Developing Film

Written: March 2, 2004
Last Updated: March 3, 2004

Developing my first roll of film at Stanford's Photo Lab.

With the help of Kendrick Kwok, I developed my first roll of film last night at the Stanford Photo Lab (in the basement of the art gallery). While I remember printing a photograph back in high school, I don't recall ever having developed film. I found it to be both a laborious and exciting process! There's something magical about the whole process, from removing the film from the cannister, pouring in all the chemicals, shaking, pouring out the chemicals, pouring in more chemicals, shaking, and... well, keep on repeating the process!

I can see how I would have spent hours in the photo lab, had I been a photographer as a student. It's not necessasrily a regret, since I didn't even care about photography back then, but it is something I wish I had known about. Ken was telling me that the photo lab used to be in the old Wilbur Modules. Okay, maybe I wouldn't have spent hours in the photo lab as a student!

Along with Ken and myself, there were a number of people in the lab, including fellow Symbolic Systems' student, Hilary Spencer! She was making a print on a t-shirt with some fancy liquid something or other (allows you to develop a print on a fabric). I didn't see the final result, but it sounds pretty cool!

As for the photos, the first 10 look okay, but the rest have some weird streaking going on. Looks like my sprockets are leaking light or something on the film. I guess I'll have to take or send my Leica in for service. When I'm near a scanner, I'll scan some of the better prints and post them up. 3200 black and white photos have a look to them that digital just can't compete with at the moment!

Enter The Photo Gallery

Reader Comments

Black and white film is an incredible medium. What it captures is more contrast and form.

Interesting that T Max can handle a range of speeds.

--posted by Andrew @ Thursday, March 4 2004, 8:13 am EST

It is rather liberating and your heart pounds to see if images will come out after 5 mins with the fixer. I still get nervous and find a great sensation of relief when I do see black etched on the film.

Congratulations!

--posted by Mona @ Friday, March 26 2004, 1:21 am EST

Great! But just stay away from the nasty chemicals becasue they\'re no good. I don\'t see any ventilation behind all the gupe and always wear proper personal protective equipment (gloves, apron, etc.). BTW, have you scanned any negatives yet?

--posted by Peter @ Wednesday, April 28 2004, 2:35 am EDT

I've scanned in a few images using a scanner at Meyer Library. It wasn't a particularly good scanner, but it did the job of digitizing the image adequately enough.

--posted by Adam @ Sunday, May 23 2004, 8:42 am PDT


Stanford Photo Lab	Leica and a roll of T-Max 3200	No, that's not the right order
That looks better	My film's in there!	Kendrick outlining the steps
Developer	Checking the meniscus	Getting some water
This is fun!	Waiting...	Wow, negatives!
Kendrick and Hilary	Making faces	In a nice plastic sheet
Examining the negatives