AboutDave Nyce Expertise I have used SLR cameras for 30 years and have taught classes on photography at work for my co-workers. I had a darkroom for 20 years, but now am using mostly digital cameras. I can answer questions on equipment and techniques for photography, but am not an expert on specific model numbers of cameras or accessories.
Question Hi Dave,
I used to use disposables as a kid but got a good DSLR as a 20-something with the right to blow my money as I so please.
But the one thing I never got to know dropping the rolls of at the pharmacy was how exactly film is printed. (If someday I want to shoot an develop my own film). I have scoured the internet and figured out up to the developed film is drying on the rack, then what? What is the machine or process of turning the developed roll into large, single sheets to put on the wall?
Thanks a lot,
Andrew.
Answer I'll start with the film, even though you're familiar with it. Film is a clear plastic strip onto which are deposited light sensitive chemicals (called the emulsion). When exposed to light, some of the chemicals are changed so that they will not be as easily washed away by a developer fluid as the chemicals that were not exposed to the light (with color film, there are several types of chemicals so they are affected by different colors of light). When processing, a developer fluid washes away some of the chemicals of the emulsion, allowing an image to form of the remaining emulsion. Other fluids are then used to stop the developing (stop bath) and to harden the image (fixer) so that it will last longer. You end up with a negative, so that darker areas of the actual scene appear as lighter parts of the image on the emulsion, etc. After processing, the film is dried.
To make a print from the negative, a white paper is used onto which light-sensitive chemicals have been deposited (photographic paper). Using an enlarger, a white light is focused so that it passes through a lens, onto the negative, and forms an image on the surface of the photo paper. The enlarger lens is adjusted to form an image of the desired size. The light intensity and time of being turned-on is adjusted to provide the proper exposure for the photo paper. After exposure (in a dark room), a similar developing process (developer, stop bath, fixer, etc.) is used to develop the image on the paper. The print is dried afterwards.
