Will a change in my developer chemistry affect my finished prints. I print both RC and Fiber. I mix my chemistry following the mfgr. instructions but my garage darkroom in Houston gets a little warm and my chemistry temps. raise about 15 degrees in a typical 2-3 hour printing session.

-- Rick W. Stiles (rstiles@ghg.net), August 24, 1997

Answers

Yes the temp change can have a measurable and viewable effect. A couple of things you can do about it. One is to mix the developer more dilute and develop longer to a viewable standard. Another is to go completely berserk and buy every Zone VI digital, quantifiable and control gadget ever devised. This will help you become a neurotic and stimulate sleepless nights where tenths of a degree changes in anything becomes reason for a suicidal urge. If your prints look good and you find results repeatable, keep on keeping on. Getting too precise is a trap in and of itself. You want repeatability but don't go overboard. Print a couple of very good prints at the beginning of your session and then again from the same negs, same settings at the end & see if there is actually a difference you can see. You might try mixing a new batch of developer about half way through to control this, or drop in a few ice cubes to cool the solution a bit. Or, buy all the compensating timers & other gear & be very exacting. Just don't let it get in the way of your creativity or fhe fun of taking pictures & the attempt at creating great images.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), August 25, 1997.

developer temp changes during print session

Rick, a 15 degree change in temp will certainly affect your prints. With the temp variable constantly rising it would be next to impossible to get predictable results. Perhaps you could carefully warm the developer so that it matched the air tempurature in the darkroom. Then, at least, it would remain consistant. Good Luck, Oso

-- oso (learn@harbornet.com), August 25, 1997.

Update: I am now using my 11x14 trays as a temperature bath into which I nest my 8x10 trays. By using ice cubes I am attempting to rein in my runaway chemistry temperatures. I suppose in a few more months this will become less of a problem, depending on what kind of winter we might or might not have! Thanks for your comments.

-- Rick W. Stiles (rstiles@ghg.net), August 25, 1997.

Developer Temperature

Rick: Even if your Houston darkroom were air conditioned, just having you hand in the tray will cause a temperature increase. I went "berserk" a couple of years ago and bought the Zone VI compensating developing timer. Now, no matter what the actual (and constantly changing) temperature is, the timer reads as if it were 68 degrees. This is even more important with sheet film which I develop in trays by hand. Precision in not neurotic, just expensive. The Zone VI enlarging timer is also essential if you want consistent and repeatable results with a cold light. Especially if you want to correct for dry-down! My philosophy: NEVER guess at anything you can KNOW! Funny how there's never enough money to do something right, but alway enough to do it over!

-- Michael D Fraser (mdfraser@earthlink.net), September 10, 1997.

Developer Temperature

Temp fluctuation will have a noticable effect. When my developer (7-72) is on the cold side, I'll "spike" it with a little extra out of the unmixed developer, or add a little water when its warm. This works pretty well for me. Too much varies, period, in photography to worry too much. Have fun!

-- Chris Jordan (Gazebo50@hotmail.com), February 27, 2001.

Have you considered using factoral development as AA explains in "The Print"? Basically, you watch for the time that the print image takes to just become visible and then develop for a factor of 4-5X the emergence time. For example, Ilford VI MG fiber paper developed in LPD at 1:1, takes about 20 seconds to emerge. So the total development is 5X that, 100 seconds or about a minute and one half. Fortunately, prints should be developed to completion (unlike film), so mostly you want to be sure the print get sufficent developing time.

Another hint for film development is to use one of the two bath developers like Diafine. The develper will give the same results between 70 and 85 F.

My $0.02 worth.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), March 02, 2001.

Developer Temp. Another consideration with temp. changes in your developer is that as the temp lowers or rises beyond certain degrees, it actually becomes a different developer. Theres a reason why manufacturers recommend a temp of near 68F degrees. All chemicals in the solution are in equal balance of activity within those temps. As the temp goes over or under, some of the these become more or less active. It's why lowering or raising the temp of your print developer changes the color of the emulsion as well as the contrast.

-- jim megargee (jmegargee@nyc.rr.com), March 03, 2001.