Sumpin Ain't Right Here..

Possible names for this thread:

1. Never send your wife to the photo store.

2. If your wife goes to the photo store, check she buys what you told her to buy.

3. Just how much can you abuse film and still get a printable image?

4. I'm an idiot!!!!!!!

Here's the deal. On Saturday, my wife went to "the city" for a shopping day with our daughter. She asked if she could pick up anything for me. I was low on fix, so I asked her to pick up two gallons of Ilford Hypam fix. (#1) If the store was out of that, then she was to pick up the other Ilford fix the store carries--I think it is called "rapid fixer" or something like that. Ask Chris at the store, he'll know what I mean.

My wife returned Saturday night with two gallons. She even took then down to my darkroom--along with some frozen lasagna to put in the freezer which shares my man space.

Tonight I was doing some film tests on a new film--a graphic arts film which I hope to use for in-camera work. I developed 6 test negatives, 3 shot at one EI, 3 shot at another . I developed the film for various times to test my EI and development time, put it in the stop and fixed it for the recommended time. It looked strange. Something wasn't right. The base looked white. Was it clearing? I hung it to dry.

I took out another graphic arts film and exposed step wedges to do a BTZS test. When I turned on the lights after processing, same thing--it didn't look right. Okay. the film was listed as having a white base, but that white? No, something ain't right. I looked at the film. It hadn't cleared.

Long story short--my wife picked up Ilford Multigrade (small print "Paper Developer")--not fix. I had mixed it in low light and didn't check the label. (#2) I had developed the film, put it through a water stop bath, and then "fixed" it for 5 minutes in paper developer.

Now for (#3) "Just how much can you abuse film and still get a printable image?" When I finally realized that I am an idiot (#4), I quickly made up some fix from my emergency stash--packets of dry chemicals reserved for those moments when I run out of my standard chemicals. I tossed my BTZS negatives in the garbage, but I fixed the first 6 negatives. Two of them look great. No visible fogging!! Clear film around the edges. I did have to pitch the other four due to fogging, however. Also, I don't know the EI or development time for either of the good negatives. But I am amazed I got anything. The unfixed negatives were subject to my viewing light and the over head room light for up to a half hour.

Oh, well. Live and learn. And I don't think I will mention it to my wife. We've been married 29 years and I'd like to make it to 30.

I'd certainly never send my husband to the photo store...

Nancy Gutrich said:

I'd certainly never send my husband to the photo store...

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My thought exactly, though, mine did manage to pick up some Edwal Platinum II paper developer for me once when he as at B&H in NYC without incident. Of course, I checked the bottle's label before using it!! Hope you can salvage something! And happy anniversary! :munch:

Assuming that she remembered to use the word fix or fixer then you might want to blame Chris at the store instead. Unless she knows a lot about processing it seems strange that she should pluck a word like MG developer out of thin air and if she does know anything then she'd never say dev when you had asked her to get fix.

If it was a court case trying to establish guilt then I'd say that her guilt hasn't been established beyond reasonable doubt. :

pentaxuser

It was probably something like 'My husband is developing and needs two gallons of stuff.'

Oh, and that's near to my wife's reaction 50% of the time she sends ME to the store.

SuzanneR said:

My thought exactly, though, mine did manage to pick up some Edwal Platinum II paper developer for me once when he as at B&H in NYC without incident. Of course, I checked the bottle's label before using it!! Hope you can salvage something! And happy anniversary! :munch:

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Quote: Nancy Gutrich
I'd certainly never send my husband to the photo store...


Excellent responses, ladies, and well deserved, I might add. My face needed a reason to smile this morning.

Film can take a lot of abuse, but luck helps. I did something similar long ago, when the fix bottle and developer bottle got switched mid process by a darkroom colleague. I developed, stopped, then developed again for 5 minutes more. As you've noted, the film looked quite odd when I opened the tank. It came out fine once it actually got in fix though.

As for sending spouses for specialty shopping, I've found it to be a hit or miss propostion, and so does my wife. Cell phones help immensely. "Dear, I am looking at a package of ____, it says ____ is that what you want?

Pretty much my whole family is under orders to never buy me any photo stuff... Just as I would never try to buy gardening supplies for my wife.

My wife likes to shop with a shopping list.

So I'd be happy to send her to the store, with a well made list.

Except....

I enjoy going to the store and buying photography stuff.

So I'd probably do it myself .

When my husband asks for something, I send him photos before I buy anything. Or make sure it's easily returnable. And he probably wouldn't buy chemicals for me if I asked anyway. We have this huge old wooden enlarger in the corner of the dining room because he saw it at a flea market labeled as a camera and thought I'd like it. While somewhat cool, it isn't something I would have gotten.

Don´t forget 5. Always look at the label when handling chemicals

PS: 5 stars for Nancy´s answer! There couldn´t have been any better

Allen Friday said:

Ask Chris at the store, he'll know what I mean.

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See what happens when you "Ask Chris"?

I should add two little things to my OP. I showed my wife a near-empty gallon jug of fixer so she could match it. And Chris was at the store, but my wife didn't ask him. To be fair, the jugs are identical, except for the pesky label part.

And a side note. My wife is wonderful. She is also one of the smartest people I know--Phi Beta Kappa, BA, JD, member California Bar, Scholarship as Outstanding Undergrad in her department, etc. She was smart enough to marry me after all. But, she is not into photography.

And I think the main point of the post was #4. But, I was smart enough to marry the woman I did. And I'm smart enough to keep my mouth shut regarding the favor she did by stopping at the photography store for me.

Wow, my wife won't even go to the store for me to buy food, let alone darkroom supplies

Wow, my wife won't even go to the store for me to buy food, let alone darkroom supplies

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I trust my mrs getting stuff at the photo store more than the grocery store.

Allen Friday said:

I should add two little things to my OP. I showed my wife a near-empty gallon jug of fixer so she could match it. And Chris was at the store, but my wife didn't ask him. To be fair, the jugs are identical, except for the pesky label part.

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Long ago, Ilford used to put a GREEN cap on the fixer and a RED cap on the developer. Of course since I don't have great colour vision, I sometimes had to look at them under the safe-light to be sure.

Last time I bought a jug of rapid fixer and told the photo store clerk that I "needed it for my Fixations" he did not bat an Eye. I have never seen HYPAM in a store around here for some reason.

I'm so lucky my fiancé is a very good photographer and likes developing and printing in a real darkroom If I send her to the store she'll get the right stuff, she knows what we use.

I've found it best to write down exactly what I want and what alternatives I'll accept. Still I sometimes get a big surprise because the note got lost and "the man at he camera store knew what you wanted"... NOT.

Same for the butcher and the grocer and the vegetable/fruit vendor.

The one thing my wife ALWAYS gets right are clothes and discounts.

winger said:

When my husband asks for something, I send him photos before I buy anything. Or make sure it's easily returnable. And he probably wouldn't buy chemicals for me if I asked anyway. We have this huge old wooden enlarger in the corner of the dining room because he saw it at a flea market labeled as a camera and thought I'd like it. While somewhat cool, it isn't something I would have gotten.

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I would really like to see pictures of that enlarger, somehow I have trouble visualizing it.

Wow...a local store that sells photo chemicals....I remember those!

I wouldn't send my wife to buy anything photographic any more than she would send me to buy her underwear.

benjiboy said:

I wouldn't send my wife to buy anything photographic any more than she would send me to buy her underwear.

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Well Benji, that's because she knows you'll try it on first and blow out the seams!

winger said:

We have this huge old wooden enlarger in the corner of the dining room because he saw it at a flea market labeled as a camera and thought I'd like it. While somewhat cool, it isn't something I would have gotten.

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Wouldn't it make a gorgeous table lamp for your living room?

Diapositivo said:

Wouldn't it make a gorgeous table lamp for your living room?

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It would need a pretty big table (it's about 6 feet tall).

This may not have anything to do with your situation. My wife is also very smart. If I would have "mentioned" to her to go to a photo store and to get some fixer, I have no doubt that she would bring home something else. Then I would never "ask" her to go again. I am bright enough to know this and I have only been married for 19 years.