THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EYE

influences, such as incorrect exposure
or exhausted chemicals.
Try this method, counting
slowly from 1 to 5: On 1, twist
the tank clockwise. On 2, twist it
counter-clockwise. On 3, turn it
upside down. On 4, turn it right
side up. On 5, bang it down on
a hard surface.
4. Begin pouring the developer out
of the tank 15 seconds before the
end of the processing time.
Unless instructed to do otherwise,
pour the developer down the
drain. You generally will not
want to use it again.
5. Immediately after pouring all the
developer out, fill the tank with
the pre-mixed stop bath, cap the
tank and agitate it once.
6. Leave the film in the stop bath
for about 30 seconds, with some
agitation. Then pour it down the
drain.
7. Fill the tank with fixer and
follow the timing and agitation
instructions.
The same rules apply to fixing as
to developing: Follow the instructions
exactly. Though precise timing
is less important with the
fixer, you should not a/low yourself
to get careless. Poorly fixed
film will be just as ruined as
poorly developed film.
Generally, you will fix the film
for about 5 minutes, agitating for
10 seconds at I-minute intervals.
You may open the film canister
in dim light during fixing. However,
try to resist the urge to
"peek." If you've messed up the
processing, there's nothing you
can do about it now.
8. Pour out the fixer.
You may want to re-use your
fixer. Do not, however, mix used
and fresh fixer unless specifically
instructed to do so. (It's a/I right
to do this if all the fixer will be
used and disposed of within a relatively
short period of time. It's
not all right if it will be stored for
a while.)
9. Wash the film for the specified
time.
The simplest way to do this is to
remove the lop and place the tank
under running water, draining it
at regular intervals to ensure a
complete wash.
10. Soak the film in the wetting
agent.
Do not remove the film from the
reel yet. Just pour the wetting
agent into the developing tank
after pouring out the water.
Plunge the reel up and down a
few times to ensure that the film
is evenly coated. Lift the reel out
of the tank and shake it gently.
Pour the wetting agent back into
its container if you plan to use it
again soon; otherwise discard it.
11. Remove the film from the reel
and hang it up to dry in a dustfree
space.
Hang the film so the last frame
is at the top (which will make it
easier to file once it's dry). Let the
film dry overnight, and do not
touch it again until it is dry.
The "dust wars" begin as soon
as you hang your film up to dry.
If the drying area is kept absolutely
clean, you'll have a good
head start. If, on the other hand,
it's even slightly dusty, you'll
probably never win. If your film
has dust on it after drying, try to
think of ways to correct the problem,
or locate a better drying
space.
12. Cut the film into strips and insert
them into a negative file.
You have not finished processing
your film until this vital step is
complete. Never leave processed
film hanging or rolled up or lying
around any longer than absolutely
necessary. (The dust wars
require constant vigilance.)
Using the Negative File
Negative files generally hold either 5
or 6 frames per row and have 7 rows
per sheet. The 5-frame-per-row
variety with holes to fit a standard
3-ring binder is very handy. Unfortunately,
it holds only 35 exposures,
so you'll probably want to limit
yourself to 35 shots per roll of film,
so you don't have one too many
frames for the file. The easiest way
to do this is to advance the film until
the frame-counter reads "2" before
you take your first shot. You can
then trim off the excess leader after
processing, and you won't have to
remember to stop at your 35th shot.
To use the file, fill in the label area
with the date, assignment and file
number, using a ball-point pen.
While the film is still hanging, cut
off the leader (which should be at the
bottom). Then count the number of
frames that your file holds per row
(5 or 6) and cut them off. Take care
to cut precisely along the narrow
band between frames, so you don't
trim off part of the image area.
With the label of the file facing
you, slip the film into the first row
with the "hump" up (i.e., with the
emulsion side down). Repeat until the
whole roll has been placed in the file.
Processing 231