Wintereinbruch (onset of winter)

[Fred von den Berg]

I like these images. I am still finding my way developing and does make a difference.

Thanks, JC. Me too regarding DIY developing.

My workflow is a Patterson tank with Adonal developer (very like Rodinal) + distilled water stop bath + rapid fixer + anti smear agent, then I scan and make adjustments where necessary in iPhoto. I don't have a darkroom so all my prints have been digital up to now. So it's sorta hybrid that I do, but I like the "unknown" experimental part of the process.

Timor gave me the tip of using HC-110, which I think you use sometimes. Do you also add the Borax that he advised? I haven't got hold of any of this developer yet but will look into it in the coming weeks.

 

[jcdeboever]

I like these images. I am still finding my way developing and does make a difference.

Thanks, JC. Me too regarding DIY developing.

My workflow is a Patterson tank with Adonal developer (very like Rodinal) + distilled water stop bath + rapid fixer + anti smear agent, then I scan and make adjustments where necessary in iPhoto. I don't have a darkroom so all my prints have been digital up to now. So it's sorta hybrid that I do, but I like the "unknown" experimental part of the process.

Timor gave me the tip of using HC-110, which I think you use sometimes. Do you also add the Borax that he advised? I haven't got hold of any of this developer yet but will look into it in the coming weeks.

I use HC110 when I push, which is almost every roll now. D76 for box speed stuff. I have not done the borax. I have access to a darkroom but it's a pain. I'd rather not bother anyone.

 

[timor]

Gentlemen, there is no "black magic" in b&w film developing. Or it seems so. It is a borax in D76 which gives the special look to the pictures some people see. And there are other "magical" substances like glycine or amidol. Borax does not develop, it controls the process. Glycin, amidol, metol and others do the developing. Here comes the personal part which great AA described as art of juggling many variables at the same time. Let see: 1.developer, mix of number of chemicals (2 and up). Important is the proportion, well, it is critical. We can divide them in two groups: developing agents and environment setters. But there is third group which influences image after development. Borax controls environment, it is creating conditions for the developing agent to work, setting pH and buffer it for the time of development. There are other buffers, sodium carbonate is most popular but the list is very long. Basically any high pH chemical may fulfill that role. The pH is important as even small variations may change the way developing agent works. Why ? MAGIC ! Than come developing agents. Seemingly one task, to reduce excited particles of silver halide to silver and than cause the same in other silver halide particles surrounding the excited speck. Now this part different agents do in somewhat different way. Why ? Maybe quantum mechanics will explanation it in the future, but in the future nobody gonna care about that. Lol. The third group of chemicals comes to work now, after there is silver in the emulsion. Most famous is sodium sulfite. Used in large quantities in D23 or D76 the task is to dissolve metal silver developed in emulsion in order to make the grain smaller. Both developers are old formulas from times, when emulsions didn't have fine grain like today. Both are in use today, but usually diluted 2 or 3 times to weaken the solving action on silver. But now this extends the time of development what with film like Tmax is not a good idea. And than some of this silver dossolving developers, usually commercial, secret formulas, contain sequestrants. (?) Chemicals dedicated to intercept free silver so it can not be replated back on emulsion. (Less fog, better shapes as replating is random.) Of course the question here is why to have free silver at all. And here comes something called divided developer. Idea is to first soak emulsion in developing agent and than to move it to the proper environment of high pH. When developing agent is exhausted development of latent image stops (fogging continue). Very good, almost automatic way with one timing for all films in normal range of temperatures. But for nowadays, thin emulsion films maybe not so good, they can't absorb enough developer for full process. So, here comes method of continous development. Not my idea. AA already "discovered", that 1 minute in water bath before stop bath gives him better defined shadows. It was Barry Thornton who mention use of activator like borax after regular developer with proper reduction of time. I started with cutting 3 min from developer and adding 3 min in borax. Still do with small variations. How this works you can see in this thread
Few from metering practice (attn. Timor)
When Judy after 10 min of instructions about use of modern spot meter shot and developed this pictures.