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Lesson Plans


Re: Help with color film developing

From: GTBlack
Date: Tue Jun 20 2000 - 19:55:50 PDT

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    Yikes.
    I used to work in a lab and teach hs courses. You've got you're work cut out
    for you. In answer to your questions:

    - It is possible to expose color paper in a bw enlarger. You just have to be
    able to balance the color of the bulb - you can do that with cyan, magenta,
    yellow filters. The problem with the hand held filters is that they scratch
    easy, so they will need to go between the neg and the lamp, rather than below
    the lens (which is what most people are used to doing in bw). A better way is
    to have a color head where you can dial in color.....the best solution is to
    have a mini-lab that lets you preview cropping and color balance.

    - Color prints have to be exposed and processed in total darkness and it
    takes awhile to do all that in the dark. That's why a self-contained
    mini-lab is optimal. I never tried color with high school because we had 50
    minute periods, which was only enough to run one or two test prints.

    - In bw printing there is a great deal of forgiveness when it comes to
    processing (Ansel Adams would take issue with me, but he never taught in a
    high school photo lab). You can put out a tray of developer and replenish or
    replace it after a hundred prints or so. Towards the end, the prints won't
    be showing their true black, but you may still get acceptable work. Color is
    a different story. When it starts to age, the color will shift and other
    very ugly things will happen..... a subject who sat for a bw portrait that is
    washed out may still want it.... but if somebody has their picture taken and
    the picture comes out with a green tint because of bad processing, they will
    think its hideous.

    - Yes, you need a rolling tank. The constant agitation ensures fresh
    chemicals are always in contact with the surface.

    - Color printing offers twice the opportunity to mess up. The color can
    tweak during processing of the negatives....as well as during processing of
    the prints (on slides there is just one run to get to your final product).
    You need accurate temp control. If the temp fluctuates, the colors will
    shift.

    - There are alot of photo chemicals that pose health risks and this should be
    a real concern. I think C41 still has a stabilizer process that uses a
    formaldehyde concentrate..... formaldehyde is a carcinogen. BW isn't as bad,
    but as I used to tell my students...."Do you really want to stick your hands
    into something the local fire department considers toxic waste?" .... and
    ... "It doesn't have to hurt you to kill you." Kodak used to publish safety
    guidelines for educators. You might be able to get something from OSHA.

    Geoff Black

    In a message dated 6/20/00 8:15:23 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
    buerklej.fl.us writes:

    > I am slated to teach color film developing next semester. Just one
    problem.
    > I
    > don't know how. I have developed color slides extensively, and of course,
    B/
    > W.
    > We have a fine darkroom, good enlarger, etc. But I am clueless where to
    > begin.
    > I've looked for some websites, but all are either B/W or digital. I guess
    > teaching color photography is kind of like teaching lithographs now...
    > archaic,
    > but still has merit. Has anyone done this? What I really need to know is
    > how
    > it differs from B/W and what I need to buy.
    >
    > Thanks in advance.. 

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