Just another stupidity when developing film

[haris]

So, there it is, roll FP4+, properly exposed with Bessa R2A, 35mmPII and 75mm lenses, exposure metered with Gossen Sixtomat Flash handheld meter, with some fine photographs I expected to have. So, I loaded developing tank, then as it should developer, stop bath, fixer, washed, washing agent, hang to dry. Day after I took film and cut it into 6stripsX6frames, and made contact sheet. After inspecting contact sheet I saw contrast was too big and highlights were blowen out. What the...!

Then crossed my mind! I forgot to cool down my film chemichals, and July was really hot here. So, my developer (and other chemicals, except washing water) had temperature between 35 to 40 degrees Celsious when processed that roll...

Is there any help in those situation?

 

[Ian Grant]

You really do need to use a thermometer and control the temperatures accurately.

I had the same problem with high temperatures, typically over 40C during most of July, so you need to cool everything, even the tap water was around 30-35C.

I make up the developer adding ice to bring the temperature under control, and adjust my developing time for 25C in the summer rather than the more usual 20C.

There are reducers which will cut the density of your negatives, but first try ausing lower contrast grade tro print the negatives.

Ian

 

[haris]

Yes, I usually use thermometer and take care of temperature... But, good old Murphy's law in action again...

One print I made on grade 0 and nothing... And there is few photographs I really would like to have...

Oh, well, one have to pay its school, one way or another ...

 

[Roger Hicks]

Yes, I usually use thermometer and take care of temperature... But, good old Murphy's law in action again...

One print I made on grade 0 and nothing... And there is few photographs I really would like to have...

Oh, well, one have to pay its school, one way or another ...

Yup. Last week I'd backed out of a REALLy difficult road; reversed across a hump; and...

That's despite nearly 30 years of driving Land Rovers.

 

[Moopheus]

Well, that's it, it's the heat, it's making us all stupid. Brain-fluids are too hot.

 

[juan]

My summer temperatures are also about 35C - I've tested and worked out my developing times at that temperature. I found it easier to be more consistent by giving in to the temperature.
juan

 

[naeroscatu]

my last senior moment that I'm yet to figure how it will go was when I opened up two stops on my lens instead of closing down for zone 3. I plan to develop trhe film this week-end, give less time for developing and keep my fingers crossed. what can we do, would lecitine help

 

[gainer]

You have more headroom than you think. Underdeveloping will reduce contrast, making printing sometimes more difficult than if you had a denser negative with the proper contrast.

Maybe we sometimes need moritine, or some other form of unobtainium, as my branch head at NASA used to call it.

 

[dferrie]

I feel your pain. There I was, had exposed my first 3 rolls on my "new" Mamiya 645, two colour and one B+W. I'm very busy at the moment so decided to get the B+W processed in the same lab doing the colour. My wife collected them today to be told that two rolls were perfectly exposed but that the 3rd roll had nothing on it .... the "3rd" roll was the FP4 B+W and they had processed through C41

Not going to get excited about it, I have a list of the shots and I'll be back in the same location within 2 weeks with a tour group so can try take them again, different light/weather, but what the heck, life's too short to get excited.

David

 

[Monophoto]

How can we screw up processing - - - let me count the ways - - -

We've all made these mistakes, and over time, we settle into routines that either avoid the problems that have bit us in the past, or that take into account the lessons that we have learned. And we continue to be amazed as we find new ways to screw up!

The matter of temperature is just one more reason why I prefer to buy chemicals as liquid concentrates rather than powders. Powders often have to be dissolved in warm to hot water, and if you need to use the chemical right away, then you have the challenge of how to cool it down. (hint - put an ice cube in a plastic baggie. That way you can use it to cool down the chemical without further diluting it.)

 

[gainer]

I don't know where to retell this story, but I have to get it out of my head. A physics student in answer to a test question "How would one use a barometer to measure the height of a building?" knew the expected answer, but gave three unexpected ones. First, you could use it as a measuring stick and climb the stairs marking off barometer lengths along the wall. Second, you could drop the barometer off the roof and measure how long it takes to hit the ground. Third, you could go to the building manager and say "Sir, I will give you this very fine barometer if you will tell me how tall this building is."

He passed. Pity we can't always come out smelling good.

 

[eric]

Move on...learn from mistakes. I have HUNDREDS of them. I have 3 thermometers I stick in the liquid. Not one of them is correct, I just average all 3 of them Works for me.

 

[Toffle]

Ok, I guess I've got to 'fess up here as well. It's true that we have our routines, which when they work well, contribute to consistent results. One "brain-fart" however and everything goes out the window.

So there I was, with a roll of early morning lake shots loaded in the tank, everything laid out in a neat row. I reach for the bottle of developer and instead of opening the upper well of my tank, I absently open the whole tank. For one brief second, I saw my precious spool of film before I jammed the top back on. My studio was fairly dim, so I decided to develop the film anyway. I might have gotten something from it if I had adjusted my processing time. (I'm an optimist, ok?) As it is, I ended up with the dimmest of ghostly images. Hmmm... I might have a use for those.

Live and learn.
Cheers,

 

[pentaxuser]

I don't know where to retell this story, but I have to get it out of my head. A physics student in answer to a test question "How would one use a barometer to measure the height of a building?" knew the expected answer, but gave three unexpected ones. First, you could use it as a measuring stick and climb the stairs marking off barometer lengths along the wall. Second, you could drop the barometer off the roof and measure how long it takes to hit the ground. Third, you could go to the building manager and say "Sir, I will give you this very fine barometer if you will tell me how tall this building is."

He passed. Pity we can't always come out smelling good.

Obviously already a grad of the Edward de Bono school of lateral thinking. De Bono set a group of aircraft designers the problem of how to safely land a future plane capable of carrying say 800 passengers when the cockpit has to be about 40-50 feet from the ground. They came up with all sorts of high tech devices to "connect" the pilot with the ground because at that height you lose the feel for where your wheels are.

He set the same problem to a group of 10 year olds and one of them simply drew the cockpit underneath the fuselage instead of on top!

pentaxuser

 

[panastasia]

.. I absently open the whole tank. For one brief second, I saw my precious spool of film before I jammed the top back on...

I've done that! It was many years ago and someone else's film - photos of graveyard monuments - but only one edge of the roll was damaged. I made prints of each frame for him, doing extensive burning-in to correct the exposed edge and wasn't totaly successful. It looked like there was a fog creeping into each image. In the end he entered one of these photos in a contest and won second prize. I think I was happier than he was, for obvious reasons, it was one of those happy accidents for sure.