How to Develop a Picture

Introduction: (Initial Observation)

History: A quick review of the history of photography reveals some valuable facts.

For hundreds of years before photography was invented, people had been aware, for example, that some colors are bleached in the sun, but they had made little distinction between heat, air, and light.

• In the sixteen hundreds, Robert Boyle, a founder of the Royal Society, had reported that silver chloride which is normally a white powder, turned dark under exposure, but he appeared to believe that it was caused by exposure to the air, rather than to light.
• Angelo Sala, in the early seventeenth century, noticed that powdered nitrate of silver is blackened by the sun.
• In 1727 Johann Heinrich Schulze discovered that certain liquids change color when exposed to light.
• At the beginning of the nineteenth century Thomas Wedgwood was conducting experiments; he had successfully captured images, but his images could not survive, as there was no known method of making the image permanent.

The first successful picture was produced in June/July 1827 by Niépce, using material that hardened on exposure to light. This picture required an exposure of eight hours.

On 4 January 1829 Niépce agreed to go into partnership with Louis Daguerre . Niépce died only four years later, but Daguerre continued to experiment. Soon he had discovered a way of developing photographic plates, a process which greatly reduced the exposure time from eight hours down to half an hour. He also discovered that an image could be made permanent by immersing it in salt.

Following a report on this invention by Paul Delaroche , a leading scholar of the day, the French government bought the rights to it in July 1839. Details of the process were made public on 19 August 1839, and Daguerre named it the Daguerreotype.

Information Gathering:

Find out how to develop a picture. Best starting point is search the internet. Use key words, such as develop picture, dark room, etc…Here are a few links http://www.sln.org, http://www.nh.ultranet.com. http://www.psrc.usm.edu.
See the reference section for more related web sites. Read books, magazines or ask professionals who might know in order to learn about the effect or area of study. Keep track of where you got your information from.

Here is some basic information you need to know about some chemicals and their role in development of a negatives and film.

Exposure in photography means the exposing of a sensitized plate to the action of light.

Basics Concepts

What exactly happens when you press the shutter? A certain amount of light strikes the film inside the camera, depending on the speed of shutter. The amount of light is captured on the film inside the camera and activates a chemical reaction. What are these chemicals? OK, I’ll tell you a little bit about it, but you don’t need to know the chemistry of this reaction. Photographic film consists of silver compounds. The light strikes these particles and activate them and forms an image on the film, which later is processed and becomes the negative.

Processing film is about developing the image and making it permanent. Processing essentially consists of three steps – developing, stopping development and fixing. For each step we use a different solution and insert the film in that liquid for a certain amount of time. You need some way by which you can unload the film, expose it to the developing solution, which can develop the latent image. Once that is done to the requisite degree, you need to stop the development process or the developing solution can continue working. Once you have stopped development, you need to fix the image, which is done by dissolving and washing away the undeveloped silver salts.

Extra Information: ( for studying purposes only)

Processing containers: Tray is commonly used to soak the films and papers in chemicals. See pictures in experimental design. However everything needs to be done in the dark.

Developer: There are a variety of developers available. Typically, they are available either as powders, which you will have to dissolve or as concentrated liquids. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Stop bath: This is typically acetic acid, which neutralizes the alkaline solution required for development and thus halts development.

Fixer: Fixers dissolve the undeveloped silver salts, which can then be removed by washing. If this step were not carried out, the inactivated chemicals would become activated when exposed to light and cause fogging of the image.

Note: Fixing the image is very important: the fixer dissolves out any silver which hasn’t turned black, so that years from now, the picture won’t turn yellow or some other unwanted color. Sometimes improperly fixed photographs just fade out, as if they were bleached by time.

Wet processing: is very important, because if any fixer is left in the paper, it will act like a bleach and cause the photographic image to fade over time. Room temperature water is important because water which is too hot or too cold can damage the layers which make up the photographic paper.

Washing aid: Once the film is developed and fixed, you need to remove all the fixer/hypo from the film surface. This is achieved by washing the negative. A washing aid can reduce washing time.

Printing the negative
In essence, printing is like photography in reverse. You take the negative and project it out onto a sheet of paper (and so you get a negative of the negative i.e., the positive) and develop the paper.

Darkroom

You can convert a bathroom into a darkroom (running water is available, many bathrooms don’t have windows that need to be blacked out, the trays can be set in sequence in the bathtub).

Exposure

It is important to follow the correct exposure time for development in the experimental design.

Developing the print

This proceeds in exactly the same fashion as film, except that since paper is orthochromatic, you can work under the safelights and watch the image come up in the developing solution

Prior to experiment 5, you need to have a dark room. The first requirements is that the room be totally DARK when the door is closed and the lights turned off. Photographic film is sensitive to all except red/orange light and can be ruined in a fraction of a second if exposed to white light.

Safelight

A lamp having one or more color filters allowing moderate darkroom illumination without affecting photosensitive film or paper.

Question/ Purpose:

What do you want to find out? Write a statement that describes what you want to do. Use your observations and questions to write the statement.

The purpose of this project is to study, experiment, and learn the mechanism of developing pictures. Attempt to discover different methods and chemicals used in picture development process.

You may also study on a specific question such as:

1. How does the concentration of developer affects the time needed for film or paper to develop?
2. How does the solution temperature affect the time it takes for exposed paper (or film) to develop.

If you study any of such questions, you will also have a results table that can later be used to draw a graph.

Identify Variables:

When you think you know what variables may be involved, think about ways to change one at a time. If you change more than one at a time, you will not know what variable is causing your observation. Sometimes variables are linked and work together to cause something. At first, try to choose variables that you think act independently of each other.

While studying photography, all variables that may affect the quality of photos or the process of photo development may be studied.

Some of these variables are:

• The type of light-sensitive material used on the picture paper (or film)
• The type of chemicals used to develop the picture
• The concentration of chemicals used to develop the picture
• The temperature of chemicals used to develop a picture
• Contact time of developing chemicals with the picture

For the concentration of developer that is being studied as our first question, following is how you may define variables.

Independent variable (also known as manipulated variable) is the concentration of developer chemicals.

Dependent variable (also known as responding variable) is the time it takes for picture to develop.

Controlled variables is the solution temperature.

Constants are the type of developer compound and the type of water.

For the temperature of developer that is being studied as our second question, following is how you may define variables.

Independent variable (also known as manipulated variable) is the temperature of developer chemicals.

Dependent variable (also known as responding variable) is the time it takes for picture to develop.

Constants are the type of developer compound and its concentration.

Hypothesis:

Based on your gathered information, make an educated guess about what types of things affect the system you are working with. Identifying variables is necessary before you can make a hypothesis.

Following are sample hypothesis for our specific questions 1 and 2 accordingly.

1. As the concentration of developer increases, less time it takes for a picture to develop. My hypothesis is based on my common sense. Since a higher concentration of developer has more active material and less water, and since development of pictures is a chemical process, higher availability of chemicals must result in a higher rate of reaction.
2. I foresee that a higher temperature of developer solution can accelerate the process of development. My hypothesis is based on my gathered information on the effect of temperature on the rate of reactions.

Experiment Design:

Design an experiment to test each hypothesis. Make a step-by-step list of what you will do to answer each question. This list is called an experimental procedure. For an experiment to give answers you can trust, it must have a “control.” A control is an additional experimental trial or run. It is a separate experiment, done exactly like the others. The only difference is that no experimental variables are changed. A control is a neutral “reference point” for comparison that allows you to see what changing a variable does by comparing it to not changing anything. Dependable controls are sometimes very hard to develop. They can be the hardest part of a project. Without a control you cannot be sure that changing the variable causes your observations. A series of experiments that includes a control is called a “controlled experiment.”

Experiment 1: How does the concentration of developer affect the time needed for film or paper to develop?

Introduction: Different concentrations of developer solution will be used to develop black and white photo papers with same amounts of light exposure. The time it takes for exposed papers to develop will be recorded.

Materials and Equipment:

1. Darkroom with Safe light
2. Developer compound
3. Stopper solution
4. Fixer Solution
5. Black and White Photo paper
6. Desk lamp
7. 12 open top plastic containers (large enough to hold your solutions and your papers)
8. Timer or clock

Procedure:

1. Prepare a darkroom with safe light. Safe light will allow you to see the development process without any effect on the film or paper. (You can use a 15-watt red light as a safe light for black and white pictures)
2. Use dry developer compound and make four different concentrations of developer. Make one concentration as recommended by manufacturer. Make another concentration that contains double the the recommended amount developer. Two other solutions will have 1/2 and 1/4 recommended amounts of developer chemicals. These solutions can be made in any plastic container. Label your containers with the concentrations of each solution. (2, 1, 1/2, 1/4)
3. Prepare four identical stopper solutions (one for each of your developer solutions)
4. Prepare four identical fixer solutions (one for each of your developer solutions)
5. In the dark room, remove one sheet of black and white photo paper from its original light protective package. Cut a piece about 6″ x 6″ for this experiment. Place it under a desk lamp (Sensitive face up). Turn on the light and turn it back off immediately. A fraction of second light exposure is enough. Cut the paper in four equal pieces. In the back of each piece write the concentration of developer that is being tested with that paper.
6. Place each piece in the developer solution that is assigned to that piece.
   Do not manipulate or stir solution after the papers are inserted. Make sure you keep track of the papers and solutions.
   Inserting papers in solutions can be done all at once or one at a time. That is up to you to decide.
7. Observe all papers and take out any paper immediately after it gets black. Record the time it took for paper to get black. Place the paper in stop bath.
8. About 3 minutes after all papers are transferred to stop bath, remove them all and transfer them to fixer bath.
9. Remove all the papers from fixer and wash them. Now you can bring them to light. Your data table will look like this:

You can also use the above results table to draw a bar graph. In your graph, each bar represents a different concentration. The height of each bar represents the number of seconds it took for the piece of paper to get black.

Experiment 2: How does the temperature of developer affects the time needed for film or paper to develop?

Introduction: Developer solution at different temperatures will be used to develop black and white photo papers with same amount of light exposure. The time it takes for exposed papers to develop will be recorded.

Materials and Equipment:

1. Darkroom with Safe light
2. Developer compound
3. Stopper solution
4. Fixer Solution
5. Black and White Photo paper
6. Desk lamp
7. 9 open top plastic containers (large enough to hold your solutions and your papers)
8. Timer or clock
9. Thermometers to measure the temperature of developer (optional)

Procedure:

1. Prepare a darkroom with safe light. Safe light will allow you to see the development process without any effect on the film or paper. (You can use a 15-watt red light as a safe light)
2. Make 3 standard developer solutions in 3 plastic containers. (Use the recommended concentration for these solutions). Keep one solution at room temperature. Place the other solution in a hot water bath. Place the last container in ice water bath. (Both the ice water and hot water baths are simply larger containers that hold hot or ice water.)
3. Prepare three identical stopper solutions (one for each of your developer solutions)
4. Prepare three identical fixer solutions (one for each of your developer solutions)
5. In the dark room, remove one sheet of black and white photo paper from its original light protective package. Cut a piece about 6″ x 6″ for this experiment. Place it under a desk lamp (Sensitive face up). Turn on the light and turn it back off after one second. Cut the paper in four equal pieces. Dispose of one piece because you just need three pieces for this experiment. In the back of each piece write the temperature of developer that is being tested with that paper.
6. Place each piece in one of the developers and immediately record the time. Do not manipulate or stir solution after the papers are inserted. Keep track of the papers and solutions.
   Inserting papers in solutions can be done all at once or one at a time. That is up on you to decide.
7. Observe all papers and take out any paper immediately after it gets black. Record the time it took for paper to get black. Place the paper in stop bath.
8. About 3 minutes after all papers are transferred to stop bath, remove them all and transfer them to fixer bath.
9. Remove all the papers from fixer and wash them. Now you can bring them to light. Your data table will look like this:

You can also use the above results table to draw a bar graph. In your graph, each bar represents a different temperature. The height of each bar represents the number of seconds it took for the piece of paper to get black.

Experiment 4: Blue Prints

Maps and drawings are usually drawn on transparent papers, also known as clear tracing paper. These drawings will be printed on special blue printing papers with a very simple technique. Blueprinting paper isn’t just ordinary paper. It’s coated with light sensitive chemical called ammonium iron citrate. In order to print on these papers, they place the drawing over the paper and expose it to intense light for a few seconds. At this stage, prints are already visible on papers, but in yellow color. This paper will be inserted into ammonia solution or gas and all the yellow prints will change to blue.

The process is so simple that you can do it at home, by following these steps.

1-Make a drawing on clear transparent paper or use a black and white negative instead.

2-Place your drawing on a piece of blue print paper.

3- Expose the combination to sun light for about 30 seconds.

4- Observe the paper to make sure you see a yellow white reflection of your drawing.

5- Insert the blue print paper in ammonia for about one second

6- Remove it, wash it and let it dry

Note: If you have any negative films, such as black and white films or x-ray film, you can use it instead of drawing.

Experiment 5: Developing a picture

In this experiment, we will show you how to use chemicals in a darkroom setting to develop pictures.

In this experiment you need a black and white roll of film, and a camera. Load the film into the camera and go around your backyard and take a few pictures. Maybe picture of your own hand, or some ones hand as a model. Then you need to be in a dark room to open the camera in darkness and remove the film. You need to organize the darkroom prior to using it. It should also have the proper safelight. (red/orange 15w bulb). You need a tray containing developer solution, a tray of stop bath and a tray of fixer solution. You also need access to running water and a sink.

You also need a light box. It can be a cardboard or wooden rectangular box with top being replaced with a clear glass. There should be a regular bulb fixing in the box with a on/off switch. The purpose of this light box is to expose the photography paper to light for a fraction of second during development of picture from negative.

Follow these steps:

Developing the “negative”

The above photos show the negative image which appears on the “paper film” and the positive image, or print.

Materials and Equipment:

List of material for experiment 3 and 4 can be extracted from the experiment section.

List of material for experiment 5:

Camera

Black and white roll of film

Paper film: resin-coated 5×7 inch black and white photographic paper

safelight: (orange/red 15w.), safelights range from small bulbs the size of a nightlight to more expensive units designed for regular darkrooms. Be sure the safelight you get is really safe for the photographic paper you are using.

Photographic paper: photographic supply stores will have the photographic paper (5×7 resin-coated, medium contrast, in packs of 25 or 100 sheets)

Three 5×7 developing trays or any similar plastic container

developer (Kodak Dektol – comes in quart and larger sizes)

stop bath (optional – clean water may be used instead) (Kodak Indicator Stop Bath or Acetic Acid)

fixer (very important-Kodak Fixer is least expensive, comes in quart and larger sizes)

sheet of plate glass large enough to cover 5 x 7 paper–must have edges ground so they are not sharp

white light (a 15 watt bulb on a cord with a line switch is recommended. The room light can be used, but it is usually more difficult to control. Test it out first–you will probably want to use the 15w bulb instead)

clean towels, but not “Mom’s best”

recommended: plastic photographic chemical bottles to keep solutions in. (sold at photo supply stores)

These chemicals are common darkroom chemicals for black and white print developing. They are not toxic under normal use but ingestion and inhalation is not recommended. Read all manufacturer’s labels and cautions before using.

Where to buy?

Places you may try are a local photography suppler, a local science supplier, a local pharmacy or online stores such as:

http://shop.MiniScience.com

http://www.klk.com

http://www.ChemicalStore.com

Results of Experiment (Observation):

Experiments are often done in series. A series of experiments can be done by changing one variable a different amount each time. A series of experiments is made up of separate experimental “runs.” During each run you make a measurement of how much the variable affected the system under study. For each run, a different amount of change in the variable is used. This produces a different amount of response in the system. You measure this response, or record data, in a table for this purpose. This is considered “raw data” since it has not been processed or interpreted yet. When raw data gets processed mathematically, for example, it becomes results.

Calculations:

No calculation is required.

Summery of Results:

Summarize what happened. This can be in the form of a table of processed numerical data, or graphs. It could also be a written statement of what occurred during experiments.

It is from calculations using recorded data that tables and graphs are made. Studying tables and graphs, we can see trends that tell us how different variables cause our observations. Based on these trends, we can draw conclusions about the system under study. These conclusions help us confirm or deny our original hypothesis. Often, mathematical equations can be made from graphs. These equations allow us to predict how a change will affect the system without the need to do additional experiments. Advanced levels of experimental science rely heavily on graphical and mathematical analysis of data. At this level, science becomes even more interesting and powerful.

Conclusion:

Using the trends in your experimental data and your experimental observations, try to answer your original questions. Is your hypothesis correct? Now is the time to pull together what happened, and assess the experiments you did.

Related Questions & Answers:

What you have learned may allow you to answer other questions. Many questions are related. Several new questions may have occurred to you while doing experiments. You may now be able to understand or verify things that you discovered when gathering information for the project. Questions lead to more questions, which lead to additional hypothesis that need to be tested.

Possible Errors:

If you did not observe anything different than what happened with your control, the variable you changed may not affect the system you are investigating. If you did not observe a consistent, reproducible trend in your series of experimental runs there may be experimental errors affecting your results. The first thing to check is how you are making your measurements. Is the measurement method questionable or unreliable? Maybe you are reading a scale incorrectly, or maybe the measuring instrument is working erratically.

If you determine that experimental errors are influencing your results, carefully rethink the design of your experiments. Review each step of the procedure to find sources of potential errors. If possible, have a scientist review the procedure with you. Sometimes the designer of an experiment can miss the obvious.

References:

http://www.sln.org/pieces/watson/dr_do.htm

http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~stewoody/takecam2.htm

http://www.psrc.usm.edu/macrog/work/blue.htm

http://www.activepartners.com/amateurphoto/photo/darktech.html

http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~qtluong/photography/lf/darkroom-primer.html

http://darkroomsource.com/tech-print.htm