APER TOURS DIGITAL AND FILM

Aper Tours DARKROOM KEYS

The darkroom is the magical place where the images in our mind's eye take physical form, become earthbound and permanent. Here, we find another layer of creative potential limited only by the skills, experience and desires of the photographer. Feel free to experiment in this space, to explore the boundaries of what is possible and what is not. Think of it as an alchemist's room, a place where chemistry and magic mingle, and see where it takes you.

The following are only suggestions. They are here to guide you, not to limit you. Take what is useful to you and then find your own path. Remember, art happens at the boundaries and in the margins.

Aper Tours B/W Film Development Times

CHECK FILM TYPE IN CHART BELOW FOR TIMES

Roll film onto spool and place into tanks in total darkness.

Use 1 liter/ 33.8 ozsstock solution from Students Film DEVELOPER bottle PLUS 6ml concentrate T MAX DEVELOPER. Mix thoroughly. This amount of DEVELOPER is good for 1 to 4 rolls of 35mm film.

Heat or Cool to exactly 73:f / 22.7c.

Heat or Cool 1 liter/ 33.8 ozs Film STOP BATH and Film FIX from Student bottles to between 68: / 20c and 73: / 22.7c.

When spools are safely in covered tanks, turn on lights. Rapidly pour DEVELOPER at appropriate temperature into tanks with the filter in place and the tank at a 45: angle.

Once tank is full immediately gently rapppppp tank onto surface of sink. Then gently agitate tank in a random fashion for one minute.

Then every 20 seconds agitate gently in a random fashion for ten seconds for a TOTAL OF SEVEN and ONE HALF MINUTES.

Drain DEVELOPER back into the Student Film Developer Bottle.

Add STOP BATH and gently agitate for one minute. STOP should be within 4: of the developer's temperature of 73:f / 22.7c.

Pour STOP BATH back into the Students Stop Bottle.
(Indicator STOP BATH is good until a purple cast is visible)

Then pour FIX into tank and agitate for one minute in an aggressive fashion. After one minute allow to rest for 50 seconds then agitate for ten seconds, let rest for 50 seconds, then continue cycle for a total of seven and one half minutes. (Before every FIX run test FIX with a hypo check. If a white precipitate develops discard FIX and make a fresh batch.)

(During the last two minutes prepare the WASH TANK. The WASH should be between 68:/22c and 75:/23.9c.)

Pour FIX back into the FIX Bottle.

Rinse reels in two changes of water from the WASHING TANK, place reels into the WASH TANK on the metal wand with the water at 68: / 22c to 75:/ 23.9c for five minutes.

(While the film is washing prepare the HYPO CLEAR SOLUTION, 2 capfuls to one liter of water, and place in clean metal tank)

Once the film has WASHED for five minutes place into HYPO CLEAR Solution and agitates constantly for two minutes.

Return to WASHER for another five minutes.

(While film is in WASHER prepare PHOTO FLO Solution. Fill PHOTO FLO cap to the first thread mark, place in clean metal tank and add one half liter of water.)

After film has WASHED place one roll at a time into the PHOTO FLO Solution and agitate gently for ONE MINUTE.

Then HANG film to dry in a dust free cabinet. DO NOT SQUEEGEE, EVER. This is a very destructive practice. Just let your films drip-dry.

Please remember to rinse all equipment as you finish with it. When your negs are safely in the drying cabinet, wash and put away everything you've used.

You are now ready to relax, have a beer and look forward to viewing your negs and making contact sheets.

FILM DEVELOPMENT
DEV VARIES BY FILM TYPE	STOP 1 MINUTE	FIX 8 MINUTES

PAPER DEVELOPMENT
DEV 1 MIN. RC THESE ARE STARTING POINTS 2 MINs. FIBER	STOP 10 SECONDS	FIX 2 MINUTES

FILM DEVELOPMENT TIMES
FILM TYPE	DEVELOPMENT TIME	TEMPERATURE
KODAK FILM TMAX 100 TMAX 400 PLUS X TRI X ILFORD FILM 100 DELTA PROF. 400 DELTA PROF. FP 4 PLUS FP 5 PLUS AGFA FILM AGFAPAN APX 25	8 MINS 7 MINS, 30 SECS 7 MINS 7 MINS, 30 SECS 8 MINS, 15 SECS 8 MINS, 45 SECS 7 MINS 8 MINS 8 MINS	73: F / 22.7: C 73: F / 22.7: C 73: F / 22.7: C 73: F / 22.7: C 73: F / 22.7: C 73: F / 22.7: C 73: F / 22.7: C 73: F / 22.7: C 73: F / 22.7: C

Please Note: These times are for use while here at Aper Tours. My DEVELOPER is a special replenished T MAX solution. These times will not be accurate with other DEVELOPERS. One may achieve the same results with many other DEVELOPERS. So experiment and find one that works well for your needs.

Aper Tours Paper Development

PLUG IN THERMO CORD OF ENLARGER at least ten minutes prior to printing.

Place ENLARGING LENS on ENLARGER

Arrange trays RIGHT TO LEFT, in this order: DEVELOPER, STOP, then FIX.

Mix stock solution of PAPER DEVELOPER, using one part PAPER DEVELOPER to two parts water at 73: F / 22.7: C. I generally use 6 oz / .18 liters of DEVELOPER to 12 oz / .35 liters of water. (I use DEKTOL PAPER DEVELOPER)

Pour mixed PAPER DEVELOPER into DEVELOPER TRAY.

Pour 16 oz / .47 liter of stock solution of PAPER STOP into STOP TRAY at between 68:/22c and 75:/23.9c.

Pour 16/.47 liter oz of stock solution of PAPER FIX into FIX TRAY at between 68:/22c and 75:/23.9.

Place NEGATIVE of your choice into NEGATIVE CARRIER of appropriate size. NEGATIVE should be placed emulsion side down and upside down.

TURN OFF DARKROOM LIGHTS EXCEPT SAFE LIGHT.

Open ENLARGING LENS to widest aperture. Place piece of white paper of same kind on EASEL. Turn ENLARGER on and compose your photo to your vision. Move ADJUSTABLE EASEL BLADES to the desired position. Place GRAIN FOCUSER on paper. Focus by eye, then fine focus with GRAIN FOCUSER.

Remove GRAIN FOCUSER and paper and place TEST STRIP, a small piece of PAPER EMULSION side up, on EASEL.

Set TIMER to TWENTY seconds. Stop ENLARGER LENS down at least ONE STOP.

Place OPAQUE piece of PAPER over TEST STRIP, leaving ONE HALF INCH EXPOSED.

Turn on TIMER and move OPAQUE PAPER ONE QUARTER INCH every TWO AND ONE HALF seconds so that entire test strip has been exposed.

Place TEST STRIP EMULSION side DOWN in PAPER DEVELOPER for ONE minute for RC PAPER, or TWO minutes for FIBER BASED PAPER. AGITATE CONSTANTLY.

Remove from PAPER DEVELOPER with tongs, let drain for several seconds and then place in STOP BATH for TEN seconds for RC PAPER, or THIRTY seconds for FIBER BASED. AGITATE CONSTANTLY.

Remove from STOP BATH, let drain, then place in PAPER FIX for TWO minutes for RC PAPER, or FOUR minutes for FIBER BASED. AGITATE for FIVE seconds every FIFTEEN seconds.

AFTER THIRTY seconds turn on OVERHEAD LIGHT, ONLY AFTER CHECKING TO MAKE SURE PAPER BOX IS CLOSED. View TEST STRIP to determine best exposure for this neg.

Set TIMER to desired time. Make a print.

DEVELOP as you did the TEST STRIP.

THESE TIMES ARE FOR A BASE PRINT. THEY CAN BE LENGTHENED OR SHORTENED TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS. DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS AND PAPERS WILL DEMAND DIFFERENT TIMES AND CONSIDERTIONS, BUT THE BASIC IDEAS AND ACTIONS ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME.

CISCO Special Developer
Mix for T-MAX

Buy two one liter/quart Bottles of Kodak T-Max Developer.
One will be used for the Stock the other to add to each liter/quart of developer as per instructions in the Cisco Darkroom Keys.

Start with small container one liter/quart of Kodak T-MAX Developer; one does not need the T-MAX Replenisher developer.

Mix entire container according to instructions of package into a glass cough syrup jar, obtained at your local pharmacy. This should make roughly 1-gallon/ four liters.

Now buy 10 rolls out-of-date B/W film and expose to light, not in your camera, just open and expose, then place into developer, which you have placed in a plastic bucket. Leave for fifteen minutes or so, agitating every minute. You may want to wear protective clothing to avoid stains. Remove the film and discard.

You are now ready to begin developing with this STOCK SOLUTION of T-Max developer. For the first ten rolls DO NOT add the six-ml of STOCK KODAK T-MAX Developer.

After the ten rolls follow the instructions in the darkroom keys.

One may find that they need to adjust the development times to suit the manner in which they shoot. Take notes and compare the rolls to make sure that the developer is staying consistent.

One should be able to develop in the neighborhood of 300 rolls of film with this process. One will need to eventually add more stock solution mixed one to four to bring the level up to approx. one-gallon of the mixed solution.

Enjoy and save water, nature and your money.

AS ONE BECOMES MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE DARKROOM, DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES WILL BE DESIRED, SUCH AS BURNING, DODGING, TONING AND THE USE OF POLY CONTRAST FILTERS.

I WISH YOU CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS IN THIS MOST WONDERFUL ASPECT OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS, FOR IT IS TRULY IN THE DARKROOM WHERE A GREAT NEGATIVE IS BROUGHT TO LIFE AND WHERE AN AVERAGE ONE IS ENHANCED AND PERFECTED.

ABOVE ALL ENJOY.

Aper Tours.

CISCO