Evening star., 1952-10-12
comero Angles:
comero Angles:
Improved Chemical Packs
SimpIifyHome Processing
" Alexander J. Wedderburn
cvrotor Of Photography
The Smithsonian Institution

CUEotoT OF
The Smifhsor
Now that Photographic chem
icals have become universally
available in ready mixed form
a very large percentage of
camera fans are enthuSiaStical-
ly setting up their own dark
rooms for home processing of
films and prints. Photo-chem-
istry has become so simphfed
that now any one can prepare
his own processing baths and
with no fuss or bother.
Until comparatively recent
times Aim and print processing
meant a tedious session of
weighing and measuring and
mixing unfamiliar ingredients
and the resulting mixtures were
not always up to par. But in
these enlightened times Mr..
Average Camera Fan can reach
for a bottle. can or packet--add
little water and be all set to
process his films or prints with
the assurance that nothing will
60 wrong.
1t used to be that many a
prospective home professor
would back off in a hurry when
he discovered that he would
have to invest a small fortune
in chemicals which might very
well deteriorate before he con-
ceivably would use them all up.
Now, you can buy enough ready
made soup" to take care of
one nights work and only spend
a few cents in doing so. Or, If
you are a fairly active amateur,
you can buy larger quantities
which can be diluted in the
right amounts as you go along.
This means savings in time,
patience. money and effort.
Formulas Are Better
In addition to all this, you
get the benefit of better for
mulas. There's a reason behind
this, too. The make-it-yourself
formulas necessarily omit some
chemical ingredients of the
ready mixed variety simply be-
cause the amounts required are
too small for accurate measure
ment in quantities suitable for
amateur Use. But when mixed
in huge quantities by the man
ufacturer. these additional and
highly beneficial substances can
be blended into the formulas
with the net result that you get
a better product that will re-
main clear and uniform during
use and have a longer life.
If you are one who shoots an
occasional roll Of film. we rec
ommend the little "one-serving"
packets of chemical that will
process your work for one ses-
sion in the darkroom and then
be discarded. You may be. on
the other hand, the kind of
camera fan who is always work.
ing on one job or another. For
you there are the bottled prepa-
rations that need only dilution
to be instantly ready. The
semipro or professional can save
himself many hours of mixing
by using the larger packages
or cans.
Now for a look at the small
list Of processing chemicals
which will be needed. First. of
course, you will need the de-
veloping solution to bring up
the image. In the packets.
cans or larger packages, the
chemicals are ready-mixed in
powder form and heed only a
specified amount Of water. The
bottled variety needs only to be
diluted with water. Some are
for films and others process
prints and a third, and more
versatile variety, may be used
for both prints and films.
Natter Of PersonoI Choice
Some manufacturers go even
further and provide developers
that are suited to particular
papers, one being better for
warm tone prints and another
favoring the cold-tone papers.
It all boils down to a matter Of
personal choice and you will
find a large variety to choose
from. If you are new at proc
essirg, your dealer will be happy
to advise which type and for
mula will be best for your par
ticular purpose.
Next is the shortstop bath.
which is used to kill the action
of the developer after the film
or print is ready to be pulled
from the first solution. The
shortstop comes in a handy. 16-
ounce bottle which. when di-
luted, will make 8 gallons Of
working solution. Only the re-
quired amount for each job need
be mixed at one time. At least
one ready-made shortstop bath
gives a signal that it is exhaust
ed by turning purple. What
more could a photographer ask?
The final or fixing formula
can be obtained in either powder
or liquid form. A hardener-fix-
ing preparation can be used for
either prints or film, the only
difference being in the strength
used for one or the other. For
example, one popular brand OF
prepared fixer calls for a Ia
mixture for film and a II ratio
for prints.
Darkroom Rules PrevoiI u.
This all boils down to what
we said at the start-that
processing is now so simple and
easy that any one can shoot
pictures at a given time and
show prints an hour or so later
and without any Of the hard
work that formerly was in
volved. There are q few die