The DARKROOM COOKBOOK, Third Edition

Film Development
It is the photographer’s job to see more intensely than most people do. He must keep
in him something of the child who looks at the world for the fi rst time or of the traveler
who enters a strange country.
—Bill Brandt, 1948
The choice of which fi lm developer to use is perhaps the single most important decision a
photographer can make. Film developers directly affect the sharpness (acutance), graininess,
tonal scale, and contrast of the image. All are interdependent. For example, fi lm developers
that maximize sharpness do so at the cost of increased graininess. High-energy fi lm developers
shorten the tonal scale of a negative, and soft-working developers, while extending the
scale, lower the contrast.
For landscape and architectural work, a developer rendering maximum acutance is generally
preferred. Portraits often require a softer look, with fi ner, more rounded grain.
Enlarging equipment must also be taken into account. Condenser enlargers emphasize
contrast and crispness. A photographer using a condenser system may prefer a softer negative
with lower grain acutance. Diffusion enlargers generally work best with negatives that
exhibit maximum sharpness. With diffusion systems, graininess is not usually as important
because diffused light has a tendency to mask it. In the following sections, developers will be
discussed according to their specializations or unique qualities.
EMULSION TYPES
Three distinct emulsion types are used to make fi lm for pictorial black and white photography.
The fi lms mentioned are not exhaustive but given to represent fi lms in each category.
The emulsion types are:
● Old-style emulsions which are represented by Efke® 25, 50, and 100. These are fi lms coated using
technology from the 1960s and are the last of their kind. The grain in these fi lms appears like
microscopic pebbles and is known as cubic crystal grain. These fi lms rely entirely on the light sensitivity
of silver halide suspended in gelatin to create the fi lm's speed or ISO. In general, they have
less hardener than other emulsion types, which means they must be handled carefully when wet.
If an acid fi xer is used it should contain hardener or a liquid hardener should be added.
These are good fi lms to use for Zone System–style expansion and contractions particularly
with large format. They also respond well to variations in developers.
Elsewhere in the Cookbook these will be referred to as old-style emulsions.
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