After my Tutorial on wednesday with both David and Graham it came to my attention that digital printing and layout is not the way I should be spending the rest of my time in Com Tech, although they are practical skills and well worth learning I feel that I should attempt to perfect my photography skills as a primary goal first. For instance I have little to no knowledge of Photoshop and so will be spending some of my remaining time looking at basic photo editing and manipulation. It was also suggested that I could try assisting another photographer on a shoot in order to learn the process of studio photography and the organisation skills I would need. I will start this by looking at online tutorials and speaking to the technicians, such as Mike Flowers, and other students in order to learn more about photo editing. I will also be hopefully assisting Vicky Kortekas on at least one shoot for her own com tech project, this will befit both her as a studio using photographer and myself as a student learning the tricks of the trade.
Due to this change of plan and reversion to photographic techniques I have blogged all of the printing and making posts together consecutively followed to avoid confusion, posts from now on will be based again around photographic techniques.
Printing Evaluation
Overall I have learned quite a lot even though only looking at two companies and printing 3 documents and I feel that if I was going to print a photobook or zine at a later date that I would definitely use the Digital Print Partnership and would pick either the saddle stitched notebooks or perfect bound documents based on the number of pages and content of the document. Also depending on the size of the print run I have learned that I could print zine or booklets as cheap as £1-£2.50 depending on size, quality and type of binding and so making and selling is not out of the question as most zines are around £5 with or without postage. This means I could get my work out there but also make back my costs and make some profit but this is something I will look into at a later date.
DPP Perfect Binding Test
The second Digital Print Partnership service I tested were the Perfect Bound Documents, the initial process is exactly the same in the way that you pick document size, paper weights and finishes etc and then you are given a brief overview and shown prices. Again prices are high for a single document but you can get multiples for the same price as once and large scale prints increase the price at regular but fair intervals. The rest of the details are the same as the previous order with DPP and so wil lnotbe reapted.
Again the overall finish is very good and the perfect binding gives a professional look to the document straight away, furthermore the thicker cover gives an extra layer of protection and makes the whole thing seem more substantial. This is a very strong product but one that I feel suits larger scale documents of 30 or 40 pages and does not work so well with anything less than 20 or so. The choice of paper weights is slightly limited for perfect bound documents but this is not a problem and the overall product is very strong. The only real problem is that during the printing process the inside front and back pages got misaligned and so everything is about 1cm lower than it should be, DPP offered to rectify this and reprint the document which again shows that they have a strong level of customer care and quality control. The pictures included in this are from a trip to Amsterdam in Easter and again the layout was kept the same for direct comparisons.
I also took this opportunity to place the two DPP documents side by side and make comparisons, both documents are the same size but the perfect bound is far more substantial. Here you can also see the bleed through on the stapled booklet due to the thin paper and cleaner lines and better visual appearance of the perfect bound document. Obviously the perfect bound document is more desirable but it does come at a costlier price.
Evaluation
Again this is a very high quality product and is reasonably priced if you intend to make more than at least 5, however I do feel that due to the nature of the book it lends itself to larger scale documents as previously mentioned. My only real problem is that due to the nature of the binding it is hard to open the document wide to fully see the pictures and you are at risk of splitting the spine by pushing it too far.
Again the overall finish is very good and the perfect binding gives a professional look to the document straight away, furthermore the thicker cover gives an extra layer of protection and makes the whole thing seem more substantial. This is a very strong product but one that I feel suits larger scale documents of 30 or 40 pages and does not work so well with anything less than 20 or so. The choice of paper weights is slightly limited for perfect bound documents but this is not a problem and the overall product is very strong. The only real problem is that during the printing process the inside front and back pages got misaligned and so everything is about 1cm lower than it should be, DPP offered to rectify this and reprint the document which again shows that they have a strong level of customer care and quality control. The pictures included in this are from a trip to Amsterdam in Easter and again the layout was kept the same for direct comparisons.
I also took this opportunity to place the two DPP documents side by side and make comparisons, both documents are the same size but the perfect bound is far more substantial. Here you can also see the bleed through on the stapled booklet due to the thin paper and cleaner lines and better visual appearance of the perfect bound document. Obviously the perfect bound document is more desirable but it does come at a costlier price.
Evaluation
Again this is a very high quality product and is reasonably priced if you intend to make more than at least 5, however I do feel that due to the nature of the book it lends itself to larger scale documents as previously mentioned. My only real problem is that due to the nature of the binding it is hard to open the document wide to fully see the pictures and you are at risk of splitting the spine by pushing it too far.
DPP Saddle Stitched Booklet Test
The Digital Print Partnership offer a simple to use service in which you can pick everything from paper size and thickness to lamination and paper coating in order to give you the exact product that you want. Once selected it shows you an overview of all your choices and upon accepting that it asks how many pages and copies you would like. The price updates automatically upon changing either value and even tells you the cost per unit. Again this is fairly expensive for single copies but printing multiples results in much cheaper prices, for instance it is the same price to get 8 copies as it is to print 1 in the scenario shown above.
Upon finalising your choices you upload your PDF to your website and you are told the exact cost involving VAT and postage and also given an estimated delivery date, this is normally within 5 days. The biggest difference between this and Newspaper Club is that instead of paying at the time of ordering they send you a monthly invoice, however you can opt to pay this at whatever point you would like. My assumption is that they use this system as their products are more geared to business style transactions and it is the most appropriate way to deal with taking money.
The overall impression fo the document is very good, cleanly cut and stapled spine, high quality images and all round strong presentation. I chose the thinnest paper as I thought it would be cheapest but in retrospect I could have gotten much higher quality paper and coating for the same price. Although the finished product looks good I feel it could be vastly improved with the previously mentioned changes. In comparison to the newspaper it is a much more practically sized document and is more substantial, furthermore it is more cost effective to get these printed either in bulk or in smaller runs and so it seems like a more viable option depending on the document. The images featured in this are a selection of photos from various wild swimming excursions throughout the summer and the layout has been matched as much as possible to that of the Paris newspaper.
Evaluation
The service offered by DPP was of a very high quality, as was the finished product, the only minor is that the paper is very thin however this was an error by myself and I would definitely invest in thicker and/or coated paper next time as it is the same price. The document is very well made and shows precision production, I would say that the overall impact is stronger than that of the newspaper and would be better for large runs and in terms of selling as a collection of photos. The only other problem is that some of them arrived with slight creased through them, but due to the nature of the packaging I am assuming that this happened during transit. I raised the issue with DPP and they assured me that they only send out goods to the highest quality and even offered a reprint and so I cannot complain about their customer service at all.
Upon finalising your choices you upload your PDF to your website and you are told the exact cost involving VAT and postage and also given an estimated delivery date, this is normally within 5 days. The biggest difference between this and Newspaper Club is that instead of paying at the time of ordering they send you a monthly invoice, however you can opt to pay this at whatever point you would like. My assumption is that they use this system as their products are more geared to business style transactions and it is the most appropriate way to deal with taking money.The overall impression fo the document is very good, cleanly cut and stapled spine, high quality images and all round strong presentation. I chose the thinnest paper as I thought it would be cheapest but in retrospect I could have gotten much higher quality paper and coating for the same price. Although the finished product looks good I feel it could be vastly improved with the previously mentioned changes. In comparison to the newspaper it is a much more practically sized document and is more substantial, furthermore it is more cost effective to get these printed either in bulk or in smaller runs and so it seems like a more viable option depending on the document. The images featured in this are a selection of photos from various wild swimming excursions throughout the summer and the layout has been matched as much as possible to that of the Paris newspaper.
Evaluation
The service offered by DPP was of a very high quality, as was the finished product, the only minor is that the paper is very thin however this was an error by myself and I would definitely invest in thicker and/or coated paper next time as it is the same price. The document is very well made and shows precision production, I would say that the overall impact is stronger than that of the newspaper and would be better for large runs and in terms of selling as a collection of photos. The only other problem is that some of them arrived with slight creased through them, but due to the nature of the packaging I am assuming that this happened during transit. I raised the issue with DPP and they assured me that they only send out goods to the highest quality and even offered a reprint and so I cannot complain about their customer service at all.
Newspaper Test
The Newspaper Club website is very easy to use and has a helpful pricing page, shown below. The drop down box, in the top left, gives you the option to print anything from 4 to 64 pages and by selecting this the prices below change accordingly. This is quite an expensive process for small scale printing but can get very cheap for large scale print runs.
They do offer an online layout tool but as previously stated I have opted to make my own PDF files for all tests in order to keep the content very similar. For the next step I set about designing a short 12 page paper with pictures from a recent skate trip to Paris, I made this using InDesign using the basic layout skills I learn in the previous zine and book projects. I also received an email the day before printing saying that pixelisation may occur on the larger images and that larger files were requested for optimum quality. Newspaper club print twice a week, tuesday and thursday, and will have the product delivered normally within 5 days of printing - overall a very efficient service. Below are the pictures of my newspaper, as you can see it is typical newspaper dimensions and printed on newsprint as you would expect from a normal newsprint publication.
There are obvious criticisms of this as a final product, for instance it is flimsy and due to the nature of the paper the colours often bleed through but this exactly what is expected with newspaper printing and common faults in any regular newspaper. However the quality of the print itself is very good, the colours are surprisingly vibrant in comparison to the muted tones I was expecting and the overall look and feel is very satisfying.
Evaluation
Overall I would say that I was very pleased with the service I received from Newspaper club both in terms of the end product and their customer service, especially in relation to feedback. The finished product is exactly what you would expect and the only faults I can find are due to the nature of newspaper printing, not due to the actions or qualities of the service they offer. Apart from this it is quite expensive for small runs, but very cheap for larger runs and so it is really dependant on the publication as to wether or not this is appropriate but I feel that a large collection of photos would suit this format very well taking all things into account.
They do offer an online layout tool but as previously stated I have opted to make my own PDF files for all tests in order to keep the content very similar. For the next step I set about designing a short 12 page paper with pictures from a recent skate trip to Paris, I made this using InDesign using the basic layout skills I learn in the previous zine and book projects. I also received an email the day before printing saying that pixelisation may occur on the larger images and that larger files were requested for optimum quality. Newspaper club print twice a week, tuesday and thursday, and will have the product delivered normally within 5 days of printing - overall a very efficient service. Below are the pictures of my newspaper, as you can see it is typical newspaper dimensions and printed on newsprint as you would expect from a normal newsprint publication.There are obvious criticisms of this as a final product, for instance it is flimsy and due to the nature of the paper the colours often bleed through but this exactly what is expected with newspaper printing and common faults in any regular newspaper. However the quality of the print itself is very good, the colours are surprisingly vibrant in comparison to the muted tones I was expecting and the overall look and feel is very satisfying.
Evaluation
Overall I would say that I was very pleased with the service I received from Newspaper club both in terms of the end product and their customer service, especially in relation to feedback. The finished product is exactly what you would expect and the only faults I can find are due to the nature of newspaper printing, not due to the actions or qualities of the service they offer. Apart from this it is quite expensive for small runs, but very cheap for larger runs and so it is really dependant on the publication as to wether or not this is appropriate but I feel that a large collection of photos would suit this format very well taking all things into account.
Research - Printing Companies
After researching and speaking to various people from my course I have found a few companies that I am going to look into in regards to self publishing. My plan is to produce the smallest runs I can of a document for the cheapest cost in order to get a feel about the quality of their products without spending too much money. I am aware that most companies offer a software program via their website to get the best out of their products or allow you to send your own PDF's, as I am reasonably confident with InDesign I will be designing all of the documents myself in order to keep continuity in the content so focus can be kept on the product itself.
Newspaper Club is the first real company I was told about by various friends and previous students, including Andy Jones who still has a few copies of his left for sale. As the name suggests Newspaper Club print newspapers in the traditional way, they can and will print pretty much anything in newspaper format and it seems the more you print the cheaper it gets. Obviously there are limitations such as ink bleeding through and a lack of durability but the process is very cheap and one I will be looking into.
Digital Print Partership (DPP) are a company I found through Google, they print pretty much everything in any format, however it is there saddle stitched brochures and perfect bound documents that I am interested in as they not only offer a wide variety of sizes and paper qualities but also the nature of them lends themselves very well to zines and photobooks. Obviously these are more substantial products and so cost more but the difference in price seems to be worth it, again printing one document can be costly but printing more results in cheaper costs overall. Again the offer help with layout and design software but I will be opting to design my own PDF.
Finally there are Blurb and Ubyu, both of which offer high end book printing and binding. These are the most costly but also the most substantial, I have grouped them together as there end products look to be very similar whereas the previous two were very different. They offer a wide range of sizes, paper thicknesses, lamination/gloss options, covers and pretty much everything else you can think of. However after only browsing through their websites I feel the products they offer are of a much higher quality and higher price than what I was originally looking for and so I will be looking into the other previously mentioned printing companies first.
Newspaper Club is the first real company I was told about by various friends and previous students, including Andy Jones who still has a few copies of his left for sale. As the name suggests Newspaper Club print newspapers in the traditional way, they can and will print pretty much anything in newspaper format and it seems the more you print the cheaper it gets. Obviously there are limitations such as ink bleeding through and a lack of durability but the process is very cheap and one I will be looking into.
Digital Print Partership (DPP) are a company I found through Google, they print pretty much everything in any format, however it is there saddle stitched brochures and perfect bound documents that I am interested in as they not only offer a wide variety of sizes and paper qualities but also the nature of them lends themselves very well to zines and photobooks. Obviously these are more substantial products and so cost more but the difference in price seems to be worth it, again printing one document can be costly but printing more results in cheaper costs overall. Again the offer help with layout and design software but I will be opting to design my own PDF.
Finally there are Blurb and Ubyu, both of which offer high end book printing and binding. These are the most costly but also the most substantial, I have grouped them together as there end products look to be very similar whereas the previous two were very different. They offer a wide range of sizes, paper thicknesses, lamination/gloss options, covers and pretty much everything else you can think of. However after only browsing through their websites I feel the products they offer are of a much higher quality and higher price than what I was originally looking for and so I will be looking into the other previously mentioned printing companies first.
Research - Others Work
As mentioned previously, the work showed earlier is my only real attempts at printing things myself and so serves helpful as a research, the following things are examples of work and companies that are currently doing the things I am interested in.
The first example is this zine Berlin Wallride by David Cooper, it is a simple photo documentary zine of a skate trip to Berlin he and his friends embarked on. It is well printed on thick card but poorly bound and so bows out. As mentioned previously this is more about the end product that the content of zines, however I feel that I may try something similar with photos from my recent skate trip to Paris.
Blood of the Young are a Toronto based blog and printers dedicated to youthful documentary photography and self publishing. They run an online blog that is regularly updated and regularly print both collections of accumulated work and documents dedicated to specific photographers.
Shown below - 'And I Slept Fine Because my Bed Still smells Like Sex With You' by Dimitri Karakostas.
Fourteen-Nineteen are another example of both an online and printed presence in the self publishing world. They are london based and consider themselves as "exploring and exposing young photographic ingenuity', although the name suggests so they do not entirely limit themselves to youth and teenagers but more so the feeling of youth. Below is an example from their collection of books available in their shop.
Self Publish Be Happy are the largest organisation I have looked at so far and are at the forefront of self publishing in the UK. They not only help artists sell books/zines but also feature articles on up and coming artists and projects while also creating their own collections of work and regularly asking for submissions. Although they do not print for people they will gladly sell products that have already been made or give attention to those in the process of being made. Again they have an extensive shop and regularly update their website with everything and anything related to self publishing.
Shown below - 'Self Publish Be Naughty' by Self Publish Be Happy.
The first example is this zine Berlin Wallride by David Cooper, it is a simple photo documentary zine of a skate trip to Berlin he and his friends embarked on. It is well printed on thick card but poorly bound and so bows out. As mentioned previously this is more about the end product that the content of zines, however I feel that I may try something similar with photos from my recent skate trip to Paris.
Blood of the Young are a Toronto based blog and printers dedicated to youthful documentary photography and self publishing. They run an online blog that is regularly updated and regularly print both collections of accumulated work and documents dedicated to specific photographers.
Shown below - 'And I Slept Fine Because my Bed Still smells Like Sex With You' by Dimitri Karakostas.
Fourteen-Nineteen are another example of both an online and printed presence in the self publishing world. They are london based and consider themselves as "exploring and exposing young photographic ingenuity', although the name suggests so they do not entirely limit themselves to youth and teenagers but more so the feeling of youth. Below is an example from their collection of books available in their shop.
Self Publish Be Happy are the largest organisation I have looked at so far and are at the forefront of self publishing in the UK. They not only help artists sell books/zines but also feature articles on up and coming artists and projects while also creating their own collections of work and regularly asking for submissions. Although they do not print for people they will gladly sell products that have already been made or give attention to those in the process of being made. Again they have an extensive shop and regularly update their website with everything and anything related to self publishing.
Shown below - 'Self Publish Be Naughty' by Self Publish Be Happy.
Research - Past Work
Although this is a fairly new area to me I do have a reasonable level of knowledge on the subject due to previous projects and a general interest. In this introduction I will briefly show what I already know/have the done, the kind of things I am interested in and the printing companies I may be looking into.
First of all there was the Zine and Book book project in first year, this involved making a very basic photocopied zine at the cheapest possible cost and the most simplicity, we also made a book but I'll get to that later, and during the What is Viscom? module I made a booklet of my findings. Although one is from the very start of the year and the other these are shown together side by side to show a difference in not only quality but my understanding of layout and type and also as they are of a similar format. It should also be noted that the the following photos of zines and books in this post are more about the learning process than the finished product. As you can see the latter is a lot more carefully considered, printed to a higher quality, produced with higher grade materials and generally more aesthetically pleasing but was also made with an inkjet printer and hand sewn as a one off, not a realistic process for multiple production runs.
I made a small run of five zines using this process and it was not only time consuming but also costly, bearing in mind only 5 copies were made with the intention to be shared between friends.
Finally there is the Book from the start of the first year, again this was printed and bound by me but is a costly and lengthy process that cannot really be stretched to multiple prints easily.
As you can see, through progression there is an obvious upgrade in terms of quality and knowledge in terms of layout and design, but none of these documents would be suitable for making more than 5 copies and so looking into printing companies seems like the most logical way to do so.
First of all there was the Zine and Book book project in first year, this involved making a very basic photocopied zine at the cheapest possible cost and the most simplicity, we also made a book but I'll get to that later, and during the What is Viscom? module I made a booklet of my findings. Although one is from the very start of the year and the other these are shown together side by side to show a difference in not only quality but my understanding of layout and type and also as they are of a similar format. It should also be noted that the the following photos of zines and books in this post are more about the learning process than the finished product. As you can see the latter is a lot more carefully considered, printed to a higher quality, produced with higher grade materials and generally more aesthetically pleasing but was also made with an inkjet printer and hand sewn as a one off, not a realistic process for multiple production runs.
I made a small run of five zines using this process and it was not only time consuming but also costly, bearing in mind only 5 copies were made with the intention to be shared between friends.
Finally there is the Book from the start of the first year, again this was printed and bound by me but is a costly and lengthy process that cannot really be stretched to multiple prints easily.
As you can see, through progression there is an obvious upgrade in terms of quality and knowledge in terms of layout and design, but none of these documents would be suitable for making more than 5 copies and so looking into printing companies seems like the most logical way to do so.
Introduction - Printing and Publishing
The other process i would like to research and attempt is digital printing and self publishing, this seems like an obvious step forward and prompted by my use of the Digital Print room. My reasons for this are that I am very interested in zines and photobooks and find the concept of self publishing quite endearing, although I realise it is not the most professional manor of getting work out there it is a first step and something I feel I need to learn. Furthermore it pairs nicely with the darkroom and could result in a solid process of taking, developing and printing pictures in a document completely of my own design and accord.
Conclusion
Although I still have a few weeks left of the com tech project I feel that it is more productive for me to move onto another area of interest in order to make the most of the project. Obviously I do not know everything there is to know about black and white film photography but neither will I learn it in the following few weeks. Now the darkroom is set up I will continue to use it and continue to learn and hopefully perfect my skills but it will not be my main goal in regards to com tech.
Second Try Evaluation
I have now completed a full second run of shooting, developing, scanning and printing a film with next to no real problems. This time round I remembered to set the appropriate iso on the camera to avoid under/over exposure and managed to load the developing spoon efficiently without any help. As with last time there was a small crease due to trying to secure the tailing end of the film, however this has only resulted in chemical burn on a single frame. I also cut the negatives into sets of fours, to make them more efficient to scan in the Hassleblad scanner, and remembered to go to the digital print room during drop in to get them done quickly. I finally got around to printing again with the enlarger and found no real problems at all as I already have pre-mixed chemicals and had worked out exposure times, it was a simple case of doing an exposure test strip and picking the most appropriate timing before printing photos.
(insert photos here)
(insert photos here)
Second Try
My plan now is to repeat the whole process and rectify all of the problems that occurred first time around. This time I will remember to -
set the iso on my camera accurately to avoid under/over exposure
load the developer spool properly without creases
control the temperature of the developer for optimum results
book time/go at drop-in times to use the negative scanners to avoid dissapointment
remember memory stick/hard drive with enough free space
set up enlarger, checking timer, aperture and chemicals before starting
generally organise my time better
set the iso on my camera accurately to avoid under/over exposure
load the developer spool properly without creases
control the temperature of the developer for optimum results
book time/go at drop-in times to use the negative scanners to avoid dissapointment
remember memory stick/hard drive with enough free space
set up enlarger, checking timer, aperture and chemicals before starting
generally organise my time better
Printing - Digitally
As I had used the digital print room to scan my negatives it seemed only logical to go back and sample the quality of the digital printing. Having learned from my last mistake I went during the drop-in period and asked about printing, prices and times etc. The digital print resource offers prints anything from A7-A0 and can even print in metres for wallpapers or large wall hangings, prices in relation to size and quality are posted around the room on A4 sheets. I decided to blow up the image to see how well the quality of the scans enlarged. To print A3 on a satin paper was only £2, not only far cheaper than any other outlets in town but with better papers to choose from and complete creative control. Due to the hectic nature of the print room I found out that you do not actually organise any of the printer settings at all but simply ask James the print technician and he will ask you about size, paper type and any other desired outcomes and will then set this up for you and quote a price. The whole service is very efficient and the outcome was of a very high quality, especially considering the scan I used was only 900dpi, if scanned at the highest quality a single 35mm frame can be blown up to A1 before losing quality. Below is an example of the A3 print framed, this has since gone up in my house.
Evaluation
This is a very straightforward process with no real problems, again all I need to do is ensure I go at drop-in times or book an appropriate space to avoid disappointment and take files in the correct format ready to print. I also learned that the quality of printing is exceptional and far cheaper and quicker than any other service available to me.
Evaluation
This is a very straightforward process with no real problems, again all I need to do is ensure I go at drop-in times or book an appropriate space to avoid disappointment and take files in the correct format ready to print. I also learned that the quality of printing is exceptional and far cheaper and quicker than any other service available to me.
Printing - from Enlarger
This is a process that I was already somewhat familiar with but not not that I would say I was an expert at, especially not in the confines of my own basement. The basic process involves exposing, developing, stopping, fixing and washing an image. The first hurdle was that I didn't have a stop bath, however after a quick google search I found that watered down white vinegar, of bout 5% acidity, would do the trick and so bought some at the local supermarket and mixed it in the ratio of 3:1. I then poured the other chemicals into the trays and set them up in order, as I don't have running water in the basement I filled the 4th, largest, tray with water to let the prints soak and then washed them properly in the sink afterwards.
The initial problem was that the photographic paper I was given was devoid of any information, particularly the iso of it and so this turned out to be trial and error. After wasting about 7 sheets trying at different times it came to my attention that the timings weren't the problem but that the aperture on the lens of the enlarger was not fully open and as with a normal lens the wider the aperture the more light that is let in, or in this case out. After this change I tried another time sheet exposing the photo in sections for longer periods of time to work out the correct timing, coming to the overall conclusion that the ideal exposure was between 6-10 seconds dependant on the photo itself.
After exposing photos were moved to the developing tray and left for around 5-7 minutes for the image to appear and darken appropriately, this was then moved to the stop bath for 30 seconds-1 minute to stop the developing process. After this they were moved to the fix and left for a further five minutes and finally the wash for a solid ten minutes either soaking in water or preferably under a tap of running cold water. Prints would then be squeegeed of excess water and left to dry.
Evaluation
This is probably where I encountered the most problems so far, however I feel that I have overcome them all already. I just need to ensure that the aperture of the enlarger lens is fully open and to time each stage of the process to ensure optimum results. It should also be noted that when I have finished the stock oh photo paper I have that I may need to adjust the exposure times based on the iso of the photo paper.
The initial problem was that the photographic paper I was given was devoid of any information, particularly the iso of it and so this turned out to be trial and error. After wasting about 7 sheets trying at different times it came to my attention that the timings weren't the problem but that the aperture on the lens of the enlarger was not fully open and as with a normal lens the wider the aperture the more light that is let in, or in this case out. After this change I tried another time sheet exposing the photo in sections for longer periods of time to work out the correct timing, coming to the overall conclusion that the ideal exposure was between 6-10 seconds dependant on the photo itself.
After exposing photos were moved to the developing tray and left for around 5-7 minutes for the image to appear and darken appropriately, this was then moved to the stop bath for 30 seconds-1 minute to stop the developing process. After this they were moved to the fix and left for a further five minutes and finally the wash for a solid ten minutes either soaking in water or preferably under a tap of running cold water. Prints would then be squeegeed of excess water and left to dry.
Evaluation
This is probably where I encountered the most problems so far, however I feel that I have overcome them all already. I just need to ensure that the aperture of the enlarger lens is fully open and to time each stage of the process to ensure optimum results. It should also be noted that when I have finished the stock oh photo paper I have that I may need to adjust the exposure times based on the iso of the photo paper.
Scanning a Film
This is a process that was completely new to me and so every stage was something new for me to learn. The most fundamental thing being that the negative scanners are located in the digital print room and must be booked to be used, apart from drop in between 8-9am and 1-2pm. I made the first mistake of going at 11:50 to scan my negatives and was told that they were soon closing for lunch and to come back later, however I could just about squeeze in doing a contact sheet.
There are two main scanners - a large flatbed Epson scanner that can be backlight for negatives and a dedicated Hassleblad scanner.
Epson
The epson scanner can scan large amounts at a time, in this case the negatives laid out in order to produce a contact sheet. For the most part it functions as a normal scanner in the way that it previews and then i desired area can be cropped and saved. However certain settings must be set for film scanning. Firstly the white card backing must be removed from the lid in order to reveal the backlight area and the document type must be changed to 'photographic negative'. This way the scanner will shine light through from both sides, like a normal exposure, in order to save a positive image. In this case the scanner must also be set to black and white (greyscale).
However this may also be used to scan individual frames if the respective film holders are used, these allow the scanner to recognise them in designated places and save each frame individually but it should be noted that for individual frames the Hassleblad scanner is far superior.
Finally it should be noted that the levels, midtones and highlights may need adjusting after a preview in order to get the desired result. Shown below with the first scan and then rectified by the second.
Hassleblad
This is the highest quality scanner in the college, it can scan 35mm negatives to a quality that can be printed A1 before showing a loss of quality. It's initial functions and set up are not dissimilar from the Epson however it has dedicated negative holders for different film formats and scans less at a time, for instance it can scan only 4 35mm negatives at a time. The file size, type and colour must be selected as before and levels may be adjusted where necessary. Again for quickness I only scanned the files at 900dpi, this is respectable but only a tenth of the scanners maximum quality.
The three images below have been chosen to represent the film in different lighting conditions, both indoor and outdoor and with different subject matter. As you can see on these larger pictures the negatives are quite heavily scratched and/or have finger prints on them, this is due to neglect and inappropriate handling of them. Other imperfections can also be seen such as chemical burn on the picture of Andy at the bottom. This is most likely due to developer getting trapped during development due to a lack of efficient agitation. Alternatively it could be a light leak but I feel this is unlikely due to the fact that it is not present on any other frames.
Evaluation
This part of the process relies on me either timing my visit to the print room in drop-in times or booking an allocated space to use the negative scanner and avoid disappointment. I have learnt that the quality of the negative scanners far surpasses anything else that I have access to and that it is worth using them to their full potential while I can. James also made a point that if you scan your negatives properly first time round, you won't have to scan them ever again and so it is worth spending the time to do things properly.
There are two main scanners - a large flatbed Epson scanner that can be backlight for negatives and a dedicated Hassleblad scanner.
Epson
The epson scanner can scan large amounts at a time, in this case the negatives laid out in order to produce a contact sheet. For the most part it functions as a normal scanner in the way that it previews and then i desired area can be cropped and saved. However certain settings must be set for film scanning. Firstly the white card backing must be removed from the lid in order to reveal the backlight area and the document type must be changed to 'photographic negative'. This way the scanner will shine light through from both sides, like a normal exposure, in order to save a positive image. In this case the scanner must also be set to black and white (greyscale).
However this may also be used to scan individual frames if the respective film holders are used, these allow the scanner to recognise them in designated places and save each frame individually but it should be noted that for individual frames the Hassleblad scanner is far superior.
Finally it should be noted that the levels, midtones and highlights may need adjusting after a preview in order to get the desired result. Shown below with the first scan and then rectified by the second.
Hassleblad
This is the highest quality scanner in the college, it can scan 35mm negatives to a quality that can be printed A1 before showing a loss of quality. It's initial functions and set up are not dissimilar from the Epson however it has dedicated negative holders for different film formats and scans less at a time, for instance it can scan only 4 35mm negatives at a time. The file size, type and colour must be selected as before and levels may be adjusted where necessary. Again for quickness I only scanned the files at 900dpi, this is respectable but only a tenth of the scanners maximum quality.
The three images below have been chosen to represent the film in different lighting conditions, both indoor and outdoor and with different subject matter. As you can see on these larger pictures the negatives are quite heavily scratched and/or have finger prints on them, this is due to neglect and inappropriate handling of them. Other imperfections can also be seen such as chemical burn on the picture of Andy at the bottom. This is most likely due to developer getting trapped during development due to a lack of efficient agitation. Alternatively it could be a light leak but I feel this is unlikely due to the fact that it is not present on any other frames.
Evaluation
This part of the process relies on me either timing my visit to the print room in drop-in times or booking an allocated space to use the negative scanner and avoid disappointment. I have learnt that the quality of the negative scanners far surpasses anything else that I have access to and that it is worth using them to their full potential while I can. James also made a point that if you scan your negatives properly first time round, you won't have to scan them ever again and so it is worth spending the time to do things properly.
Developing a Film
Most of these steps were done in either total darkness or in red light and so were not photographed.
In the loading room I cut the negative to have a flat end, removed it from the canister and loaded it to the spool, this must be done in complete darkness and proved hard and so help was needed. Once Andy had successfully loaded the spool we place that back into the developing tank and screwed on the lid and the cap. Once sealed this container is light tight and so can be taken anywhere to be agitated. (picture below shows the tank, spool and both lids)
In order to develop a film it must be submerged in developer, in this case - Ilford ID11. Stored solution of which kept in an air tight container will keep for 6 months and cannot be re-used. 300ml of this, enough to submerge the film, is poured into the tank followed by the application of the second lid.
A table on the inside of the developer box lists developing times based on films - in this case Ilford HP5 400.
This is to be developed for 7:30 - 30 seconds of initial agitation and another 10 seconds for every minute thereafter.
However to save money I used a mixture of 150ml Developer and 150ml water, the table suggests that this must be developed for a total of 13 minutes to ensure full development.
At this point we realised that we had neglected the temperature of the developer and the packaging suggests that its optimum temperature is 20'c.
After 13 minutes the developer must be disposed of, websites suggest flushing used chemicals down the toilet or a drain as opposed into the sink if a designated chemical waste disposal is not available.
The film must now be fixed, the box states that at the optimum temperature of 20'c it will fix a film in 5-10 minutes, in the case of Ilford HP5 400 this is 5 minutes. Again this involves an initial 30 second agitation and a further 10 seconds for every minute thereafter.
Unlike developer, fix can be reused so this was then decanted back into the fix container.
The lid may then be left off the developing tank and the film left to wash for 20 minutes in cold water.
Once washed I hung the film with bulldog clips from my lampshade to dry, this is best left to dry naturally and with a second bulldog clip at the bottom to weight the film and stop it from curling. As you can see there are feint images on the film and it was successfully processed.
I also realised, at the end of the process, that ideally the chemicals are stored at a certain temperature of 20'c for optimum performance and so have invested in a digital thermometer for next time.
Evaluation
Again this is quite a straightforward process but one that I still need to refine. One of the most annoying things is loading the developing spool with a film, it is quite a fiddly process and doing it in pitch black doesn't help, however this is something that comes with practice and essentially not a problem. From this I have learned the appropriate times for developing a film and also that it should be temperature controlled for optimum results.
In the loading room I cut the negative to have a flat end, removed it from the canister and loaded it to the spool, this must be done in complete darkness and proved hard and so help was needed. Once Andy had successfully loaded the spool we place that back into the developing tank and screwed on the lid and the cap. Once sealed this container is light tight and so can be taken anywhere to be agitated. (picture below shows the tank, spool and both lids)
In order to develop a film it must be submerged in developer, in this case - Ilford ID11. Stored solution of which kept in an air tight container will keep for 6 months and cannot be re-used. 300ml of this, enough to submerge the film, is poured into the tank followed by the application of the second lid. A table on the inside of the developer box lists developing times based on films - in this case Ilford HP5 400.
This is to be developed for 7:30 - 30 seconds of initial agitation and another 10 seconds for every minute thereafter.
However to save money I used a mixture of 150ml Developer and 150ml water, the table suggests that this must be developed for a total of 13 minutes to ensure full development.
At this point we realised that we had neglected the temperature of the developer and the packaging suggests that its optimum temperature is 20'c.
After 13 minutes the developer must be disposed of, websites suggest flushing used chemicals down the toilet or a drain as opposed into the sink if a designated chemical waste disposal is not available.
The film must now be fixed, the box states that at the optimum temperature of 20'c it will fix a film in 5-10 minutes, in the case of Ilford HP5 400 this is 5 minutes. Again this involves an initial 30 second agitation and a further 10 seconds for every minute thereafter.
Unlike developer, fix can be reused so this was then decanted back into the fix container.
The lid may then be left off the developing tank and the film left to wash for 20 minutes in cold water.
Once washed I hung the film with bulldog clips from my lampshade to dry, this is best left to dry naturally and with a second bulldog clip at the bottom to weight the film and stop it from curling. As you can see there are feint images on the film and it was successfully processed.
I also realised, at the end of the process, that ideally the chemicals are stored at a certain temperature of 20'c for optimum performance and so have invested in a digital thermometer for next time.
Evaluation
Again this is quite a straightforward process but one that I still need to refine. One of the most annoying things is loading the developing spool with a film, it is quite a fiddly process and doing it in pitch black doesn't help, however this is something that comes with practice and essentially not a problem. From this I have learned the appropriate times for developing a film and also that it should be temperature controlled for optimum results.
Mixing Chemicals
This part of the process was completely alien to me and one that i recruited the help of a previous graduate, Andy Jones, for help with.
The Developer (develops the film) and Fix (stops development) both come with instructions printed on the inside of the box and sealed bags marked A and B. In both situations part A is mixed into 750ml of water until dissolved, followed by another 250ml of water and part B. This results in a 1L solution of 1-1 strength. 1-1 is a working strength solution, however to save on costs weaker solutions can be diluted but must be given twice as long to react.
Once mixed we decanted the mixtures into canteens and clearly labelled them to avoid confusion later. (as the chemicals must be mixed within the red light of the dark room pictures were taken afterwards of the equipment involved)
Evaluation
This stage is actually a lot simpler than I had anticipated, it is very straightforward and there isn't much to go wrong. The main thing I have learnt is that fixer can be re-used and that developer can be watered down but it must be used for longer to give the same results. Both of these factors mean that I can save money but still develop and print films efficiently.
The Developer (develops the film) and Fix (stops development) both come with instructions printed on the inside of the box and sealed bags marked A and B. In both situations part A is mixed into 750ml of water until dissolved, followed by another 250ml of water and part B. This results in a 1L solution of 1-1 strength. 1-1 is a working strength solution, however to save on costs weaker solutions can be diluted but must be given twice as long to react.
Once mixed we decanted the mixtures into canteens and clearly labelled them to avoid confusion later. (as the chemicals must be mixed within the red light of the dark room pictures were taken afterwards of the equipment involved)
Evaluation
This stage is actually a lot simpler than I had anticipated, it is very straightforward and there isn't much to go wrong. The main thing I have learnt is that fixer can be re-used and that developer can be watered down but it must be used for longer to give the same results. Both of these factors mean that I can save money but still develop and print films efficiently.
Research
The next step was to do a small amount of research to refresh my mind on the overall process of developing a film, luckily I found various handouts from my 1st year induction and some links on the VLE. (click here and scroll down to "handouts")
One of which gives the process of processing a film in 17 simple stages. (it should be noted that this is quite a thorough list and many stages in fact blend into one another or are unnecessary)
1 - prepare equipment
2 - mix chemicals
3 - adjust chemical temperature
4 - cut negative end
5 - open film canister (in darkness)
6 - load film onto spiral (in darkness)
7 - load spiral into developing tank (in darkness)
8 - add chemicals/start development
9 - agitation
10 - end development
11 - stop and fix
12 - wash film
13 - use wetting agent and prepare
14 - squeegeee excess water
15 - dry your film
16 - examine negative
17 - storage
One of which gives the process of processing a film in 17 simple stages. (it should be noted that this is quite a thorough list and many stages in fact blend into one another or are unnecessary)
1 - prepare equipment
2 - mix chemicals
3 - adjust chemical temperature
4 - cut negative end
5 - open film canister (in darkness)
6 - load film onto spiral (in darkness)
7 - load spiral into developing tank (in darkness)
8 - add chemicals/start development
9 - agitation
10 - end development
11 - stop and fix
12 - wash film
13 - use wetting agent and prepare
14 - squeegeee excess water
15 - dry your film
16 - examine negative
17 - storage
Lightproofing the Basement
The next step was to lightproof the basement, this meant covering/taping up the window of the smaller room to ensure it was light tight and fitting a red lightbulb for the main room. The smaller room can now be used to load films in total darkness and will also be used to store the developing trays as it has the only long, flat and clean surface.
Window before -
Window after -
To put this in context I have also made a basic plan of the basement.
Window before -
Window after -
To put this in context I have also made a basic plan of the basement.
Cleaning the Basement
In theory I now have everything I need to set up the darkroom apart from the space itself, the next step is to clean and prepare the basement.
Before -
After -
Before -
After -