Photographic film development is a process in which an image is captured on light-sensitive film and then processed to produce a permanent, visible photograph. The process has changed dramatically over the years, but the basic principles remain the same. In this blog, we'll take a look at the history of film development, the process of developing film, and how film is used today.
The History of Film Development
Photographic film has been around since the late 1800s and was first developed by George Eastman and his company, Kodak. At first, photographers had to process their film in a dark room using a series of chemicals. This was a time-consuming and difficult process that required a lot of experience and skill. Over the years, however, the process became simpler and more automated, making it possible for amateur photographers to produce high-quality prints.
In the early days of film development, the film was developed using a series of chemical baths. The film would first be immersed in a developer, which would convert the light-sensitive silver halide crystals on the film into metallic silver. This created the "negative" image on the film. The negative was then fixed in a chemical bath to make it permanent and washed to remove any residual chemicals. Finally, the negative was dried and ready for printing.
The Modern Process of Developing Film
The process of developing film is much simpler and faster than it was in the past. Most photographers now use a film developing machine, which automates the process and reduces the time and skill required. The machine takes the exposed film and processes it in a series of steps, including development, fixing, washing, and drying.
The first step in developing film is to load it into the developing machine. The machine then automatically advances the film through a series of chemical baths, each with a specific function. The developer is the first chemical bath and is responsible for converting the light-sensitive silver halide crystals into metallic silver. This creates a negative image on the film.
Next, the film is fixed in a chemical bath to make the image permanent. This also removes any residual light-sensitive crystals that have not been converted into metallic silver. The fixing bath is typically a solution of sodium thiosulfate, which dissolves the light-sensitive crystals and makes the image permanent.
After the fixing bath, the film is washed to remove any residual chemicals. This is usually done in a series of water baths, which rinse the film and remove any remaining chemicals. The final step is to dry the film negative, which is usually done by blowing warm air over it.
Film Use Today
Photographic film development is a fascinating process that's waned significantly over the years. Today, developing film into negatives, then photographs is a vintage art. It's still possible to purchase film and eventually develop them into photo prints, but digital photography has dramatically reduced our reliance on film technology.
Now, a majority of pictures are captured from smartphones as digital image files. It's estimated that 57,246 digital photographs are taken every second! These photos now longer require developing film into negatives, but there's no debating the impact the industry had on our ability to capture a Kodak moment.
The film industry is also trainted by past and ongoing environmental disasters. Digital photography has decreased the use of chemicals to develop film, but there's still the question of how to keep millions of pounds of polyester photographic negatives out of landfills. I propose that professional digitizing companies responsibility recycle this material after they scan these negatives to digital JPEG images.
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