When to develop film after shooting? How to store films?

AdeoMikelo

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Hello, that's my first post here and I want to greet everybody!

After a long break I decided to return to analog photography and begin adventure with 120 films, therefore some questions come to my mind.

Is there any particular time when film should be developed after shooting? In his book "Negative" Ansel Adams states that "exposed films should be processed as soon as possible after exposure", within 72 hours, or put them into the fridge in airtight container. I also noticed that some guys are developing after a year time and it's fine, or in extreme cases films from WWII are found and processed with great results.

What are you're opinion about that? Do you have any recommendations how to store unexposed and exposed films?
 
It depends on the film itself, and how it's stored.

In the case of WWII film being developed today, the results aren't what they appear. Most are exceedingly processed after digitizing. If you saw the negs, you'd assume there's no image at all they're so light.
 
I also noticed that some guys are developing after a year time and it's fine,
Is "fine" good enough? Why was it a whole year? How was the film stored? Was there some reason it wasn't process right away? How much degradation are you willing to accept?
 
The WW2 films are an extreme, yes, and it takes a lot of work to get usable images from them.

Having said that, I don't think you have to follow Adams' advice, either. If you're going to wait a few days or even a few weeks, it won't make any difference. If you end up waiting several months or more, then perhaps keep the film in a plastic container in the fridge.

I've developed film 6 months after I shot it, the film was not kept in the fridge, and it was fine. I also once developed a roll of film that had been sitting in a Pentax Spotmatic for at least 20 years, if not more. When I got the camera, the film was half shot already. Had no idea what it was, and lord knows what kind of conditions that camera had been stored in, but I just shot the rest of the roll and developed it (turned out it was Tri-X). The images that had already been shot were very grainy with low contrast, but they were definitely clear enough to know what was on them. The shots that I took we still grainy and low contrast, but much less so.

So emulsions are definitely sturdy enough that you don't have to rush home and develop immediately, but don't just throw it in a bag into a closet and wait 20 years either. Somewhere in between should be fine :)
 
I'd follow Leonore's advise. But it is good practice to develop quickly as film tends to stack up ... and then gets put off because of time or expense or ...

If you're developing at home, I'd base my development on tank capacity. As soon as you have maxed out tank space, develop. (It is easier to max out tank space with 120mm.)
 
I have usually followed the "develop as soon as possible after shooting" suggestion. My grandfather carried Kodak Mailers when we went off on our photography trips, a few rolls of Kodachrome film shot and off it went in the Mailer.
 
If you haven't finished the roll no sweat just wait until you finished the roll. But it's better to process to film as soon as possible. Keep the film cool if you don't process it right away. Leave it in the camera for 1 year should be OK too but you shouldn't unless you have good reason to do so.
 
Garry Winnogrand used to wait 2 years so when he developed them he had no emotional attachment, i usually develope them the same day usually same week
 


30 years after being exposed...kitchen drawer inside of Kodak plastic film can...
 
I once developed a few films after close to 15 years. They had been stored (forgotten) in a cardboard box (shoebox, really) and they were fine. Maybe it depends on the type of film....
 

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