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B&W film development

Push, pull and density control

There's no single correct development. There's the one each photograph needs. In this workshop you learn to control negative density: standard development, push and pull. Two rolls, four hours.

There’s no single correct development

Standard developer and manufacturer timings are a starting point, not a destination. An underexposed film needs push development to recover density. An overexposed one needs pull to avoid blown highlights. And a correctly exposed film can be developed in many different ways depending on the result you’re after.

In this workshop we work on the relationship between exposure, temperature and development time. Not as theory — as practice: two rolls, two processes, two results that we compare directly on the light box.

Contents

The negative and its density

  • How the negative forms: the oxidation-reduction reaction
  • Density, contrast and acutance: the three dimensions of the negative
  • Reading the negative: shadows, midtones and highlights
  • The light meter and exposure: the foundation we develop from

Push and pull

  • Deliberate underexposure and push development: when and why
  • Overexposure and pull development: controlling contrast
  • Effects on grain: why pushing increases grain
  • Basic zone system: the relationship between exposure and development

Development variables

  • Temperature: every degree counts
  • Time: manufacturer tables as a starting point
  • Dilution: concentrated vs. highly diluted
  • Agitation: continuous, intermittent, none (stand development)

Practice with two rolls

Each participant works with two rolls. The first is developed at standard — as a reference. The second with a different process: push +1 or +2 stops, pull, elevated temperature, extreme dilution. At the end we compare the dry negatives on the light box and read the results.

What’s included

  • 2 rolls of 35mm B&W film (ISO 400 recommended)
  • All chemicals: developer, stop bath, fixer
  • Developing spiral and tank available if you don’t have one
  • Use of the darkroom

What to bring

  • Nothing. If you have your own exposed rolls at a different ISO you want to test, bring them along.

Not included

  • Additional rolls (available at Llumàtics, €12/roll)
  • Paper prints of the negatives (Darkroom Printing workshop)
  • Digitisation (optional, +€15)

Fitxa del taller

Objectiu
Master B&W film development with your own criteria: understand the relationship between exposure, temperature and time to get the negative your photograph needs.
Metodologia
Hands-on lab work with two rolls per participant. One is developed at standard; the other is used to experiment with push, pull and temperature variations.
Resultat
Two rolls developed with different processes. Practical understanding of how development variables affect negative density, grain and contrast.
Prerequisits
Having developed film at least once before. Able to load the spiral and follow timings independently. If you've never developed, start with the Introduction to Film Development workshop.
A qui va dirigit
Analogue photographers who already develop and want to go further: understanding why a negative comes out too dense, flat or grainy — and knowing how to fix it.

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