Sunday, January 20, 2008
Developing color film in black and white chemicals.
A lot of people will tell you this isn’t possible. But it is. You just get some weird effects/color casts.
I took the boys to the San Juan Capistrano Mission yesterday and took along a couple cameras I picked up at thrift stores. I decided I’d test out not just the cameras but also developing color film in B&W chemicals.
Developing color film is more complicated than developing black and white and requires more steps and different chemicals, at certain temperatures, stuff like that. I just developed this film like I would my black and white film. Same time in the developer, etc.
The white splotches on the film are water marks (just like you’d get on dishes). I think I should’ve rinsed the film longer at the end but I didn’t have time.
These are ruins of a Catholic church built in 1797. It was destroyed by an earthquake a few years after it was completed. It’s really impressive. And really sad—people were killed when it collapsed.
The original church bells were destroyed as well, I think, but they have replicas that are themselves very old.
There are over 2,000 buried at the Mission, but most graves are unmarked. This is a monument for someone, can’t remember who, I think it was one of the head priests there.
There are lovely flowers all around, these poppies were totally lit up from the evening sun.
As were these roses.
Only Nathaniel let me snap a picture of him. I think I got one of him and Elijah on the other roll, but I haven’t developed it yet.
I like how you captured yourself in the last one. I think it’s great you’re experimenting with all these cameras and films. My youngest (now 18) just discovered my old Minolta SLR, and snapped a bunch of B&W pics, and the results really got her excited to do more photography.
That’s cool. My daughter just asked if she could get a digital point and shoot, and I was like, YES! I’ve always wanted to get the kids one but only if they were interested in it themselves.