Processing Sheet Film in Trays, Part 2

In this video, which is Part 2 of a series, I give some basic background information and tips about processing sheet film in trays that hopefully may be helpful to people new to large format photography and even experienced large format photographers. In upcoming parts of this multi-part video, I will demonstrate the actual process in detail. If you have any questions or comments, please post them in Comments or contact me directly. I will be more than happy to help you in any way I can.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• sheet film
• sheet film processing
• tray processing
• large format photography
• large formatlarge format film
• darkroom
• zone system
• tom johnston
• tom johnston photography
• film processing
• apug
• zoneIII
• analog photography users group

[alainxoxo1]

Thanks a lot for the whole videos. Helped me a lot getting started.

[ZoneIII]

@alainxoxo1 You're very welcome! My videos definitely aren't polished but I try to give as much detail as possible so that they may be helpful to someone viewing them. Thanks again.

[ZoneIII]

@BunWackettBuzzard At some point, Kodak no longer removed the emulsions to make prints, of course, but that's how they did it with their first box cameras. There's an excellent documentary called The Wizard of Phototgraphy about the life of George Eastman that shows the original process. It's an outstanding video. It's part of the PBS American Experience series of documentaries. NetFlix has it and you can get it from other sources as well. Great stuff!

[BunWackettBuzzard]

@ZoneIII

Thanks for the reply, and yes! I will give you the information of my findings if I have a reply. I shall send a message to Kodak, and see what they say. I remember reading about the brownie camera, I saw one for sale in a store a few weeks ago. I did not know they lifted the emulsion, and applied it to a backing. That is very interesting. Thank you for the information. =D

[ZoneIII]

@ZoneIII (Continued)... Of course, Kodak was working with developed film, not unexposd film but they did lift the emulsion off of the negative and that emulsion became the actual image on the print.

Hey! I wonder if Kodak would have an answer to your question. Their engineers can be very helpful. You might try contacting them. Interesting project! Best of luck.

[ZoneIII]

@BunWackettBuzzard If you get an answer to your question, please let me know what it is. Now I'm curious about this. This subject reminds me that when Kodak came out with their first Box Brownie cameras where the user sent the camera back to Kodak to have the film processed and prints made and then the camera was re-loaded with film and sent back to the customer, Kodak lifted the exposed and developed emulsion off of the film and carefully applied it to a backing to make the prints.

[BunWackettBuzzard]

@ZoneIII

I have been looking on APUG for over a year, to find posts that deal with emulsion making. I have found many, but just wondering if a ready made emulsion can be lifted off film. I guess I will have to buy a liquid light emulsion, and the sensitize it further into the green and red spectrum to about 650nm. It will be hard and maybe expensive (If I mess up over and over) but what I will get out of it will be worth the trouble. Thanks again.

[ZoneIII]

@BunWackettBuzzard I'm sorry but I have had no experience with that sort of thing. Maybe you could get an answer to your question by posting it in the APUG forums or on photo.net. They have a lot of members that work in specialtiy areas. My guess is that it couldn't be done but, if it could, the whole process would have to be done in total darkness, as you know. I think the emulstion is bonded to the base in a way so it couldn't be removed but I don't know that for certain.

[BunWackettBuzzard]

Can I boil the emulsion off a unexposed film sheet, and use that emulsion layer, to paste onto a glass plate? You see I need the panchromatic emulsion. Monochromatic, emulsions are easy enough to make, but sensitizing the emulsion, making it "panchromatic" is hard and expensive. Do you think this could be done?

[ZoneIII]

@paintingwithlight Thank you very much! Your kind remark makes my day! I do plan on making the very type of videos that you mentioned. Because winter is setting in where I am, I may have to do them inside.