Processing
If you used a camera, the next step is to process your film. Properly exposed film differs from unexposed film at the atomic level through minute chemical changes that form an invisible or “latent” image.
Developing
To reveal this latent image, the film must be developed in the dark using chemical solutions. Each solution has a specific function, and the process varies slightly between black-and-white and color films. For black-and-white films, the first chemical solution develops light-struck areas into black-silver grains. This is followed by a fixer solution that dissolves the unexposed parts, leaving these areas clear. The result, once washed and dried, is a black-and-white negative where the brightest parts of your subject appear as the darkest.
For color films, a more complex chemical process is used to create color negatives. Color slide film requires additional steps. Initially, a black-and-white negative developer is used, and then the film is developed in color to create a positive image in black silver and dyes. This process results in a positive color slide.
Printing Negatives
The next step in production is printing, often enlarging, the image. This involves projecting the film’s image onto light-sensitive photographic paper using a magnifier. The paper receives more light from the bright areas of the film, creating a latent image. This paper is then processed with chemical solutions similar to those used for film development. For black-and-white prints, the paper is exposed to a black-and-white negative, developed, fixed, and washed to create a positive image. Color prints go through a color development sequence to form a color print from a color negative.
Adjustments and Corrections
Printing allows for various adjustments and corrections. You can trim undesirable parts of the image, change its proportions, brighten or darken selected areas, and use color filters to refine color balance or create effects. You can also combine parts of multiple images in print, creating part-positive, part-negative images.
Color and Black and White
You have a choice between color and black-and-white (monochrome) film. Color photography is generally easier because it closely resembles how the subject appears in the viewfinder. However, translating the colors of a subject into monochromatic tones can be challenging. Black-and-white photography is often seen as less realistic, creating a gap between reality and its representation, which some photographers find more interpretive and subtle.
Color films, paper, and chemical processes are more complex than black and white. Reliable color printing processes appeared almost a hundred years after the invention of photography. These processes were initially expensive and labor-intensive, so many photographers first learned their craft in black and white before transitioning to color.
Today, most people start with color photography. The complexity of color photography is largely managed by manufacturers through films, papers, pre-made solutions, and standardized processing routines. However, printing in color remains more demanding due to the need for precise color balance control. Therefore, it’s often recommended to start with black-and-white photography when learning the chemical development process.
