How do you develop film yourself?

Question

Im spending too much money for my pictures (& I take a lot of them). Im wondering if it would be cheaper in the long run for me to develop it myself.

Additional Details

Alright guys... i understand about how great a digital camera is but before wal-mart with its 1 hour photo, canon digital cameras, 1 stop photo shop @ wal-greens...there was a 35mm camera. & believe this or not! it was MANUAL! (oooohhhhh...aaaaahhhhh...)
I appreciate the comments & all but i asked how to develop your own film, not tell me about the earth & hassle of it all.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Probably not. I took a photography class in high school where we developed our own B&W film. You had to have a dark room, the proper chemicals, and equipment. It was a lot of work. Of course, if you're that into it, it could be a cool hobby. I don't think it's going to be a money saver though.

Would a digital camera do the trick for you? It's saved us a lot of money on film developing.

Answer 2

It would be cheaper in the long run to go digital, and it's better for the environment. Think about it, the more pictures you take, the better you become at taking pictures. With dp I can take 200 pictures a day and get those 1 or 2 pictures that I really like and that are worth keeping. Other advantages are: instant playback, gaining control over your images, emailing the images to your friends and family, posting images on the world wide web. The only downside I can think of is the initial cost, but still were talking less than $1,000- $400 for the computer, $200 for the camera, $100 for a printer/scanner, internet connection, electricity? Less than that even~

Answer 3

definitely not cheaper once you consider the chemicals, enlarger, putting in a sink if there isn't one there already, a dryer so you get really nice flat pictures...my suggestion is to get a good digital camera and if you still want a diy thing you can always buy a printer and print them yourself-although there are many places now on the internet that offer very inexpensive printing-some as low as 8 cents for a 4x6

Answer 4

I am so tired of these clowns talking about how difficult it is to work in a darkroom. Yeah, if you are 15 and have a 30 sec attention span and have no idea about quality. If you are talking about black and white, yes you will save money and have much greater control over the finished product, even if you just develop the film and don't do any printing. Processing B+W film is very simple, all you need is a bathroom and some very basic equipment. Color is a much bigger headache, and not really worth the time. Start with a two reel stainless tank, two stainless reels, a photo thermometer, and 2 (32 oz)beakers. Email me for more detailed info if you want. Digital has its place, but there is still a lot you can't do digitally.

Source(s):

20 years as a professional photographer

Answer 5

Darkroom tutorials: http://www.net-art.it/photomonitor/html/…