Developing my own film

Although it may seem easy I have come to realize that developing and processing color film is not an easy task. For you to have a successful process, a lot of things have to go right. Here are some of the thing you need to consider.

1. The developing chemicals have to be mixed  right.
2. Bath temperature needs to be correct for the chemical process to work
3. Timing of the process is the most critical of all.

Once I have this in place and I have checked the temperature, I’m usually ready to start. I develop in batches i.e 5 to 6 rolls at once and usually try to develop the same film type. I’ve tried mixing different kind of film types in the past and I’ve had mixed results. So now, I just shoot with a batch of film from the same box and develop them together.

For processing, I use JOBO CPE2.  My JOBO does not have the lift.  So, I manually lift and empty the tank after each process in the step.  I procure my processing chemical from Freestylephoto.  After developing I store the spent chemicals and dispose of them at the local processing center in Austin.  I try to avoid spilling down the drain.

I’ve had a lot of misses over the years while developing and I have not  yet perfected it.. Still a work in progress.