple of rolls due to inconsistent water temperature (you live and learn). I’ve been scanning with my Nikon Zf + an adapted 60mm F2.8 macro using the Valoi Easy35 system and then inverting the negatives using Filmomat SmartConvert and any tweaks in Capture One. So far I’m happy with how things are going, but I’m considering buying the AGO film processor which ought to make colour processing much faster and easier.
Thanks Ari, seems like there are plenty of options to develop film. I'll be trying Ilfosec from Ilford to see how it goes. Cinestill Monobath is quick, but I have the feeling that Foma 400 doesn't get along very well with it. Also, I tend to forget what you mention about water temperature 😬. For example: to rinse a film, does the water needs to be a certain temperature? Sometimes, the water from the faucet is colder than the developer and I'm not sure if that could affect somehow.
I unfortunately have nothing to offer in terms of home development except that your photos have turned out great and congrats on taking on such a daunting task, I don’t think I could do it. I do have a question though. I’ve also been looking into home scanning and the Plustek is on my list. Do you need to scan into Silverfast? Can you not just scan and edit in Lightroom with a negatives plug in?
Hmm the only other option I’ve tried was Vuescan. I use Lightroom in my iPad, so I’m not sure if via computer it would work. You should give it a try. For me, it was something I believe to be impossible and actually, is fun and rewarding, haha.
Awesome Rick! Developing at home can be such a daunting task. But once you do it you really fall in love with the process, and it’s such an amazing feeling being able to take your photos from beginning to end. This was a great read, and will inspire others to try it for themselves.
I too feel fortunate for the community I have found on here. This has been a place I’ve seen people really lift each other up. You have also inspired me to keep writing and sharing and I’m thankful for your friendship.
Thanks bro, hopefully we will have some coffee if you end up doing that trip we chatted before. Substack it's been amazing for me. I really enjoy looking pictures of all over the world, reading articles and being part of a cool community.
Loved it! I remember having the same anxiety when pulling that first role out and the joy of the process actually working. I'll say though, your first role turned out way better than mine!
If your interested in just trying out new film until you find something that works for you. Might I recommend the analog wonderland wonderbox. They send you a curated box ever 2 months (I think) based on a season or theme. It a great way to try out new films in my opinion.
Look forward to seeing more of what you shot so far.
Thanks Brian! I'll check on Wonderland Wonderbox. Seems fun, haha. And thanks for the compliment, I guess I'm just lucky that monobath exists because the "normal" flow seems a bit more complex (not that much, but nothing beats monobath in terms of easiness)
Great read Rick! I recently lost some film which was on the way to the lab 💔 but after this post I think it’s about time I DIY
No! Losing film is the worst. I remember my very first roll being destroyed by both the camera (shutter speed capping) and crappy lab that didn't know how to reveal black and white. Super frustrating. Yes, try it, at first with B&W. It's really easy. If there's something unclear, you can totally ask me. I'm not an expert, but I think I'm managing OK with B/W.
Removing remjet layer are big words for me right now, haha. Eventually, I will jump into developing C-41, but right now, I'm still learning with B&W. My motivation will be to not to pay for dev & scan, as it's crazy expensive these days. Thanks for the tip with alcohol 98%, I'll save it to my personal notes for this future endeavor.