How to Develop Film and Print Photos! (Random Post 2)

How to Develop Film and Print Photos!

Film cameras are making a comeback, and I absolutely love it. The photos always look perfect, and the grainy yet vibrant images have such a nostalgic feel to them. Dulce even has a film drop-off box, so you're able to quickly get your films developed without having to venture off campus. However, if you've never wondered what they do to your film strips to develop them into your amazingly captured photos, well, you're in luck. I used to do film photography and would develop my own films and photos in a darkroom. I don't do it anymore, but here's everything I do remember from the process!

How to Develop Film

Basic 101 on how film photography works:

• Negatives (film) capture photos by being exposed to light.

• Film cameras quickly open up to allow light to enter and then close quickly to prevent too much light from reaching the film.

• To use the captured images, you need to develop the film, making them able to be exposed to light before you can use them to print out photos. 

Step 1: Loading the Film onto the Reels

After finishing taking photos on your camera, you roll your negatives back into a canister to protect them from light that could ruin all of your photos. In a completely dark room, you crack open the canister and roll your film onto a film reel. This is probably the worst step of the process – unintentionally touching your film in the dark could leave fingerprints on your final photos. Additionally, there are specific notches you must thread the film onto to ensure it clicks into place on the reel. Then, place your reel into the developing tank – a container that allows you to pour in developer liquid onto your film without exposing it to light. 

Film canister

Film itself when you take it out of the canister

Putting the film onto the film roll

Place the film roll into this developing tank

Step 2: Developing the film

Gather the necessary chemicals—developer, stop bath, and fixer—and pour them into your developing tank. While I don't have the exact timing for this memorized, you'll pour each specific liquid in, time it for a few minutes, and intermittently agitate the tank to ensure even coating of the film. I typically will just Google the times every single time I do this. Once the development process is complete, carefully remove the film from the tank. It’s no longer light sensitive, but still must be completely dried before you can use them to print photos. 

Step 3: Printing your photos 2 methods)

• Method 1: Nowadays you’re able to scan your film, digitize it, and directly print it using a printer (like at CVS). I think this is a little less fun. 

• Method 2: Printing using an enlarger 

An enlarger

How to print photos using an enlarger 

Basic 101 on How Enlargers Work:

• An enlarger functions as a projector for your film.

• When you insert your film into the enlarger, the image on the film will be protected onto your table surface.

• Light-sensitive photo paper is placed beneath the projected image, and when the film projection is reflected onto the photo paper, it captures the image for printing.

Step 1: Make a test strip 

When using an enlarger, you have the flexibility to control the duration of time your photo is projected onto light-sensitive photo paper. Longer exposure times result in darker or more vibrant prints, while shorter times produce lighter results. However, how do you know how much time to use without wasting a bunch of photo paper and having to reprint over and over again?. 

The answer is, you create a test strip—a small section of photo paper divided into increments. By exposing each segment to light for increasing durations, you can assess how different exposure times impact the final print's tonal range and contrast. This method allows you to identify the optimal exposure time before committing to a full-size print, ensuring consistent and high-quality results.

This is what a typical test strip looks like —a segmented piece of photo paper where the photographer labels the amount of time that section was exposed to light. By evaluating the resulting tones and contrasts from each segment, the photographer can effectively gauge their ideal exposure time for their final photo print.

Step 2: Find the right exposure time 

Take a look at your test strip and determine what exposure time you want for your final print

Step 3: Print your photos 

insert your film into the enlarger and adjust the desired exposure time on the timer. Once set, activate the timer and proceed with the printing process. While it may seem like nothing happened because your photo paper is still blank, the results will become evident after the photos are developed.

Step 4: Develop your photos 

Just like developing film to make it safe from light, the same goes for your printed photos. It's a similar journey where you'll immerse your photos in different chemical baths for certain times. As you go through this process, your photos start to appear, and by the end, the paper won't be sensitive to light anymore!

Step 5: Let your paper dry and enjoy your photos!

Yay you did it! The process seemed extremely complicated when I did it for the first time, but it’s genuinely so fun. I probably love developing my photos more than actually going out and taking them!