Black and White Photography

If you don’t have a film washer, keep the reel(s) in the processing tank (with

the top off) and put the tank under a faucet. Run water from the faucet into the

tank for the required wash time, but dump the water out of the tank every 30

seconds or so to guarantee a changing supply of fresh water.

If you don’t have running water, you can still wash film efficiently. Fill a

bucket with 68–72°F (20–22°C) water. Pour water from the bucket into the

processing tank. Let it sit for 20–30 seconds (agitate the tank if you like), then

pour out the water and fill the tank again. Use six to eight exchanges of water

for a first wash, and 12 to 15 exchanges for a final wash.

Whatever method of washing you use, it’s important to keep the water temperature

as consistent as possible. The temperature of running water, whether

in a film washer or a processing tank, can vary widely; monitor it carefully during

the entire wash. Stick your thermometer into the tank and check it constantly

while the water is running.

Most of the time, when processing film you’ll want to use the standard development

time recommended for the film and developer you use. Standard developing

time is sometimes referred to as normal development and appears on

a time-temperature chart, usually provided with the film, the developer, or on

the manufacturer’s Web site.

If you’ve exposed your film correctly, processing it for normal development

will provide a good negative almost every time. However, there are times when