What's people's general process on here?

allicio

allicio

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Andrew cowman
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I was just wondering what people's general process work flow is on here?
I purchased a rangefinder recently with the view of getting away from the computer processing and also having some "propper" negatives.

Ive been contemplating developing the exposed films and I was thinking of asking for the Patterson developing kit as a Xmas present.
I'm not at a stage where I can produce my own prints at the moment although that is my ultimate aim.
So this brings me to my general querie...
Do people on here mainly print from there (home) developed negs or scan them?

I don't want to buy a scanner and get into home scanning as that means more time on the pc which is what I'm trying to get away from, so I would have to send them away for scanning and printing at the moment.
Is this a worthwhile exercise or would it be better to just send the whole lot off for processing and scanning and forgo doing it at home?

Thanks for any advice
Andy
 
I have a 5x4 enlarger. I do scan sometimes but I am not usually pleased with the results.

I haven't tried it myself, but I have heard lots of good things about Ilford's Lab Direct process and print service. They do scan the negatives but they are digitally printed onto proper black and white paper rather than colour paper as some labs use. This sounds ideal for you.

Another by-product of this Ilford service is that Digital users can send in files converted to black and white and have real prints made.


Steve.
 
If you're not going to scan or print at home you may as well send the whole kittencaboodle off to the processors and let them do it. It can be pricey though. Alternatively you could process at home and just get the ones you like the look of scanned separately, still pricey though.
 
B&W: I process the films in the kitchen sink with a Patterson tank and have been using HC110 developer (concentrate lasts for ages). I have a Durst AC707 enlarger in a makeshift bathroom/darkroom and develop the prints using a Nova Monochrome tank as space is limited. I've mostly been using RC paper, so I can wash the prints quickly in a tray washer and put them in a rack to dry. When using Fibre paper, they go into a holding tray then down to the kitchen for a proper wash in more trays (can't afford a proper washer right now).

Colour: I have a Jobo CPP2 processor to handle C41 films. I've also used simpler Jobo processors and they are fine too. You can process manually in the sink, but I found temperature control to be awkward. At the moment 135 film gets scanned with a Pakon 135+ (fast and great colour). Medium format is scanned with an Epson V550, which I find slow and awkward to get accurate colour - I don't enjoy flatbed scanning at all. The digital files then go into Lightroom for tweaking. This is all about to change this weekend as I'm finally set up for RA4 printing. I'll be using the Jobo with Fuji Crystal Archive paper and Kodak chemicals. Excited to see how it goes :-)

The more I shoot film, the more I seem to detest any idea of the photos coming into contact with a computer. I'm not a digital hater. I simply find it a joy to put film in a camera, process it with chemicals, then print with light onto paper that's developed with chemicals. Holding the finished print in my hand is extremely satisfying (even when my printing isn't up to much!)

I've sent colour films off to labs (I've used AG Photographic and UK Film Lab) and they do a great job, but it is more expensive and I felt slightly detached from the photos. It doesn't suit me.

I'd say absolutely have a go at B&W processing. It's as easy as pie and really great fun. B&W printing is more awkward as you do need to find space to work. But it is cheap. You can pick up enlargers for nothing on eBay and they often come with everything else you need to get going. If I were you I would start by processing B&W film and just get a cheap 2nd hand scanner, so you can at least see what you have for the first few films. If you like it then think about trying to sort out a darkroom. If you're lucky, you may have one close by that you can hire or someone on here may live close and could help you out.
 
I print my b/w's, pretty much all of em......even the crap ones, of which there are many :)
Because, optical printing is bonza, scanning and PS is a chore.
Not a big fan of print film so I shoot slide which can't be printed optically anymore so I scan them, its a means to an end.......like washing up or doin Friday big shop :D
 
I have a permanent darkroom with a couple of enlargers, but I find that I get better results scanning and printing digitally - I have far more control over the nuances of the print that way. On the other hand, I use 120 and 5x4 film, and I might take a different view if I used 35mm. In terms of quality of result, a lot depends on the scanning and the printer and paper used.
 
Depends entirely on what you want to spend, I'd say. B&W development and scanning is cheap, per film, once you've gotten over the startup costs. Commercial B&W development and scanning is hella expensive. Devving at home and scanning commercially is still expensive and seems to fall between two stools. So, if you're happy to spend £10+ per roll, and that won't put you off shooting, go for commercial dev+scan. If not, go the d-i-y route and put up with an hour in front of the computer.
 
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My general workflow is to shoot a few rolls, put them in the fridge to develop later and go back to step 1. Occasionally I get a few developed, whereupon I extend the process to include putting the negatives into the pile next to my computer to scan "later".

I really need to sort out my backlog. :oops: :$
 
Strappy said:
general workflow is to shoot a few rolls, put them in the fridge to develop later and go back to step 1. Occasionally I get a few developed, whereupon I extend the process to include putting the negatives into the pile next to my computer to scan "later".

I really need to sort out my backlog. :oops: :$
Click to expand...

Wow, you're work flow is almost identical to mine!
 
If you stick with C41, you can get process and a reasonable scan for £5 per film from both Photo Express and FilmDev. You can use XP2 as a rather nice C41 black and white film as well. Otherwise you can save a packet by sticking to "proper" black and white, and home devving, but then you pretty much have to scan yourself. I don't do wet printing, but do home digi prints, just with a consumer Canon; works great for colour, seriously dodgy colour casts usually for black and white. Not been brave enough to do home C41 devving yet.
 
Hiya,

I use a Leica M6 35mm rangefinder, a Fujifilm GA645 Pro medium format camera & a Zeiss Ikon Nettar medium format camera. I tend to use Kodak TMAX 100/400 ISO, and Kodak Portra 160/400 ISO films. Sometimes a few other makes/types.

I don't process film myself, but use Snaps Photo Services in Bournemouth.

I get the negatives back, and scan them into .TIFF format.

I label and file the negatives away: Location, Date, Camera, Lens, Film stock details noted.

I import all scanned images into Lightroom CC. Go through them to get rid of non-usable images. I export and make a backup of all the remaining .TIFFs

I edit the remaining images using Adobe Lightroom CC, Adobe Photoshop CC, and the new MacPhun Creative Kit 2016 pack.

I export all edited images to full resolution JPEGs, and back these up.

I export the JPEGs to 'web size' and back these up too.

That way I have:

- Negatives
- Culled RAW files
- Full res JPEGS
- Web size JPEGS


I would love to develop my own film, but the normal excuse is 'not enough time' etc. I don't mind scanning negatives. I'm more than happy with the service Snaps Photo Services provide.

Ta,
Shane :)
 
I'm quite happy with hybrid.

I mainly shoot b/w film, both 35mm and 120. I develop it in the bathroom with a Paterson tank and inversions. Rinse, dry, cut, then digitally scan as high res/low comp .jpegs. Minor post scan with Gimp software, of any that I deem as worthy of e-publishing. That scratches my itch.

C41, I have done it at home with mixed success. I don't like that process, so I take it to a good local independent photo-lab. Film only, although sometimes with (photo-lab scanned) prints. For Film only, they charge me £2.50 any C41 film. I then process as for b/w - although scanning takes longer, particularly as I use Digital Ice for C41 on the scanner.

I might dark room print one day, but so far, I've not felt the motivation, nor do I feel that I have the space. I keep my negatives in albums, so I do have that option anytime in the future.

I'm more of a self-confessed snap-shooter than a serious photographer. I do enjoy my hybrid process, and the goal for my images is shameful online sharing more than prints. However, as I said, should I ever have the space and motivation for printing then I have the negatives.
 
Thinking on about this.... As I said, I'm a shameful snap shooter and online sharer. That is my main goal. When I do want a print, I'll take a binary file to a photo studio and ask them for a digital print. I'm not rebelling against the digital age, I love online sharing. It dragged me more into photography. I enjoy film hybrid because I like the technology, process, and also the results. I must have developed a few hundred films over the past three years - but all for digital scanning / spamming.

So you need to set your process to your goals. What is your goal? Is it online sharing or prints? If it is prints, and you also want to get away from PCs, then you know your answer. Better start planning that darkroom and looking for enlarging / printing gear.
 
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I develop both B&W and C41 at home using a Jobo CPE2 processor. The Jobo is overkill if you're only developing B&W but if you have one for colour, it does help to provide consistency in B&W work as well. I have developed E6 at home as well, but I don't use it enough to justify keeping a set of E6 chemicals fresh as well as C41.

I scan the negatives using an Epson V700 and most processing is done in Lightroom. I have Photoshop but mostly only use it for dustspotting, which is easier in the Photoshop than in Lightroom.

I have a semi-permanent darkroom in a second bathroom with an enlarger that goes up to 6*7 and a Nova processor which allows me to keep chemicals ready for several weeks at a time, whereas the use of trays requires more set-up and break-down time.

However I've not been in the darkroom for a while. Since it looks like it might rain all weekend I may get it going again soon. I only print a small selection of "better" images and can't imagine printing all the images I want to see in the darkroom.
 
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Thank you so much for the replies folks there veryuch appreciated!
Interesting to read how you all go about processing and printing your negatives

I think to start with I'm going to press on with developing my own negatives and any shots that look like keepers I'll get scanned and printed at a ag photographic. As has been pointed out this is probably quite pricey but still in the long run its cheaper than buying a scanner.
I think next year I'm going to build some kind of darkroom in the cellar. Theres no running water or drainage down there so it's going to take a bit of thinking about and planning on the logistics of it all but if I am to keep away from the pc this has got to be the best way forward.
Small steps for now though so I'll give developing a try after Xmas.
I've just placed an order for a 120 pinhole camera from nopo which should arrive in march so I'll have some 120 negs to play with too hopefully!!!
Again thankyou so much for the replies there's some good ideas been given!
 
allicio said:
I think to start with I'm going to press on with developing my own negatives and any shots that look like keepers I'll get scanned and printed at a ag photographic. As has been pointed out this is probably quite pricey but still in the long run its cheaper than buying a scanner.
Click to expand...

Andrew, not sure I understand this... AG charges £3 or more per frame for scanning already processed film, presumably plus postage etc. You could get an Epson V500 for 35mm and 120 for not too much over £100. In the short run AG is cheaper if you only scan the really good frames in each film (you'll need a loupe and a light box to decide, and it's tricky with negative film), but in the long run a scanner at almost any price works out cheaper, surely?
 
allicio said:
I was just wondering what people's general process work flow is on here?
I purchased a rangefinder recently with the view of getting away from the computer processing and also having some "propper" negatives.

Ive been contemplating developing the exposed films and I was thinking of asking for the Patterson developing kit as a Xmas present.
I'm not at a stage where I can produce my own prints at the moment although that is my ultimate aim.
So this brings me to my general querie...
Do people on here mainly print from there (home) developed negs or scan them?

I don't want to buy a scanner and get into home scanning as that means more time on the pc which is what I'm trying to get away from, so I would have to send them away for scanning and printing at the moment.
Is this a worthwhile exercise or would it be better to just send the whole lot off for processing and scanning and forgo doing it at home?

Thanks for any advice
Andy
Click to expand...

I too look to limit my time on the computer with regard to photography. I don't know where you are based, but have you looked at public darkroom options? I ordinarily develop my B&W negatives in the spare bathroom, but I do all of my printing at a public darkroom in Glasgow city centre.

Darkroom printing is much more fun than scanning could ever be.

For colour film, I send that away to UK Film Lab for development and scanning, so that again limits my computer time, as their scans are top notch. Occasionally I will also try to print my colour negatives in the darkroom on B&W paper, although this can be tricky and the exposure times can be very long.
 
@ChrisR I think to start with that's what I'm thinking I.e just have the decent frames printed. There's going to be some trial and error with both the developing and also using the pinhole camera itself so perhaps just printing individual frames to start with won't be too bad.
@skysh4rk raises a very good point! Ive just read West yorkshire cameras in leeds are just about to open a darkroom and it's only 20 mins on the train from halifax station which is near me so that's definitely an option til I get the cellar sorted!!
 
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