View Full Version : Film development backlog
When I'm shooting B&W film that I develop myself, I sometimes get behind on the development cycle. I have 5 rolls of undeveloped Tri-X sitting on the shelf as I write this -- it's gardening season and photography has taken a back seat for awhile.
How do you handle it when you get a film backlog? Do you keep shooting? Switch to C-41? Switch to digital until the backlog clears??
Gene
wlewisiii
05-25-2005, 17:12
I keep shooting. I've got about 20 rolls I need to get caught up with... :eek: :bang:
That's in addition to the C41...
William
William, that's a lot of undeveloped film! Maybe I should relax :D
Gene
back alley
05-25-2005, 17:15
over 20 years my backlog has grown considerably...
if i have stuff to process and it starts to grow i have a tank that can do 8 at a time.
used to have 2 of those but bj got one in the divorce, er, i mean sale.
keep shooting. there is always winter to look forward to for in the house processing time.
joe
Keep shooting. Winogrand had something like a 1000 rolls of unprocessed film when he died. Now that's a backlog! :)
That's one mighty big tank, Joe. I have a 5-roll Paterson tank but my 5 rolls of film were exposed at different iso settings so I need at least 3 different developing sessions to clear the backlog. It's not the development that bothers me as much as the subsequent scanning...
I confess that when I get behind I switch to digital until I get caught up again. I guess I could use an RD-1 :D
Gene
Keep shooting. Winogrand had something like a 1000 rolls of unprocessed film when he died. Now that's a backlog! :)
Yes, but is that a Good Thing[tm] ?? :D
Gene
back alley
05-25-2005, 17:22
i (used to) have a bad habit of averaging the times for any of the films i might have been using and doing them all together in the big tank.
wasn't so bad...
joe
Yes, but is that a Good Thing[tm] ?? :D
Gene
Probably not, but he NEVER stopped shooting, backlog or not. :) There has to be a limit though. At some point you need to review what you were doing and self critique your efforts, but where's that line? hmmm...
i (used to) have a bad habit of averaging the times for any of the films i might have been using and doing them all together in the big tank.
wasn't so bad...
joe
Sounds like the perfect time for a Diafine plug to me. ;)
Counting the pour times, you will be turning out a tank full of film every 8 to 10 minutes.
Easy. :)
Tom
wlewisiii
05-25-2005, 18:14
Diafine is why I'll get caught up :D I can use it with a changing bag in the kitchen while still taking care of my 3 year old.
William
Sounds like the perfect time for a Diafine plug to me. ;)
Counting the pour times, you will be turning out a tank full of film every 8 to 10 minutes.
Easy. :)
Tom
Are you on commission? ;)
I have 3 right now, and will have another 3 or 4 after this weekend. Good new is that only one can't swim in Diafine. So yes, I will catch up quickly when I have just a little time.
titrisol
05-26-2005, 04:36
I actually like to have a few rolls for development if I plan to use DDX.
I have 3 2-roll tanks, so I can so up to 6 rolls in one session. I prepare 1l of DDx 1+4 and then develop each set of rolls, adding 10% to the 3rd set. No problems so far, and helps with the eocnomy.
My problem now is having 15+ pages of negaives that I have not printed!!!
Darkroom time is a premiuim for me, using a bathroom and having 2 little kids
phototone
05-26-2005, 05:32
Well, I have a darkroom, being that I am a pro photographer with a studio. When I shoot b/w, for my personal work, I can hardly wait to see the results. I have been known to process at 2 AM, so negs will be dry for scanning the next morning. I don't let myself get a backlog.
I've got one roll of 120 TX and three 35mm TX to develop. Got to mix new chemicals this weekend.
Well, I have a darkroom, being that I am a pro photographer with a studio. When I shoot b/w, for my personal work, I can hardly wait to see the results. I have been known to process at 2 AM, so negs will be dry for scanning the next morning. I don't let myself get a backlog.
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who doesn't like a backlog. I'm the same -- I want to see them asap.
Gene
cp_ste.croix
05-26-2005, 06:29
i read (in an article linked to this site) that Winnogrand left his film purposefully for at least a year before processing in order that he might be emotionally divorced from the shots and thereby be a better editor of them...
something to think about i guess.
i read (in an article linked to this site) that Winnogrand left his film purposefully for at least a year before processing in order that he might be emotionally divorced from the shots and thereby be a better editor of them...
something to think about i guess.
That's waaaay to "artistic" for me.
i read (in an article linked to this site) that Winnogrand left his film purposefully for at least a year before processing in order that he might be emotionally divorced from the shots and thereby be a better editor of them...
something to think about i guess.
This is probably getting OT.
What's interesting is Szarkowski, in the preface to Winogrand: Figments of the Real World, suggests that toward the end this habit may have worked against Winogrand, as it resulted in technical and compositional mistakes compounding, since the feedback wasn't there. Szarkowski paints a sad picture of Winogrand in the eighties, and seems to attribute the huge backlog to other personal matters.
canonetc
05-26-2005, 08:11
...What's interesting is Szarkowski, in the preface to Winogrand: Figments of the Real World, suggests that toward the end this habit may have worked against Winogrand, as it resulted in technical and compositional mistakes compounding, since the feedback wasn't there. Szarkowski paints a sad picture of Winogrand in the eighties, and seems to attribute the huge backlog to other personal matters.
Interesting is right. TOATQ, when I'm backlogged the only thing I can do is wait until I have time to process. I try to keep the film in a cool place (not the fridge) and sometimes wonder how many silver molecules are flying away from the film, how fast my images are degrading. Of course I come back to reality and realize it would take 200 years for it to go blank, so I stop stressing myself.
Re: RayPA's comment on Winogrand, I think this brings up the issue(again) of conservative vs. lots of shooting; from all the RFF heroes we adore, how many of their lame shots were tossed for the 1-2 money shots? Is it better to burn a lot of film (thus being backlogged).....or shoot conservatively (processing 1-2 rolls per week)? Which act improves your shooting in the long run? Both? Neither?
Makes me wonder what Winogrand had on those 1000 rolls....and which ones would actually end up in a book. Is film backlog due to getting a dozen good images of one or more subjects/events....or only due to impulsive shooting in the hopes of getting one or two....?
I think the bar should be raised and examined by each individual as to what they are shooting and why (unless it's as simple as "because it's fun." Then no personal examination of the issue is necesssary). I'm not referring to ANY images in our RFF Galleries; I think this is a personal decision to be made by any photgrapher intent on improving their skills. But, since photography is one of the free-est artforms, in the end what one does, shooting more or shooting less, is a personal choice of freedom.
cheers
chris
canonetc
canonetc
05-26-2005, 08:13
by the way, TOATQ means "TO Answer The Question". Sorry for any confusion!
cp_ste.croix
05-26-2005, 10:12
i'm not saying that Winnogrand's technique works for me, merely that one might reframe a negative situation into a possible positive. i agree with chris (canonetc) that everyone should be encouraged to figure out, for themselves, what works for them as a means of improvement.
I know that i usually prefer to have feedback within two weeks or so, though often, continuous shooting is enough to improve my framing and eye. when i travel, i never develop until i get home, which is sometimes 2-3 months and lots of rolls, and i've not had too many major problems perpetuate themselves through the entire set of pictures...
cp_ste.croix
05-26-2005, 10:14
by the way, TOATQ means "TO Answer The Question". Sorry for any confusion!
you know, i just got the hang of lol and rotflmao...
what is YMMV (i think that's it) ?
you know, i just got the hang of lol and rotflmao...
what is YMMV (i think that's it) ?
YMMV = Your mileage may vary.
I don't want to think about my backlog. I have about seventy rolls that I have to develop, mostly because I have moved twice in the past two years. That reminds me, I have to buy some new reels because I haven't been able to find mine. *sigh*
TPPhotog
05-26-2005, 10:32
I keep shooting as normal and throw the backlog in the fridge (don't tell my wife), I eventually catch up for one reason or other when I can't get out to shoot.
Are you on commission? ;)
I have 3 right now, and will have another 3 or 4 after this weekend. Good new is that only one can't swim in Diafine. So yes, I will catch up quickly when I have just a little time.
I need to check with somebody about that. :D
I know I sound like a Diafine pimp, but coming back to it many years ago after a long time whoring around with every developer under the sun made me realize just how good it was. Diafine gives me absolute consistency (something VERY hard to do with most other developers) with minimal effort. It does a wonderful job on the films *I* like to shoot. I'd rather be shooting than developing and I don't know of ANY other developer that is faster to set up and use.
What more can you ask?
Will it do everything? No. But then, nothing will.
Will it do all *I* need it to do? Yes. And that's good enough.
Tom
PS: I was pretty amazed when I first logged on here that more people didn't use Diafine. That is, considering the number of street shooters drawn to rangefinders. It suits street shooters right down to the ground.
as mentioned, Winogrand backlogged his film with a purpose .... he most certainly didn't switch to C41 !
And if gardening gets in the way just make a choice, have your geraniums underdevelop or build up your backlog ... who needs geraniums anyway !
I shoot at least one film on a daily base, sometimes 3 or 4 I always develop them directly, now how much time does this cost me ? .... developing, pre-washing, fix and stop, not even 20 minutes .... getting the film on the frigging spools, up to 2 hours .... (just kidding) ... It's just what you want to do, and it's all up to yourself, thats the good thing about it ....
It's called a hobby (for most) no pressure.....
My girlfriend/partner used to moan about the time I spent on photography ... this was really a bitch ....
I found out what she likes to see, and shoot 20% of my shots on her subjects.... she loves it... I do baby shots (hmpfffff) I photograph her girlfriends in funny positions, she loves that too... and it's just a little effort, but will give you a permanent pass to your darkroom .....
My reasons for a backlog...
1. it's just too often disappointing when you rush home to process those shots you think are going to be so great. Better to wait a few months, grab a few rolls at random and be surprised by something unexpected.
2. Developing film is just about the most boring thing in the world. Watch clock/ tilt can/ repeat.
... Developing film is just about the most boring thing in the world. Watch clock/ tilt can/ repeat
... try turning it into an art ... !
Oh, the art is in turning the tank? All these years I was thinking it had sometining to do seeing and pointing the damn camera. Maybe that's why my pictures are disappointing. Thanks for the help, Jarvis.
By the way, I loved Saltzburg.
...
Makes me wonder what Winogrand had on those 1000 rolls...chris
canonetc
I checked the book here is what Szarkowski says about Winogrand's backlog (I paraphrase): at the time of his death (1984)...more than 2500 rolls of exposed/undeveolped film...6500 rolls developed but not proofed...3000 contact sheets (apparently unedited [not marked])...he developed 8,522 rolls while in L.A. and made more than a million exposures during that time that he never looked at. :eek:
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