Search results for: 'i read'

Having shot a roll of black and white film it now needs to be processed to create the negatives. At this point your film is still light sensitive so should not be exposed to light. Processing your own film can be highly satisfying and cost effective. It is also easy to learn. The most common method for hand processing film is undertaken by using a Daylight Processing Tank. This piece of kit needs the film to be loaded on to a ‘spiral’ or ‘reel’, in the dark, and then enclosed in a light tight co...

Safety data sheets for ILFORD photochemicals when made up for use These safety data sheets relate to the products after they have been prepared for use in accordance with our recommendations. Because we do not supply these chemical solutions ready for use, we are not obliged to provide these SDSs. However, we do so in order to help users, especially those in schools and colleges, to use the products safely and assess correctly the risks involved. These are European SDSs and are provided in English only.The...

A black border often enhances a print and does not involve any sort of mounting or overlay. Ink or tape borders The easiest way to produce narrow black borders is to rule them with a pen directly onto your finished print: an India-ink pen gives the most solid line, but most permanent (all surface) spirit based markers are much less expensive and will do the job. For slightly wider black borders, narrow, self-adhesive strips are available from graphic arts suppliers. Supplied in dispensers, of various w...

Testing your Safelights Safelights are an essential component in any darkroom set up. We recommend testing them annually, as ageing can change the transmission characteristics of the filters. This can cause visible fogging of the print or, more likely, a subtle but noticeable drop in contrast. When setting up your safelights always read the instructions and don't exceed the recommended bulb wattage. Fitting a brighter bulb or mounting your safelight too close to your developing dishes,  may cause degra...

 A lifelong hobby One of my lifelong hobbies is photography. I have been taking photographs since I was about 10 years old when I was given an old Kodak folding pocket camera that had belonged to an uncle, Bertrand Perrett, who was a professional photographer and painter in England. I learned to develop and print black-and-white film at school when I was a teenager back in the 1970s. The Slower Pace When digital photography came along I moved to that medium, but recently I’ve come back to film aga...

I’m a passionate film photographer. There are plenty of us about and indeed plenty of reasons for choosing film as a medium. Many of these reasons are quoted ad nauseam by any and every film photographer. One of the biggest problems I have with digital photography is that it's given film photographers a soap box to waffle on about how much better film is… Yawn… I’m going to make some assumptions about the audience of this blog, and as such I’m not going to repeat all of the justifications usually ...

How I work I believe in self-learning, and I’m always up for something new to explore. I adhere to a strict code of conduct and don’t believe in photoshop, or do much if any post processing. It has to be an exceptional day for me to crop an image. I use Ilford’s Delta 400 for most of my work and use XP2 Super when I need my results fast. Changing times I was born in 1988, which meant that I got a first class ticket to experience the world converting from analogue to digital during m...

What are paper developers? Paper developers allow the latent exposed image to become visible to the naked eye and form part of a processing workflow along with a stop bath and fixer.  Read our guides, for more information on picking the right paper for you or which chemistry to choose  When shopping for photo chemicals always check the application. We produce a range of photo chemicals including stop baths, fixers, toners, wetting agents as well as paper and film developers. Film developers are speci...

Choosing Photo Chemicals We have a range of photo chemicals for printing/processing all of our resin coated and fibre base papers in trays/dishes as well as in processing machines. If you are new to printing the choice could appear excessive yet each liquid or powder paper developer has its purpose or strengths. For an overview of the whole range and what they do we have pulled together an introductory overview. If you are a beginner* and wondering where to get started then read on. *While thi...

One of the best things about film photography is that the creative process doesn't end in the camera. Processing your images in a darkroom is not only great fun, but it also allows you to exercise complete creative control over the final look of your image. We cover some of the essentials needed to set up a darkroom in our beginner's guide and have also developed a series of short animations which cover essential darkroom equipment, darkroom safety tips as well as how an enlarger works. Below, we cov...