Make Your Own Developer & Fixer Using Household Items
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- This video shows you how to process photographic photo paper using homemade developer & fixer! All you’ll need is coffee granules, vitamin c power/tablets & washing soda for the dev (aka caffenol) and table salt for the fix. You can use this to process photo paper exposed in a camera obscura (see previous video), a pinhole camera or any camera you can put a bit of photo paper in. The same stuff works for film. A cheaper, more readily available and environmentally friendly way of doing things!
You’ll need photo paper (I don’t know how to make this with stuff I have in the kitchen I’m afraid!) but any photo paper should work, if you have an out of date box somewhere It should still yield results, and colour paper works too, but it will come out sepia. There are loads of way better made and probably much clearer tutorials like this out there already so if this process excites you and you want to learn more just start searching, then playing! I just wanted to introduce this to people who might not be aware and to make something that was super simple and clear to those of you stuck at home desperate for things to past the time/teach the kids!! I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to share!
If you have a swimming pool or hot tub and use chlorine to prevent bacteria growth, there's a good chance you can make a much better fixer with chemicals you have on hand for that. Chlorine reducer for pools and tubs will be either sodium sulfite or, more commonly, sodium thiosulfate. If the latter, it'll have crystals like small grains of rice, which are slippery to the touch. That stuff *is* fixer. Use 60 grams in a liter of water and it'll fix at least half a dozen 8x10 sheets of photo paper and do it in about five minutes instead of overnight. You'll then need to wash the paper (for five minutes or more for "RC" resin coated, or an hour for "fiber base") to make it archival.
Great info! Does this work with b&w film?
@@darioitg1 Yes, it does, though for tabular grain film like T-Max or Delta you should use a double bath fixer, half the fixing time (3 minutes) in each bath.
Also Tetra AquaSafe that comes in a yellow bottle which is used to make tap water safe for aquarium fish will also work UPC #046798770138 It only takes 10 minutes using normal grain B&W 35mm film.
Hey so i have a 16 ounce bottle of that dechlorinator you were talking about. So when i take another photo I should measure 60 grams of that and put it into a liter of water to fix the photo for 5 minutes correct?
@@adri4931 correct.
What the hell is WASHING SODA CHRYSTALS
Washing soda is Sodium carbonate, not to be confused with sodium bicarbonate, which is baking soda.
How many prints can be developed before developer is exhausted? Are you using fibre based or resin based paper?
Thanks! Used your method to develop the first photos from my pinhole camera! I took the paper out of the salt water fixer after an hour and scanned them, then put it back in for 24hours.When I took them out and rinsed them, I noticed that they developed some pink blotches within an hour of so of hanging out to dry. Any idea what may have caused it, and how to avoid it? (All is not lost though - I did scan the photos first, and they came out great!)
I tried developing a pinhole camera picture several times with this Caffenol- but was unable to. Nothing came up. What was ur exposure time?
Does the salted water works as fixer for film?
Really informative. Does the developer have to be at a certain temperature?
One question I have developed film with the right chemicals before but when I push the film for 1 hour the emulsion will slip off so for the fixer part I am not so sure about leaving it overnight
I've used Caffenol off and on for decades when I just want to goof off. Once I just threw everything together without measuring and used tap water that was way off temp. The result was just like when I did it according to the instructions. Caffenol is a serious developer and works better than some commercial developers. But over all I prefer HC-110. obviously a lot of people feel this way because HC-110 is usually out-of-stock.
Another great one - keep these coming. Just need to get some photographic paper delivered ;-)
Salt water will not permanently fix the water you need a stronger salt. Your pictures will deteriorate at a faster rate than using commercial or as mentioned thiosulfate fixer.
Very true, there are some brands of pet store artificial sea salt in dried granules used in saltwater aquariums that have a much broader range of useful salts for photography than just NaCl table salt or food grade mined & refined sea salt. Plus, even non-iodized table salt has non-caking agents of one sort or another added into it that can work on both a chemical and/or physical level to distort your process depending on the type of developer and other factors used.
If one was bent on using food grade salt only, at least store bought kosher caning salt used in preserving food is straight NaCl that comes with only salt and no caking agents or iodine added. Anti-caking agents will even mess up your home made dill pickles and iodine will make them taste like you have a metal spoon in your mouth, lol
Then again, I'm not suggesting anyone pickle their pickles to eat them over the winter....
what do you suggest to use then if we don’t have access to a proper fixer? should we just add even more salt?
I'm sorry but salted water will not fix the emulsion. It will render it stabilised for a few days, but after a while exposed to normal light it will slowly fade away.
Any tips to fix the emulsion then?
@@ceh76740 sodium thiosulfate? it's very cheap!
I’ve had my photos for about two years now and they have stayed exactly the same. Nothing has faded or changed, in my experience this recipe for developer and fix worked.
@@jessamorissey3618 expose it to sunlight and then tell us what happen.
@@jessamorissey3618Do you know if it works the same for Film?
will thgis work for amonia dichromate plates? great video
does the developer and fixer work for film instead of paper?
Hi Brendan, I'm looking forward to trying this sometime soon! I've found a video where someone makes photographic paper, and it doesnt seem that complicated, but I wondered whether this developer and fixer would work for it, as I think modern photographic paper uses slightly different chemicals. Would you have any idea? Thanks!
ua-cam.com/video/-Q9ow8pIa6g/v-deo.html
although actually, looking at it, the images seem to develop without needing a developing bath. i suppose its just whether the fixer would work?
You don't need to develop that type of paper. The expose it until the silver is visible rather than using a development process. if you want to make your own photo paper this is not the way to do it.
If all you want is an easy cheap print use cyanotype paper.
If you want good ones, just buy photographic paper.
Thanks a lot it looks simple and great! - I'll try it soon!!
So this same process would work with my Kodak film?
Did it work ?
That's awesome, I am going to edit the video I did of the camera obscura at home in Brooklyn NY and send you a link soon.
So basically you are living in a photocamera. Photographers dream**
Are you using the red light from your camping headlamp?
I was wondering how he got that going. Maybe his headlamp has a built in red light. It'd still be more intense than I'd like.
Thanks, Brendan! I was able to create some watergrams to finish off my uni project while in lockdown. :) Your videos are really helpful... and fun!
Do you think this would work on albumen paper? I want to try to make every aspect of the process but if it won't work I'd rather buy the paper than the chemicals
How was the albumen paper making process
Did it work?
Cool Brendon very interesting 😊👍🏻
How long can I keep the developer mix? Im planning on mixing a bottle of them while I wait for my developing tank
Don't. There is practically no shelf or storage life to this type of developer. Mix to use only.
3 hours after mixing but only in cold temperatures
Is it possible to skip the vitamin C? If not, can you use flavored vitamin C powder? For example resistance C brand?
Skip - No. Use an alternative, who knows. The active component there is sodium ascorbate, which you can buy in pure form in some health food stores, usually much cheaper than buying commercial vitamin C tablets. The only reason Vitamin C tabs are used in these formulas is that you can acquire small amounts and use the stuff for its intended purpose when you get tired of "experimenting" with film at $7 a pop or paper at 50 cents a sheet.
UPDT
Dude what's going on with your mixed colour temperatures in your red safe light @ 09.45mins? Respectfully, I'm guessing you were locked down during COVID...
So you used regular paper for the film itself??
He used photo sensitive paper. Its usually used for making prints in the darkroom, but you can use it as “film” as well. Its fairly inexpensive and very fun to mess around with.
Hi can I use paper a4 ? Pleas 😢
Does this work for color film or just BALCK and white
I tried color and it sort of worked but I say longer time or just correct timing
Hello Thanks for your video, Question: would this process work with positive direct paper? please reply Thanks Marco in the USA
My personal take on this right or wrong is, it's kind of amazing how we have all these developers today for simple B&W developing with claims of this or that when in essence developer is developer. What really matters is paper/film, exposure, developing and fixer times. Developer either develops or it doesn't. Fixer either fixes or it doesn't.
Expose a sheet of luminous plotter film and take a digital photo of it glowing. Easy way to capture an image or check for light leaks in a medium format or large format camera. No chemicals needed. Similar exposure as a UV dry plate and re-usable.
Thank you, Brendan! Does this work for 135 & 120 films?
I don’t see why this wouldn’t but it’s a question I would like to know the answer to as well I assume so but it’s worth trying
The caffenol developer does, but i personally use ilford rapid fix as to not have to fix my negatives for a whole day
@@sirwilliamofe for how long you need to keep your film in caffenol? is there any rule? sorry im new to the thing
I’ve used this method twice now using phot paper from my pinhole camera and the first photo was way over exposed and the second photos where way under exposed. I’m trying it again right now. Any idea what’s going on?
It's a normal paper or a sensitive paper , where I live I can't get this kind of paper 😞and on internet is too expensive that I couldn't afford it , how could replace the sensitive paper?
How do we remove the staning from coffee , did anyone knew.
I think the chemistry of that is possible, but impractically complex.
I believe that it would be much easier to digitize your prints and negatives and alter them by computer.
can i do this for 120 film too? instead of the chemicals to I put these materials?
Does this work for developing canister flim
Muy interesante tu vídeo.
Una buena manera de aprender y entretenerse.
Saludos desde España.
Will this process work with Black & White negative film rolls of Fomapan 200?
Caffenol process works for B/W developing only .
@@Aaaaggg300 Ok, so that means it will work for the above mentioned film.
@@SourojitBh yes it will work just fine . A quick google search says if you’re developing Color you’re gonna end up with sepia tone
“ (Caffenol developer is restricted to black & white film and while you could use it to develop color film, know that you will end up with sepia tone negatives.) “
How are you sourcing films bro ?
My photo paper is Ilford MGRC (Multigrade Resin Coated) and I wonder if I can use as a safelight in the dark room simply a red hiking head lamp, like the author of the video. The package of my photo paper says it requires "safelight 902 (light brown)". What safelights do you use and for what photo papers?
I bet you could just try one sheet and see how it goes, if you haven't already. You can shroud the headlamp with cloth or paper towel to reduce its intensity.
That sharper then a digital camera wow that sharp
I am also surprised with the sharpness he got feom that magnifying glass lens. I believe the key was the reduced aperture.
Fantastic work. Thanks for sharing
Does this work for b/w photographic film?
does this expire - can i reuse for couple of weeks
does this work in film cameras? like film rolls
Is this fixer with saltwater can be also used for patersons tank?
Was that just any ol paper or how did u make it? I can't find anything on how film paper is made
how many mg of vitamin c?
Nice video! Thanks
Brilliant! Felicitaciones! Greetings from Peru!
ah mate, this is fantastic - such a cool project!
Great job!
can i use bicarbonate soda instead of soda crystals?
Read related comment above
amazing
WTF?
thanks sir for this video
I am assuming this should work with 35 mm
Caffenol yes, table salt as fixer no
Works on film?
very nice, thanks!
what is that red light you have in the darkroom?
lol
@@eugene8524 “lol” without an explanation is pretty ignorant.
Great tips
UM!
Very interesting, and I"m about to go look at the earlier video about the Camera Obscura.
I'm trying to figure out what the US equivalent to "Soda Crystals" or washing soda is.....never heard of it before.
Is it the same as "Baking soda" I wonder?
Washing soda is sodium carbonate, baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Conveniently, you can bake baking soda in the oven, on a baking tray, 200F for an hour and a half and you’re left with washing soda!
i love your style please share more if you'll have time :D
does anyone know if this also works with color film??
Yes and no, you can develop color negative film with caffenol, obviously, it will come out as a b&w, besides, the negatives will have low contrast and may be foggy. Maybe with a longer development time you can get a bit more of contrast, but most surely the result will be... far from optimal.
There are a couple of recipes for developing c41 with caffenol and hair dye to actually get a color negative film. Again, the results are not quite good and should be used more as an experimental process and having some fun. Here caffenolcolor.blogspot.com/2016/02/color-from-scratch.html
What I like to do is develop c41 in standard b&w chemicals, the results are actually good, but they change according to the developer you are using and the times. Generally the negatives come out with low contrast, but can be easily fixed in lightroom or photoshop. Here's another guide darkshape.blogspot.com/2011/12/49-guide-to-developing-c-41-films-in-b.html
Ps: I haven't used the salt water fixer, tho. But I don't think it can yield good results for film, even less for a c41 developed in caffenol.
Anyways, have fun!
Simply answer: No! And because of the lack of any real fixing, it would'not work on B&W film if you wanted to keep it for any time.
I made a caffeinol solution at home and took a negative with a box camera with a shutter, but the problem I'm having after taking pictures is when I try to show the negative in the caffeinol, the photo darkens very quickly and becomes completely black within seconds, although I made the solution very accurately and kind Paper is the new ilford And when I put the negative and the positive on top of each other and light the lamp the pictures do not appear either, where is the problem and the solution. Please reply, thanks.
The problem is not in the way you did the solution, but in the process of taking the photo itself. If the first photo became dark (the one you will use as a negative) it simply means it was overexposed. Too much light going in and burning the paper.
You can either use a much faster shutter speed, or a smaller aperture. Or a combination of both.
The photo it will fade after few years. What an improvement. Poverty is the future.
Proper fixer isn't too expensive, but most formulations have a short shelf life.