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Category: Part of the Process

Part of the Process: Szalai Imre

Part of the Process is a series of posts that puts the spotlight on film photographers and DIY film developers. These features provide unique experiences and perspectives on shooting and developing film while also showcasing diverse talent and film photographers around the globe. If you are interested in being featured, feel free to contact me!

Name: Szalai Imre

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Links:

Instagram

Website

What attracted you to film photography? How did you get started/introduced to shooting film? How soon after did you start developing?

The physical material of film, the special look, the chemical processes and the fact that taking pictures on film inspires me more than digital. It extends my imagination and it forces me to be better at photographing. It is pure addiction: I want to experience, learn and I’m enjoying every single moment of it.

What do you like to shoot on a regular basis?

Portraits, glamour, lifestyle, fashion, but street mostly. However, when travelling or hiking and the nature amazes me, obviously I don’t miss taking a shot of it.

What formats, cameras, and films do you shoot? What do you like about the formats, cameras, films you prefer?

35mm: Nikon AF600, Nikon FE + 20mm, 35mm, 105mm

Medium Format: Rolleiflex 3.5e Planar, Hasselblad 501c + 80mm + 8/16mm extension tubes

The Nikon AF600 (LiteTouch) is a point&shoot camera with an incredibly sharp 28mm lens, auto focus and manually adjustable built-in flash. Quick, small and invisible. I use it almost exclusively for street photography but it’s also suitable for parties and get togethers.

The Nikon FE was my first favorite. It made me fell in love with film photography. It’s extremely handy, very easy to control, and fast with aperture priority function. I use it for taking all kinds of pictures: street, fashion, glamour, lifestyle, portraits, whatever. It is my regular travel buddy.

I purchased the Rolleiflex when became familiar with medium format photography. I love it, however focusing might be a bit tricky sometimes. It is always with me on my travels. It is small, pretty light weight, and pretty comfortable to carry around. I also use it occasionally in the studio and is a perfect MF camera for street photography.

The Hasselblad is a quite new love. It performs well beyond my expectations. It is a bit heavy though, but shooting models with it is always a pleasure for both of the model and me.

What types of film do you develop?

Black and white 35mm and 120.

Tell us about your first experiences in developing your own film. How did you muster the courage to give it a shot? What resources did you use?

During a commercial video shoot, I met this guy who said he was developing his own pictures at home. I was always a bit afraid of it, but he told me what equipment I need and we developed my first roll together.

Since that magical moment I cannot imagine sending any of my B&W films in a lab. Youtube can be helpful as well and I was checking out several videos in order to improve the quality of my negatives.

There are several rules I created for myself, just an example: always start loading the film onto the reel from it’s beginning (from the 1st frame, so the whole film needs to be unrolled first).

What is your development process like now?

Not many unique steps, you could simply imagine the standard DIY way. Currently, I am counting the seconds when enlarging prints due to lack of a darkroom clock. This will be my next purchase to have better control on my work. I admire the work of Man Ray and Erwin Blumenfeld and would like to try solarisation as part of the film developing process (not afterwards, but during enlarging).

What’s your processes regarding scanning, enlarging, and/or printing your work?

I scan and just recently started enlarging. If developing is fun, this is an incredible joy! Surprisingly, spending the whole night with enlarging prints does not infer fatigue on the other day, but a guaranteed satisfied smile on your face.

What equipment are you using to develop your film and why?

I mostly use Kaiser products as I could get those are most accessible. So far, I am happy with them. For developing, I tried and used Ilford’s Id-11 developer, but then tried and settled with Kodak D-76. It results fine grained, sharp and nice, contrasty negatives.

My everyday fixer is also Kodak (I use this both for negatives and prints). I have to admit that I’m kinda loyal toward Kodak as a brand and I also love their film and respect their past and know-how.

However, my favorite B&W film is Fuji Acros 100 aside from Tri-X. My darkroom is situated in a bathroom, where I also hide under a blanket usually to make sure it`s totally dark in there, but for my printing process, I just finished and equipped another dedicated room. Printing doesn’t require 110% darkness but only 99% is enough.

Are you content with where you are now with your shooting and developing? Do you have any future plans or ambitions?

I’m still learning the basics, but later on I would like to try solarisation, making montages, apply sandwich negs, and use other/any creative ways to give shape to my own style. I would like to make exhibitions and publish my “work” on different platforms.

Have you completed any notable projects or in the process of creating something from the film you have shot and developed?

I was asked to shoot for a fashion blog, which was a great honor and a fun time with the models and authors. They were happy with the results and appreciated eventually that all the pictures were on film. The special look of it convinced them as well!

What advice can you give to others who are interested in shooting and developing film but are apprehensive about getting started?

It’s really not a big deal compared to the satisfaction and excitement in the end. If you are worrying about making mistakes (which is – believe me – part of the process of learning and experimenting and actually can be enjoyable), shoot some “not that important” rolls and use them first.

December 13, 2017
Part of the Process: Sadie Bailey

Part of the Process is a series of posts that puts the spotlight on film photographers and DIY film developers. These features provide unique experiences and perspectives on shooting and developing film while also showcasing diverse talent and film photographers around the globe. If you are interested in being featured, feel free to contact me!

Name: Sadie Bailey

Location: London & Los Angeles

Links:

Instagram

Website

Project Upcoming

What other websites or blogs do you keep up with to feed your photographic interests?

Matt Day on YouTube, @inverse.collective and @ilfordphoto on Instagram.

What attracted you to film photography? How did you get started/introduced to shooting film? How soon after did you start developing?

The tangible, “forever” aspect of film has always interested me. I have a contact sheets from my childhood that family friends have shot when we were in NYC and that was always the coolest thing to me. I’m extremely sentimental, probably too sentimental at times, so being able to document my life so purely was just natural instinct, really. I’ve been shooting film on and off for years, but it always seemed extremely pricey when I was younger. Now that I’m older, and run my own publishing company / online magazine, am I able to really dive into the art of it all.

Contax G1 w/ 28mm Biogon // Ilford HP5 +1

What do you like to shoot on a regular basis?

People! Not necessarily portraits as such. Much more “lifestyle”. A lot of my work is based around skateboarding, surfing, music & nightlife photography. However, when I’m in LA I do tend to explore the more street / landscape photography approach because I feel like the atmosphere there is extremely beautiful. I just shot a project where I skated up and down Sunset Blvd photographing buildings and landmarks that spark childhood nostalgia.

Nikon FE2 w/ 50mm 1.8 // Ilford HP5 +1

What formats, cameras, and films do you shoot? What do you like about the formats, cameras, films you prefer?

I shoot mainly 35mm, but I dabble with Medium Format (120) in my studio from time to time. I’ve tested out a range of cameras from Canon EOS 10, Contax T2 & 139Q, multiple Olympus Mju ii’s and various different off brand SLRs but I’m currently settled with a Nikon FE2 (accompanied by a Nikkor 50 1.8) and a Contax G1 (with the beautiful Carl Zeiss G Series T* 28 mm f/2.8 Biogon). For 120- I’ve messed around with a Yashica Mat 124g and have access to a Hasselblad when I’m in LA but I only own a little Holga 120GCFN. It’s a little plastic toy camera, with very limited features / settings but the glass lens captures off some great photographs with the right lighting.

Contax G1 w/ 28mm Biogon // Ilford HP5 +1

As for film, I usually only shoot Ilford HP5 pushed +1 but will happily use some Tri-X (at box speed) if that’s laying about. Ilford Delta 400 is great in 120, the grain is beautiful. I very rarely shoot colour, I mainly avoid it completely unless I’m being commissioned to do so. If that’s the case, I’ll go for Fuji Superia 400 during the day & Kodak Ultramax 400 at night with flash.

Nikon FE2 w/ 50mm 1.8 // Ilford HP5 +1

What types of film do you develop?

Black and white only. I don’t shoot enough colour to get into the development process, however I have an untouched roll of Velvia 100 on my desk so maybe I’ll test my luck with E6 if I get bored.

Tell us about your first experiences in developing your own film. How did you muster the courage to give it a shot? What resources did you use?

Oh damn. I was a few cups of coffee in, completely overwhelmed after watching video after video on YouTube. I’ve taught myself everything I know about photography so it’s always very trial and error to start off with.

Nikon FE2 w/ 50mm 1.8 // Ilford HP5 +1

I had the chemicals and all the equipment sitting in my office for months, with a roll just sat in tank, before I decided to give it a shot. I was so excited to finally start developing that when I got to the wet sink in my office I dove straight into the process without bringing all of my notes with me. I completely forgot what dilution and measurements I needed for my stop bath & fixer and stupidly ended up dumping half bottle of both into the tank instead. Needless to say, I fucked that roll up.

What is your development process like now?

My workflow process differs drastically depending on what I’m shooting. I can shoot 10 rolls in one night and have them developed in 2 days, or over 2 months and then another few weeks for developing. The only thing that stays the same is that as soon as I finish a roll, I write what it is that I’ve shot, whether I pushed or not, and then whack it straight into the fridge until ready for developing.

I also like to experiment with alternative processes, such as cyanotype, van dyke brown, or photographic emulsion, among many others. Alternative processes are really interesting to me but I haven’t got the time to work with them as much as I want. I hope I can work more with them in the future!

Nikon FE2 w/ 50mm 1.8 // Ilford HP5 +1

What’s your processes regarding scanning, enlarging, and/or printing your work?

I only scan, unfortunately. I don’t have the space to set up a full darkroom so wet printing is out of the question right now. Saying that, a new community darkroom just opened up in Portland, Oregon so when I’m there later this year I’m going to book a session and start printing my negatives for an upcoming exhibition I’m working on.

What equipment are you using to develop your film and why?

I have everything listed under Parallax Photographic Coop’s film processing shopping list (you can find that list here). I trust them with all of my photographic needs and queries.

Contax G1 w/ 28mm Biogon // Ilford HP5 +1

Are you content with where you are now with your shooting and developing? Do you have any future plans or ambitions?

I’m currently in the process of two big projects: one is a community-based project in honour of my friend who sadly took his own life a few weeks back. I’ve joined forces with my friend, and fellow photographer, Ollie Murphy and set to create a book that opens up a conversation of Mental Health. We’re photographing people in my studio and asking them to share their experiences in what we hope to be an open, honest and safe platform. On a more positive note, I’m in the midst (and soon getting back to) shooting my biggest body of work yet. It’s entitled Endless Summer and hopefully will release as an exhibition with all the photographs being shot, developed and printed by myself.

Ilford Delta 400

Have you completed any notable projects or in the process of creating something from the film you have shot and developed?

All my projects that I’ve ever executed have been shot on film. I’ve never had the desire to try out digital photography. There’s nothing wrong with it- It’s just not for me. I just published a new zine, entitled “We Only Hate the World Monday – Friday”, along with recently shooting for Nike SB and having a 6 page feature in Wasted Talent Magazine.

Contax G1 w/ 28mm Biogon // Ilford HP5 +1

What advice can you give to others who are interested in shooting and developing film but are apprehensive about getting started?

I said this in a recent interview, but I’m happy to reiterate. Stop shooting “party” photos on a cheap point & shoot with Agfa 200. Spend your time thinking of projects you want to work on, and motivate yourself to do so.

Contax G1 w/ 28mm Biogon // Ilford HP5 +1

Do you do anything else that you believe is unique to your process but may not be addressed in the previous questions?

I think shooting for yourself (and not for Instagram likes) is, sadly, becoming a unique process in modern day film photography.

November 18, 2017
Part of the Process: Eric Löfgen

Part of the Process is a series of posts that puts the spotlight on film photographers and DIY film developers. These features provide unique experiences and perspectives on shooting and developing film while also showcasing diverse talent and film photographers around the globe. If you are interested in being featured, feel free to contact me!

Name: Eric Löfgen

Location: St. Vith, Belgium

Links:

Flickr

Instagram

What other websites or blogs do you keep up with to feed your photographic interests?

Petapixel, Lomography, ishootfilm, and Matt Day on Youtube.

What attracted you to film photography? How did you get started/introduced to shooting film? How soon after did you start developing?

I never really was interested in photography, I was more into music during my youth. Sometimes, my best friend took his camera to our rehearsals and he shot some pictures of us. What I really liked about that, was that two months later he showed us the shots. I was used to that when I was a kid because of my parents, but seeing this years later fascinated me.

A few months later, I contacted another friend who was into photography, to give me a quick lesson about exposure and all that. He gave me his Pentax and I took some shots. After that it took me almost a year until I purchased my first own 35mm camera. It was a Yashica MG1 that I found at the flea market. I still had some troubles shooting because the exposure was fixed to around 1/60s and I didn’t like rangefinders at the time.

Another two or three months later, an old friend contacted me. His grandfather died and they found his old photo gear in the attic. It was a Canon AE-1 with a 50mm, a 28mm and a 80-200mm. I immediately bought it and I’ve never regretted that decision. I started shooting more and more, mostly landscapes.

But I was still learning, I shot a few rolls who were completely underexposed. I wanted it too fast — so I started to teach myself more about exposures and ISO. After that, I was in a buying rush, everything I saw on flea markets had to be mine. I got into developing at home, because my local development spot charged me about 24€/roll, which was really expensive because I was shooting a lot more by this time.

I started with a Adonal black and white starter set. The next evening, I developed my first roll. The pictures were bad, but the feeling while pulling the film out of the spool was unmatched. Seeing that I nailed it was a great feeling. Half a year after that I started with C41-color development.

What do you like to shoot on a regular basis?

I mostly shoot portraits at the moment. To me, portraits are the best way to capture feelings.

What formats, cameras, and films do you shoot? What do you like about the formats, cameras, films you prefer?

I’m shooting a few 35mm cameras: Canon A1 & AE1 and a Rollei 35s. I use my 35mm for action shots like concerts and skateboarding. They allow to jump in and take the shot because they are a bit more handy. They are more of a snapshot camera to me, if needed.

For medium format, I am using a Yashica Mat 124. I’ve been forcing myself to shoot only with my Yashica Mat 124 this past summer, to learn more about the camera and to slow down a bit more. I’m using this camera mostly for portraits and landscapes. It allows me to think about what I am about to shoot.

I am also shooting Polaroids using a Polaroid EE66. My polaroid camera is just for fun. It is mostly used on evenings combined with drinking with friends.

I’m still looking for my favorite film, but I am currently shooting Kodak Portra series, Ilford HP5, Ilford Delta 400, and Fuji-100.

What types of film do you develop?

C41 and black and white.

Tell us about your first experiences in developing your own film. How did you muster the courage to give it a shot? What resources did you use?

I remember my first roll quite well. It was a 120 roll of Ilford FP+. It was actually kind of a risk. I never did the spooling with a medium format film and I wanted to try this the first time in complete darkness. It took me half an hour until I got the film into the spool and at the end, I wasn’t even sure if it was right. During this half hour I thought “What the fuck? Why am I even doing this? This is nuts! You won’t succeed!”. When I turned the light on, I proved myself correct because I mistook the backing paper for the negative. Beginner fail.

I did some research on the internet and everyone was saying something different. I read many blogs, watched many youtube videos. To be honest, I did not expect any results. So many ways, and so many different times to develop film. I just didn’t know where to start. But when I opened the tank and I saw something, I realized that I did it. I developed my first roll of film!

What is your development process like now?

At first, I’m shooting some rolls until I have enough film in my fridge. After that I start developing. When everything is dry, I start scanning. Mostly with a good beer, because it takes forever. After scanning I’m archiving the rolls.

What’s your processes regarding scanning, enlarging, and/or printing your work?

I scan all film myself with a Canon 9000F Mark II. Not the best scanner in the game, but it’s alright. I’ve bought an enlarger on eBay, did some prints but I didn’t find the time yet to really get into it.

Sometimes I’m developing with friends. These evenings are special to me. We’re both creating something this evening. Drinking a beer during and talk about life. This is something unique that I really enjoy about my process.

What equipment are you using to develop your film and why?

I’m using the paterson beginner set with Paterson 35mm and medium format tank with Adonal black and white chemicals. I’m using the Tetenal C41 for color. I did not choose a special brand, the monetary offer just was simply attractive to me.

Are you content with where you are now with your shooting and developing? Do you have any future plans or ambitions?

I’m still looking for my way in this world. I’m currently trying to improve my development process. I’m also trying to shoot more with models/people I don’t know. That’s something I’m afraid of but I’m ready to try something new. I always learn by doing, so that’s something I have to do.

Have you completed any notable projects or in the process of creating something from the film you have shot and developed?

I just started my first project called a summer on 6×6. The concept is very simple. I shoot my Yashica Mat124 all summer and develop them come Autumn. Maybe I’ll do some prints, or maybe even a book. We’ll see. I have some other projects planned for the coming years.

What advice can you give to others who are interested in shooting and developing film but are apprehensive about getting started?

Try it and don’t be afraid of failing! Failing is normal but you’ll learn from it! You will love it. Take notes, get into you own rhythm, never stop learning, watch youtube videos, try different techniques … Don’t let anyone stress you. Shooting is my way of relaxing. It allows me to slow down in this stressful world 🙂

November 8, 2017
Part of the Process: Chris Moore

Part of the Process is a series of posts that puts the spotlight on film photographers and DIY film developers. These features provide unique experiences and perspectives on shooting and developing film while also showcasing diverse talent and film photographers around the globe. If you are interested in being featured, feel free to contact me!

Name: Chris Moore

Location: Springfield, MO

Links:

Pinterest

What other websites or blogs do you keep up with to feed your photographic interests?

The Phoblographer, PetaPixel, Film Photographers group on Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.

What attracted you to film photography? How did you get started/introduced to shooting film? How soon after did you start developing?

Originally, my dad was into photography so as a child it seemed like there were always negatives and prints laying around, and there was always a camera somewhere. I didn’t really get too much into shooting myself until my early 20’s. After a while, film processing was starting to get a bit expensive, so I invested in a good scanner and decided to do it myself with black and white film (at the time, it was the cheapest and easiest thing to do).

What do you like to shoot on a regular basis?

Landscapes, flowers, street, and urban scenes, and also very unusual objects. To find beauty in the mundane is part of what makes photography such a blast of a hobby for me, personally.

What formats, cameras, and films do you shoot? What do you like about the formats, cameras, films you prefer?

I shoot a good mix of both 35mm film and digital. For 35mm, I have a Canon EOS Rebel 2000 that I have used since 1999 for both color and black and white. Not long ago, I inherited a Pentax Spotmatic with assorted lenses (50mm, 100mm, 28mm) purchased by my father while serving in the Marines in Japan in the early 60’s along with a newer Pentax MV with the standard prime 50mm SMC lens. For its historic value I have tried not to use the Spotmatic too much, but I got an adapter ring to use the M42 lenses with the newer K mount, so I am letting the MV be the workhorse camera between the two.

For film there is nothing like the faithful Canon. Although, as of late, I have really enjoyed the Pentax MV. So in terms of preference, it’s a toss up. Manual focusing has proven much more difficult than one might think, but the focusing screen helps a great deal.

Canon Rebel 2000 with 28-55mm // TMax 400

What types of film do you develop?

Traditionally I have always developed Kodak TMax or Ilford films in liquid Kodak TMax developer concentrate, although as of late they charge so much extra shipping for liquids that I have switched to D-76 powder. Man, have I ever been missing out. D-76 is way better in my opinion, but to each their own. I have done that for many years.

Last night, for the first time ever, I developed a roll of C-41 using the most common Unicolor kit sold on several sites. The results were by no means perfect (a second blix may be in order) but still very encouraging and promising, and there is nothing like the feeling of pulling film off your reel and seeing color images. It was an experience that encourages me to try it again and keep going with it. As I told my wife – “that was the best 15 minutes of my photographic life.”

Tell us about your first experiences in developing your own film. How did you muster the courage to give it a shot? What resources did you use?

The first developing experience ever with any kind of film goes all the way back to 1999 when I did my first roll of black and white. There was so much I wanted to try and do and I wanted to be able to shoot my photos, bring them home and work with them without the hassle of making a trip to a lab to get them developed and part with perfectly good cash.

I had practiced loading the reel several times and that helped, though I got in the changing bag and I used a bottle opener to get the film can opened up and I must have fumbled around for an hour to just get it threaded. Lesson learned – cut the film tongue off, it’s much easier to load after that! I got my tank loaded and poured in clear developer mixed from Kodak TMax liquid (at the time I found powder to be very daunting). A few minutes later, I found myself pouring out amber-colored fluid and I was excited — the development must have worked. I went on and rinsed and fixed. The moment of truth came and I pulled the negative off the reel enough to look – and there was an image there! I had done it, and the development had worked flawlessly. I had but to rinse, dry and scan. That was all it took to get me hooked. Digital is nice and very convenient, but there’s still something very enjoyable about the physical aspect of film and chemistry. There’s something nice about having a tangible result of your efforts that can’t be had with digital.

The first experience with color film was actually very recent. For the longest time, I never thought color (C-41 or E-6) was very economical or practical to do at home due to chemistry cost and very short shelf life. More recently, I’ve seen on sites and blogs where people are doing C-41 at home and it actually doesn’t cost very much at all with a very decent shelf life.

I took the plunge and decided to try it on a roll of Fuji Superia ISO 200 film – a WalMart standard and a film that I have had good luck with in the past with pictures. I expected it to smell much worse, but actually there was very little odor left over. It was different working with hot liquids rather than room temperature liquids but it actually was not that much more difficult. My results were by no means perfect – a bit of a brown tinge on some frames and a slightly darker than normal orange mask make me think that a second blix may be in order. But still, the results were not bad at all and I yielded a few good looking positive images. Very promising results and good enough to encourage me to try again and keep going with this. There’s lots of fun and creativity yet to be tapped into with C-41 processing.

What is your development process like now?

1) In the case of film, shoot a roll of the stock of choice in the camera body of choice.

2) If using my Pentax MV, I rewind the film just until I can hear the tongue break away from the spool. Then opening the camera, I have an exposed film leader, so it’s easy to get my reel started in the light and then put it in the bag to get it loaded the rest of the way. In the case of Canon, I shoot it until there’s 1 frame left, then open it up for that same reason. Granted, that’s not the most efficient use of film because a couple of frames do get lost, but that’s a lot easier than doing it all in darkness. Aside from that with sites like ultra fine online there’s no excuse to pay high prices for film and chemistry.

3) After the negatives are dry, I scan in 16-bit TIFF format so I am left with the rough equivalent of a digital camera RAW file and then import it into GIMP, at which time I invert my negative, adjust exposure, fix up the color, desaturate for black and white images, and then export to a JPEG to be sent off to either my Pinterest page or the film photographers Facebook page.

What’s your processes regarding scanning, enlarging, and/or printing your work?

I primarily scan. I have a Pacific Imaging PrimeFilm 1800u scanner that I bought in 1999 that I still use and it still performs quite well. Astoundingly, it’s still available on Amazon. I can scan negatives as transparent images, the reason being that the software along with the scanner is quite old and it’s better to just scan it as is, than use newer software (in my case the latest GIMP version) to invert, color correct (or desaturate), and beautify.

What equipment are you using to develop your film and why?

I have a standard issue changing bag, Patterson universal development tank, D-76 developer and hardening fixer in the case of black and white. I use the Unicolor C-41 kit in the case of color. Additionally, I have some pyrex measuring cups, a graduated cylinder, and a bathroom where it all takes place.

Are you content with where you are now with your shooting and developing? Do you have any future plans or ambitions?

As mentioned, I just began my journey into color development and I really want to keep going with that. I also do not want to give up black and white film and I don’t want to replace film with digital by any means. I think both formats have their own value. I don’t really have business plans. And as far as publishing goes, I would just like my Pinterest board to be seen by anybody who wants to look at it.

What advice can you give to others who are interested in shooting and developing film but are apprehensive about getting started?

In this day and age it’s never been easier or cheaper to get into film photography. Film SLR cameras can be had amazingly cheap (in some cases free if you have older family members that embrace technology and happen to like you). Film, chemistry and development gear are also quite inexpensive and quite fulfilling as well. If you’re apprehensive, there’s really no reason to be!

October 29, 2017
Part of the Process: Sara G. Amo

Part of the Process is a series of posts that puts the spotlight on film photographers and DIY film developers. These features provide unique experiences and perspectives on shooting and developing film while also showcasing diverse talent and film photographers around the globe. If you are interested in being featured, feel free to contact me!

Name: Sara G. Amo

Location: From Barcelona, Spain, but currently living in Iceland

Links:

Cargo Collective

Tumblr

Facebook

What other websites or blogs do you keep up with to feed your photographic interests?

I like to wander around Tumblr to find other photographers and inspiration.

What attracted you to film photography? How did you get started/introduced to shooting film? How soon after did you start developing?

What attracted me the most are the aesthetics of film and the whole artisanal value of the process of developing. I discovered film when I was studying graphic design, we had a photography class and the first year was all about film photography, so we learned to shoot with film cameras and develop our negatives and prints. After that, when I became more focused in photography, I started shooting and developing by myself at the same time.

What do you like to shoot on a regular basis?

I shoot mostly portraits, but also landscape. I am very interested in human emotions, the connection between humans and nature, and also in the social documentary perspective.

What formats, cameras, and films do you shoot? What do you like about the formats, cameras, films you prefer?

I use mostly 35mm and medium format. I like 35mm because it’s the most easy to bring when traveling, or when going out in the street or hiking in the mountains. It’s light weight, and you have a lot of photographs in every roll. But actually, my favorite format is medium format, I love the depth of the negatives; the results are amazing both in portrait and landscape photography. But it’s also more difficult to use because the camera is a lot heavier and the rolls have less photographs.

So, I often use the 35mm when I’m shooting on my own, and the medium format when I have to work on specific projects.

What types of film do you develop?

At home, I develop black and white, both negatives and prints. In the future, I would like to be able to also develop C41.

Tell us about your first experiences in developing your own film. How did you muster the courage to give it a shot? What resources did you use?

I already had the basics of developing because I learned it at school, but I remember the first time I decided to do it at home, totally by myself alone, and I felt kind of scared of making some mistake and ruining the whole batch of work. But in the end, everything went well and the more I developed, the more confidence I gained to continue doing it.

What is your development process like now?

First, I decide what format or camera I am gonna use depending on the project, after the shooting, I normally don’t develop the rolls until I have many to develop them in a batch.

I send the color film to the lab, also when I have quite a lot of them. After I have all the negatives, I scan them at home and make a selection. Then, I edit the final ones in photoshop, just the basic touches: brightness, contrast, color dominance, and not much more than that. When I have money and I can buy photographic paper, I enlarge some of my favorite black and white prints in the darkroom and scan the final print instead of the negatives.

I also like to experiment with alternative processes, such as cyanotype, van dyke brown, or photographic emulsion, among many others. Alternative processes are really interesting to me but I haven’t got the time to work with them as much as I want. I hope I can work more with them in the future!

What’s your processes regarding scanning, enlarging, and/or printing your work?

I like to do everything by myself. The first thing I did when I got my latest job was buy a professional scanner so I can scan all my negatives at home, because the prices of the laboratory were too high and I also didn’t like the quality of it.

I enlarge and print my black and white photographs in the darkroom, but lately I can’t do it much because of the cost of the photographic paper. But when I have an exhibition, I always do it, the quality of the prints is much better when you develop them in the darkroom.

What equipment are you using to develop your film and why?

I don’t have a fixed darkroom. I would love to have it in the future, but for now I have to use my bathroom (I call it the “bathlab”). I use a Meopta Opemus 6a enlarger and a Paterson tank, because I bought it all together from a friend that was selling all of her darkroom equipment.

Currently, I use Kodak HC-110 as a film developer because I love the results in all the films that I’ve tried, the contrast and tones that you get are perfect, and also because it lasts for a long long time. The rest of the chemicals, including fixer, stop bath and paper developer are from Tetenal, mostly because they are the ones that are more easy to find here and the price isn’t too expensive.

Are you content with where you are now with your shooting and developing? Do you have any future plans or ambitions?

I feel that I am still in the beginning of the journey. I still have to shoot a lot more, I still have to develop a lot of projects that I have in my mind and spread my works so they reach more people. I realized that my way is slow, so everything goes little by little, but the best I can do is enjoy the process, go with the flow, and see what happens next!

Have you completed any notable projects or in the process of creating something from the film you have shot and developed?

I’m currently finishing some projects that I shot in the last years, organizing all the photographs and making the final selections. This is always the most difficult part of the projects for me, mainly because it’s very time consuming and I have to spend many hours on the computer. I prefer to be shooting outside or developing in the darkroom.

My latest finished project that you can find online in my portfolio is ‘A dor da ausencia’, regarding the loss of my grandmother Ilda, probably one of the most special and difficult projects that I’ve done up until now.

What advice can you give to others who are interested in shooting and developing film but are apprehensive about getting started?

Don’t be afraid, start in the most simple way: just find a film camera (ask your family if they have any old cameras or buy a second hand one), buy the cheapest film that you find, and start shooting!

Developing B&W at home is very easy, you just have to learn the basics and start experimenting. You’ll discover a whole new world that will let you experiment photography in many different ways. Don’t worry if you make mistakes at first, keep shooting and practicing, that is the key to grow and improve!

October 18, 2017