Film Processing

[Jim McDonald]

Now, I should tell everyone that I have been semi professional photographer (and sometimes getting paid) since the second Nixon administration.  So, I have seen loads of changes in the art and science of photography.

In my early days, I was a newspaper photographer and had ready access to a fully equipped darkroom and was in there at all hours.  However, for personal stuff, I still had to take my film to the drug store or mail it to a commercial lab and wait about a week to get prints returned.  My former business partner and I toyed with the idea of opening an overnight developing center, but neither of us liked the idea of being in the darkroom all day at work and then going to another one that evening--so we dropped that idea.

Fast forward a few years and you could go to the drug store and drop off your film or disposable camera and come back in an hour or so and you had prints--or even doubles if you wanted to share.

Then we moved to digital.  Shoot it, dump it into your computer, load the special photo paper and print to your heart's desire.

The drug stores now offer the digital kiosks where you edit the contents of your phone, SD card or USB and get prints in about an hour.

BUT, what happens when you're cleaning a drawer and find a bag full of old film rolls?

Well, you go back in time to the early 1970s and take it to the drugstore and wait 8 days to get back a set a prints. You also get a CD of your images--but they do not return the negatives.

Just dropped two rolls of who knows what and found out this little gem.  And if it have happened to have been slide film--the wait is estimated to be three weeks.  (I used to develop slides in just over an hour in Kodak E-6 processing.)

So, if you find some old film, get with Mr. Peabody and set the dials on the "Wayback Machine" to 1974 and  wait a week.  The images aren't that old--but it will be interesting to see what is on those rolls.  Oh, and I've got plenty more to go!

Edited November 14, 2017 by Jim McDonald
spelling

[Rockytime]

I miss the good old days. I had a boat load of cameras and lens. I had a darkroom at my business. All that has gone to GoodWill. I've had several digital cameras but now only use my cell phone. I have several thousand 35mm slides but now no longer have a projector. Gone the way of the phonograph. Digitizing the slides is too expensive so they will eventually go to the land fill. So sad.

[Scrappile]

Oh ya. I sorta miss the old 35mm film days, but I do like the current digital days.  I can take pictures with my little digital Powershot, load them on the computer, resize, make clearer enhance the color, crop.. in minutes and save, them put them where I want them, here on the forum, send things to my kid via computer... what ever,  so I guess it is one of the technology improvement that I really benefit from.  And is it cheaper than buying film and have it process.  And if I take bad pictures, I know they are bad instantly, take more.

My other technology that I really love is the computers.  I started out after the service as a Computer Operator.  The machines took up rooms, cost millions and had less, I mean far less power than the little Mac I am typing on now... and I am behind the times the cell phones do it and more, better than my little Mac.  It all is amazing to me, because it all happen in my lifetime.  I watched it..... I have always been amazed by it.

[amazingkevin]

4 hours ago, Jim McDonald said:

Now, I should tell everyone that I have been semi professional photographer (and sometimes getting paid) since the second Nixon administration.  So, I have seen loads of changes in the art and science of photography.

In my early days, I was a newspaper photographer and had ready access to a fully equipped darkroom and was in there at all hours.  However, for personal stuff, I still had to take my film to the drug store or mail it to a commercial lab and wait about a week to get prints returned.  My former business partner and I toyed with the idea of opening an overnight developing center, but neither of us liked the idea of being in the darkroom all day at work and then going to another one that evening--so we dropped that idea.

Fast forward a few years and you could go to the drug store and drop off your film or disposable camera and come back in an hour or so and you had prints--or even doubles if you wanted to share.

Then we moved to digital.  Shoot it, dump it into your computer, load the special photo paper and print to your heart's desire.

The drug stores now offer the digital kiosks where you edit the contents of your phone, SD card or USB and get prints in about an hour.

BUT, what happens when you're cleaning a drawer and find a bag full of old film rolls?

Well, you go back in time to the early 1970s and take it to the drugstore and wait 8 days to get back a set a prints. You also get a CD of your images--but they do not return the negatives.

Just dropped two rolls of who knows what and found out this little gem.  And if it have happened to have been slide film--the wait is estimated to be three weeks.  (I used to develop slides in just over an hour in Kodak E-6 processing.)

So, if you find some old film, get with Mr. Peabody and set the dials on the "Wayback Machine" to 1974 and  wait a week.  The images aren't that old--but it will be interesting to see what is on those rolls.  Oh, and I've got plenty more to go!

A rich person went around the world and took fantastic pictures of everywhere of interest and died and all was donated to faith farm.What a treasure trove of quality time to spend with a slide projector and spent untold hours in fascination watching everything.

[jbrowning]

I actually develop my own black and white 35mm film and then scan them to my computer. I'm thinking about trying my hand a color film, but just haven't tried it yet.

[Scrappile]

My Dad use to develop and print his B & W.  He use to get into the closed to remove the film from the camera and put it in a little developer thing.  Us kids had to stand outside the closet and hold a blanket up over the door so absolutely no light get into the closet from around the door.  Then he would set up his processing to do the prints in the bathroom.  Had a little table he set up over the bath tub to hold the equipment and fluid trays.  We were locked out of the bathroom for hours on the days he was doing film.  Sometimes he would let one of us go in and "help".  I always found the whole process amazing.

[Jim McDonald]

It is magic to watch an image come up out of the paper as you develop a print.  I miss that--but not enough to start again.

[WayneMahler]

I had found a few "old" rolls laying around and Walmart brought them to reality. 

[danny]

Been there .... Done that .... Yes is so Sad to collect all the Memories and Old Man Time deals with you. 

Rocky Me also have Thousands of Slides.  Still have the Projector etc.  Yes to costly to digitize.    Danny  :+}

[Rockytime]

I have been looking on fleabay. Quite a few $100 or less. I'm thinking about getting a cheapie to see how well it works.