15 Tips for Tray Development of Cut Sheet Film

Summary

This video offers a condensed guide to developing sheet negative film, focusing on the trade development method. It provides 15 essential tips for achieving clean and even film negatives, including dust removal, using gloves, single-use trays, pre-soaking, and proper chemical handling. The tutorial emphasizes the importance of even development through careful film handling and consistent shuffling during the process. It concludes with advice on using surfactants and stainless steel clips for optimal results, aiming to help photographers avoid common issues and enhance their film development skills.

Takeaways

• 🧹 Dust off your film holders and camera before loading the film to prevent contamination.
• 🧤 Use gloves to handle film to avoid fingerprints, oils, and heat transfer that can affect film development.
• 🛢️ Use a single tray for a single function to prevent cross-contamination of chemicals.
• 📅 Pre-soak negatives to ensure an even start to the development process.
• 🔁 Practice transferring negatives to avoid sticking and ensure safe handling during development.
• 🚫 Avoid developing too many sheets at once to maintain control and even development.
• ⏱ Use a development time that is sufficiently long to accommodate any minor delays in transferring film.
• 💧 Always use fresh chemicals and ensure stock solutions are properly sealed and not expired.
• 🔄 Shuffle negatives regularly during development for even exposure to the developer solution.
• 🎭 Use a dummy negative when developing a single sheet to maintain consistent processing.
• 💦 Use a surfactant in the final washing step to help water drip off and prevent spots.
• 📎 Use proper stainless steel clips to hang negatives to avoid rust or debris that could damage the film.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to condense the process of developing sheet negative film, specifically button film, into a 10-minute guide filled with tips for achieving clean negatives.

Why is it important to dust off before loading the film?

Dusting off before loading the film is crucial to prevent contamination that could cause scratches or marks on the film, ensuring a cleaner development process.

What role do gloves play in the film development process?

Gloves are used to prevent fingerprints and oils from transferring onto the negatives, which could cause marks and uneven development. They also help to avoid heat transfer from hands to the film.

Why should a single tray be used for a single function in film development?

Using a single tray for a single function prevents cross-contamination of chemicals, which could lead to inconsistent or problematic film development.

How does pre-soaking the negatives affect the development process?

Pre-soaking the negatives provides a more even start to the development process, ensuring a consistent reaction with the developer solution.

What is the difficulty in transferring a stack of negatives and how can it be managed?

The difficulty lies in the negatives becoming soft and slippery, especially after the developing bath. To manage this, one should practice a technique to safely transfer all negatives together without them sticking to each other.

Why is it recommended not to develop too many sheets of film at once?

Developing too many sheets at once can make transferring them difficult and may result in inconsistent development. It's advised to start with a maximum of three or four negatives for beginners.

What is the significance of using a sufficiently long development time?

A sufficiently long development time, ideally longer than seven minutes, ensures that any interruptions during the transfer of the film do not affect the overall development process.

Why is it important to use fresh chemicals in the film development process?

Fresh chemicals ensure the most effective development of the film. Using old or expired chemicals can lead to poor quality negatives.

What is the purpose of shuffling the negatives every 30 seconds during development?

Shuffling the negatives every 30 seconds ensures that all negatives are evenly exposed to the developer solution, leading to consistent development.

How can using a dummy negative help in achieving consistent results?

Using a dummy negative, especially when developing a single piece of film, helps maintain a consistent process and prevents shower faults that could occur with only one negative.

What is the role of a surfactant in the washing process of film development?

A surfactant is used in the final washing step to help water drip off the negatives more easily, preventing water spots and ensuring cleaner drying.

Why is it advised to use stainless steel clips when hanging negatives to dry?

Stainless steel clips are recommended to avoid rust or metallic debris that could damage the negatives, ensuring the longevity and quality of the developed film.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Film Development Techniques

This paragraph introduces a video tutorial focused on the trade development technique for sheet negative film, specifically button film. The presenter aims to condense extensive refinement of the technique into a 10-minute video, offering 15 tips for achieving clean negatives. The video is intended for newcomers to film photography or those facing issues like scratches, marks, or uneven development. The tips start from pre-development dust removal using an anti-static brush and storing film in zip lock bags to maintain cleanliness. The presenter emphasizes the importance of using gloves to prevent finger marks and oils, and to avoid heat transfer that could affect film development. The video also covers the use of single-purpose trays for different functions, pre-soaking negatives, and practicing the transfer of negatives to ensure even development.

05:02

🎞️ Advanced Film Development Tips

In this paragraph, the presenter continues with advanced tips for film development. They suggest not developing too many sheets at once, ideally no more than four, to maintain consistency and manageability during the transfer process. The development time should be sufficiently long, preferably more than seven minutes, to accommodate any delays in transferring the film. Fresh chemicals are recommended, with a preference for single-use developers like HC 110. The presenter demonstrates the proper technique for shuffling negatives in the development bath, emphasizing the importance of even exposure and avoiding edge rubbing. They also advise using a dummy negative when developing a single sheet to ensure consistent processing. The video concludes with tips on transferring negatives to subsequent baths, using a surfactant in the final wash to facilitate water runoff, and the importance of using stainless steel clips to hang the negatives to prevent rust or debris that could damage the film. A document summarizing all 15 steps is promised to be linked for further reference.

Keywords

💡Sheet Negative Film

Sheet negative film refers to a type of photographic film that is used to capture images. In the context of the video, it is the primary subject matter, with the presenter focusing on techniques for developing it. The video aims to refine the process of developing this type of film to achieve better results, as evidenced by the discussion on trade development and the various tips provided.

💡Trade Development

Trade development is described in the video as the simplest and cheapest method for developing negative film. It is a technique that, despite its affordability and ease of use, offers great flexibility. The video script emphasizes the importance of this method, suggesting that it can be particularly beneficial for beginners or those facing issues with their film development process.

💡Dust Off

Dusting off is a preparatory step mentioned in the video before loading the film. It involves cleaning the film holders and the changing area to prevent any dust or contamination from affecting the film's quality. The video script underscores the importance of this step by stating that it should be done every time before loading the film, highlighting its role in ensuring clean and clear negatives.

💡Gloves

The use of gloves is highlighted as a safety measure to protect against the toxic nature of some film developing chemicals. Additionally, gloves prevent fingerprints and oils from transferring onto the negatives, which could mar the film's surface. The script also notes that gloves help in avoiding heat transfer from hands to film, which could lead to uneven development.

💡Single Tray for Single Function

This concept from the video script suggests using a dedicated tray for each step of the film developing process, such as pre-soaking, development, and fixing. The video emphasizes the importance of not reusing the same tray for different functions to prevent cross-contamination and ensure a more controlled development process.

💡Pre-soak

Pre-soaking is a step in the film developing process where the negatives are soaked in a solution before being transferred to the development bath. The video script explains that this step is crucial for achieving an even start to the development, preventing unevenness in the final film.

💡Transfer Technique

The transfer technique refers to the method of moving the negatives from one solution to another during the developing process. The video script discusses the challenges of transferring negatives, especially when they become soft and slippery, and suggests practicing this skill to ensure all negatives are handled safely and effectively.

💡Development Time

Development time is a critical aspect of film development, referring to the duration for which the film is exposed to the developing chemicals. The video script advises using a development time that is sufficiently long, ideally longer than seven minutes, to accommodate any variations during the transfer process and to ensure consistent results.

💡Fresh Chemicals

Using fresh chemicals is emphasized in the video as a way to ensure the best results in film development. The script mentions the use of single-use developer like HC 110 and the importance of checking that stock solution bottles are tightly sealed and that chemicals are not expired, which are all measures to maintain the quality and effectiveness of the developing process.

💡Shuffling

Shuffling in the context of the video refers to the action of rearranging the negatives in the development bath to ensure even exposure to the developing solution. The script provides a detailed procedure for shuffling, including the frequency and technique, which is crucial for achieving evenly developed negatives.

💡Dummy Negative

A dummy negative is an unused piece of film that is processed along with a single negative to maintain consistency in the development process. The video script suggests using a dummy negative when developing only one negative to avoid shower faults and to ensure a uniform process, illustrating a nuanced aspect of film development technique.

💡Surfactant

Surfactant is a substance used in the final washing step of film development to help the water drip off more effectively. The video script recommends using a surfactant, especially in areas with hard water, to prevent water spots and ensure the film dries cleanly, which is a detail that can significantly affect the final quality of the negatives.

💡Stainless Steel Clips

Stainless steel clips are recommended in the video for hanging the developed negatives to dry. The script warns against using clips that can rust or leave metallic debris, which could damage the film. Investing in proper stainless steel clips is presented as a way to protect the negatives and maintain their quality.

Highlights

The video condenses months or years of technique refinement into a 10-minute guide for developing sheet negative film.

The focus is on trade development, a simple and cost-effective method for developing negative film with great flexibility.

The video is beneficial for newcomers to film photography or those facing issues with film development.

The presenter organizes the guide into 15 tips for achieving clean negatives.

Dusting off film holders and cameras before loading film is crucial to prevent contamination.

Using gloves prevents chemical exposure, finger marks, and oils on the negatives, ensuring even development.

A single tray should be used for a single function to avoid cross-contamination.

Pre-soaking negatives is important for an even start to the development process.

Developing a stack of negatives requires practice to prevent them from sticking together.

It's recommended to develop no more than three or four sheets at a time for ease of handling.

A development time longer than seven minutes ensures consistency regardless of transfer time.

Fresh chemicals should be used, and stock solutions should be checked for expiration and proper storage.

Shuffling negatives every 30 seconds ensures even exposure to the developer solution.

Using a dummy negative when developing a single sheet helps maintain consistent processing.

Proper technique for transferring negatives from the developer to the next solution is crucial.

A surfactant in the final wash step helps water drip off, preventing water spots.

Using stainless steel clips for hanging negatives prevents rust or debris that could damage the film.

A document summarizing the 15 steps is provided for reference.

Transcripts

hi in this video I'm condensing down to

10 minutes what has been months or even

years of refinement of the technique to

develop sheet negative film in this case

it's a button film in trade so this is

trade development which is the most

simple and cheapest way to develop

negative feeling but has a great

flexibility if you are new to film

photography or if you are struggling

with scratches or marks or just an even

development in your film you can benefit

from this video and I organized it in 15

little tips or suggestions to follow to

get really nice and clean negatives I

think this is going to be my most

important video and it can avoid you so

much frustration so let's dive right

into it so let's start with number 1

this is even before development and it's

you need to get rid of dust so the most

important thing to do is to dust off

every time before loading the film your

film holders and I do this with an

anti-static brush I really dust off the

holder completely and darks light as

well and I just make sure that there is

no contamination whatsoever

and then once the negative would be

loaded I store the film holder in new

zip lock bags and I don't take them out

until it's time to take the image take

the shot

you need to clean obviously also the

surface or the changing tent you're

working on and your camera quite often

number 2 is use gloves this is not only

for safety because some of the chemicals

are indeed toxic but also it will avoid

you to me to get finger marks and oils

on the negatives and most importantly it

will avoid

transfer heat from the hands to the

fields so that you can have marks of an

even development in some areas of the

field number three is that we use a

single tray for a single function every

time so I have this is my pre-soaked

development and stop and fixer and as

you can see using this tray for it's

fine for development but using it for

different option this would be

problematic

number four is to pre-soak the negatives

this is important because it will give a

more even start of the development once

the negatives are transferred from the

pre-soak but to the development bath

don't soak all the negatives at once

because this is going to make them stick

together tip number five is practice how

to transfer a stack of negatives it's

going to be difficult because as you can

see the central negatives tend to slide

down especially after the developing

bath the mushroom gets very soft and the

negatives very slippery so you want to

make sure you develop or learn a

technique where you can safely transfer

all the negatives together suggestion

number six is that to not develop too

many sheets of film at a time ideally

maximum for at the beginning and this is

because as we have seen it's kind of

difficult to transfer more than three or

four negatives at one time and that

because as we will see later you want to

have a consistent and fast shuffling of

the negatives in the development bath

number seven it's use a development time

that is sufficiently long ideally longer

than seven minutes and this is so that

whatever happens in the development at

the beginning or at the end when you are

transferring the film this is not going

to affect the overall long development

time number eight

this may seem trivial but

remember to use fresh chemicals I use

single use single shot developer that is

HC 110 and this uses a very small amount

of chemicals but I can throw it away and

use fresh developer every time and then

check that your stock solution bottles

are tightly sealed and that the

chemicals are not expired okay so let's

go now to see what is the actual

procedure of handling the negatives in

the bath so you want to transfer all the

negatives together so that the

development started and even time and

then you want to shuffle them at the

beginning once quickly to get them

evenly exposed to the developer solution

and then you want to shuffle every 30

seconds so this means that if you have

two negatives it will be every 15

seconds to move the bottom negative to

the top if it's three negatives as in

this case it will be every ten seconds

for negatives I will do a continues slow

shuffling of the negatives even now

after years of developing film I rarely

do more than four negatives at one time

tip number ten is that if you want to

have consistent results and you're

developing one single negatives

use a dummy negative so take an old

reject film and just process this two

together so that you won't have a

different process if you have one single

negative and you're not going to have

any shower fault because you have just

that one single negative okay so we're

going to look now at the procedure on

how to shuffle the negatives you want to

take all the stack lift it off the water

slide off the bottom negative or just a

little bit lift the rest of the stack

and slide the last negative the bottom

negative out you want to make sure you

don't rub the edge the corner of the

negatives on the emotional side and then

just place it on top and push it down

don't let it float and to get a more

even development I rotate 180 degrees

the negatives halfway to my development

time

number 13 is transfer all your negatives

together trip them down a little bit and

quickly move them to the next part

so number 14 is to use surfactant in the

last step of the washing process so that

the water is going to drip off when

you're gonna hang at the negatives and

if in where you leave the water is

particularly hard so it has a lot of

salt dissolved in it then I would

suggest to use a small amount of

deionized water for your last wash final

tip number 15 is to use proper stainless

steel Clips to hang your negatives as

you can see different clips can rust or

leave some metallic debris that can ruin

your negatives so invest and buy some

proper stainless steel clips that's all

I hope this is going to help you in

getting some streak free and very nice

and even feel - enjoy your pictures and

I'm gonna link below to a document that

summarizes all these 15 steps that I

hope can help you thank you so much for

watching I'll see you next time