Jacques Revon explores in this chapter the use of an ecological alternative developer made with lager beer.
“Film photography is initially authentic because the negative remains, even if one day it is scanned and therefore becomes digital at the risk, as we know, of being later manipulated.” JR
Alternative developer made with lager beer.
300 ml to 700 ml are generally necessary to develop in a tank, depending on whether you used a 24X36 format film of 36 views (1.70 meters long) or a 120 / 6X6 film, (width 6 cm length 80 cm) here the equivalent of approximately one 33 cl can or three 25 cl cans for 700 ml of developer obtained ready for use.(355 ml=12oz)
1 . Dissolve the following products well, one after the other, in 300 ml or 700 ml of beer. Dilution temperature from 20° to 22° centigrade.
47 grams of sodium carbonate
8 grams of vitamin C. (when diluting the products, be careful of foam formation
5 grams of iodized salt.
Finally, add 2 drops of photo-Flo to promote development.
2 . Pre-wet your film for five minutes in warm water, then proceed to development.
3 . Developments, test examples.
Development test 1 at 20°.7 development time 22 mins film 24X36 50 ASA Ilford expired in 1983, Leica M2 (Daix village).
Development test 2 at 20° development time 35 mins film 24X36 Rollei 100 ISO, Leica M2 (hydrangea pot and umbrella).
Development test 3 at 23° development time 26 mins film 24X36 Rollei 100 ISO, Leica M2 (Cadole Bourguignonne).
Development test 4 at 23° development time 24 mins 6X6 film Rollei 100 ISO, Rolleiflex (Christmas ball and tree).
4 . Fixing for 3 minutes here in Hypam Ilford 1+4 at 20° then classic washing for 10 minutes, emptying the contents of the tank every two minutes. Or better yet, to save water when washing your film, which is more and more necessary these days.
I suggest the method recommended by Jost j Marchesi in the book “Ilford Procédé Negatif” published in 1980 by Editions Jean Spinatsch in Geneva, on the condition that you have fixed your film with this fixer.
– 1 Empty the tank well to wash and rinse the spiral which contains your film or film inside.
– 2 Fill the tank with water then slowly tilt over 5 times by rotating, let the water work from top to bottom.
– 3 Empty the tank again, then fill it again, and this time slowly tilt it over 10 times, always in the same way.
– 4 Empty the tank again then fill it a third time and gently tilt it over 20 times.
– 5 If you want your film to be kept for as long as possible, then carry out operation number 4 twice more.
Finally, dip your film or the reel in a wetting agent for 30 seconds. It help reduce the surface tension of the water on the surface of the emulsion I remind you and thus promote the regular runoff of the water which adheres on the surface of the film or, soak your film in demineralized water for one minute. Then, hang the film by weighting it, to let it dry in the open air.
Jacques Revon
Honorary journalist, author, photographer.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Revon
