My First Time, and it was sooooo goooood!

[Buckster]

So, I'm a photo hobbyist who's been shooting about 40 years. As expected, most of those years were spent shooting film and, specifically, 35mm almost exclusively. And somehow, I never developed a roll of film in my life. Always thought, "someday I'll learn that and play with it."

Then digital came along, and developing film got further from my mind as I did less and less film work.

Over the years, I've always enjoyed collecting antique cameras. Most were inexpensive and I never intended to shoot with them. Then I got a Mamiya C330 for the collection, along with a couple of lenses, and I remembered another thing I always wanted to do: explore medium format photography.

I bought some film and shot it.

Thing is, the nearest place that can handle 120 roll film is two hours drive (each way) from where I live (out in the sticks of Northern Michigan). And it's about $20 a roll for developing and a set of 5"x5" prints. It got real expensive real fast.

And then I remembered "someday I'll learn that (developing) and play with it."

I did some research, read up on how to do it, what supplies I'd need, and ordered them online; Tank, dark bag, thermometer, timer, chems. They were delivered this week. I practiced the spooling in the dark bag with a sacrificed roll of film several times, until I felt really confident and comfortable with it, and last night I developed my very first roll of film, shot earlier in the day with the Mamiya.

With much anticipation, I opened the tank and pulled the film off the spool and hung it to dry and have a look... I was pretty much giddy to see the images on the film, and patted myself on the back for demonstrating my uncanny ability to follow very simple instructions.

So that's it. No longer a virgin here! I scanned them with my Canon 8800F, and put them up in the B+W forum here:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/black-white-gallery/179349-my-first-home-developed-film.html

I know this is old hat to most of you film folks here in this forum, but I just had to tell somebody!

 

[PhotoXopher]

That is incredibly awesome - and the shots ain't half bad either

Great work from start to finish, good for you!

So what's left in the 'Someday' bucket?

 

[Big Mike]

Nice

I recently picked up on old Mamiya RB67 and want to start shooting some MF film. I don't think I'll be developing it myself...but you never know.

 

[Derrel]

Buckster--man that is NOT the story the title was advertising! Letdown!

I went over to the other post and looked at your scans from your first roll of home-developed film. Here's what I posted there:

Pretty doggone good for a newbie! (with 40 years of photography experience under his belt). Yeah,man, pretty good work for your first-ever developing work! I like the way you composed these within the square frame of the old warhorse Mamiya TLR. The portraits, especially of the man and the little girl, look quite good. Both are a little bit different in their "look". The shot of the man has a gritty, 1970's avante garde portrait look; if you had included a black-out border around it, it would have looked truly awesome!

One tip I might have is to consider using some in-camera filtration, like a yellow or orange filter, to build some more drama in the sky tones,and to increase contrast a bit. FIlters for B&W is one of the areas where the TLR is actually handier than the SLR--you can pop a deep red #25 over the taking lens--and still have a big,bright viewing lens finder image. Long live the TLR!

You did a bang-up job on these first effort shots.

 

[Buckster]

That is incredibly awesome - and the shots ain't half bad either

Great work from start to finish, good for you!

Thank you kindly!

So what's left in the 'Someday' bucket?

Hehehe... You mean, the stuff I might actually get around to, or the one's I'll likely die with?

I can see myself learning color processing at some point in the future, to expand what I can do with the medium format. Before I go there though, I'd like to learn to control the B&W process enough to be able to push and pull and work with contrast and so on with confidence. That will no doubt keep me busy and interested for quite a while.

I want to learn to think in terms of using the square composition more effectively as well.

 

[Buckster]

Buckster--man that is NOT the story the title was advertising! Letdown!

I went over to the other post and looked at your scans from your first roll of home-developed film. Here's what I posted there:

Pretty doggone good for a newbie! (with 40 years of photography experience under his belt). Yeah,man, pretty good work for your first-ever developing work! I like the way you composed these within the square frame of the old warhorse Mamiya TLR. The portraits, especially of the man and the little girl, look quite good. Both are a little bit different in their "look". The shot of the man has a gritty, 1970's avante garde portrait look; if you had included a black-out border around it, it would have looked truly awesome!

One tip I might have is to consider using some in-camera filtration, like a yellow or orange filter, to build some more drama in the sky tones,and to increase contrast a bit. FIlters for B&W is one of the areas where the TLR is actually handier than the SLR--you can pop a deep red #25 over the taking lens--and still have a big,bright viewing lens finder image. Long live the TLR!

You did a bang-up job on these first effort shots.

Thanks for the great tips and advice, and for the kind and encouraging words! I'll have those filters ordered within days! :thumbup:

 

[Paul Ron]

Welcome to the world of fixer junkies.

Staying up all hours of the night (dark room is much darker at night) playing in the dark by yourself... your wife will be very worried. Spending tons of money on chemicals n paper. Your wife will wonder what the hell that heavy package is for and find out it's an x-ray machine (enlarger). Then comes the dry mount press, frames n matt cutters n boards. Down go all the kids pics in the house and up go the master peices.

Oh did I mention you'll be buying a new camera soon and lots of lenses n accessories? Oh lets not forget restoring the oldies in the closet. Better quit the job, not enough hours in a day.

Have fun!

 

[terri]

I was pretty much giddy to see the images on the film, and patted myself on the back for demonstrating my uncanny ability to follow very simple instructions.

That's okay, we all start off like that! The thrills! The chills! We realize we're not as stupid as that previous cold knot of fear convinced us we were, and these images prove it! :cheer:

But Paul Ron is correct....your success only compels you to drive yourself onward...and you realize that hands-on, tactile photographic creativity is a lifelong high. Enjoy it!

 

[Sbuxo]

Funny thread title, lol.

 

[IgsEMT]

Grrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaattttttt

 

[rocdoc]

those are very nice shots. congratulations!

 

[J.Kendall]

I remember when I developed my first successful roll of film too. Congratulations.

So where are you at in Michigan?

 

[Buckster]

I remember when I developed my first successful roll of film too. Congratulations.

So where are you at in Michigan?

Northern Michigan, between Gaylord and the Big Mac.

 

[J.Kendall]

Wow that is pretty far north...I'm from Grand Rapids, down in the western part of the state.

 

[MDWine]

I don't know squat, really, but CONGRATS! I would imagine that the first time out of the gate was intense...
The photo results don't look half bad either!

Congrats!