Alternative Film Development Workshop
08 December 2021
A workshop on alternative film development using natural homemade recipes w Mouhit’s artist in residence @tasuhime ✨
Most plants generate phenolic acids. As a natural antioxidant, it acts on the silver present in photographic film by reducing it and thus developing the pictures. Choose a plant carefully and make a tea out of it by boiling it in water for 30 minutes or leave it in hot water for a day. Mix it carefully with soda crystals and vitamin C to create your own natural film developer. To do your own film development you will need to have the following:
- 1 shot BW roll (35mm- double quantities for 120mm)
- access to darkroom/changing bag
- access to water
- developing tank
- measuring jugs, scale
- fixer (any type, as usual)
Here are some recipes to try:
Coffee Recipe
- 500mL water
- 40g sodium carbonate
- 10 g vitamin C
- 24g coffee (cheapest is best, Nescafe for example)
Mix coffee in 250mL hot water, let it cool. In another cup, mix soda with 250 mL water until it dissolves completely then add vit C. Pour the solution in the coffee.
Pour your developer into the tank. Invert every 2 min for 12min. Wash for 2 minutes, fix, wash for 10 minutes.
Tea Recipe
- 500mL water
- 40g sodium carbonate
- 10 g vitamin C
- 15g (9 bags) mint tea
Make your tea. Let it infuse and cool for 30min-1h. In another cup, mix soda with 250 mL water until it dissolves completely and add vit C. Mix tea and solution.
Pour your developer into the tank. Invert every 2 minutes for 30 minutes. Wash for 2 minutes, fix, wash for 10 minutes.