Experimental development
Artisan formulas, push processing and home-made developers
Beyond the standard developer: push and pull, stand development, Caffenol, the Beers formula and other ways to alter the chemical outcome of your image.
The developer is not neutral
Standard developer and manufacturer-recommended timings give a predictable result. But predictability isn’t the only option. Temperature, dilution, time, the pattern of agitation, the chemical components — everything affects the result. And once you understand how, you can decide where you want to go.
In this workshop we explore several techniques that depart from conventional processing: push and pull, stand development (developing without agitation), Caffenol (a developer made from coffee), and the Beers Divided Developer formula — one of the most versatile artisan recipes for controlling contrast.
This isn’t about making things weird for the sake of it. It’s about understanding the chemistry well enough to control it.
Key contents
Session 1 — Push processing
- Push and pull: compensated underexposure and overexposure in development
- Effects on grain, contrast and latitude
- Stand development: long development without agitation and what it produces
- Comparing strips developed with each method
Session 2 — Artisan developers
- Active components of developers: metol, hydroquinone, vitamin C
- The Beers Divided Developer formula: preparation and use
- Caffenol-C: coffee developer, ascorbic acid and carbonate
- Other formulas: home-made Rodinal, alternative D-76
- Recording results and personal calibration
What’s included
- All experimental materials: Caffenol components, Beers formula, stand developer, etc.
- Test film for the comparative trials
What to bring
- Your own exposed rolls if you want to work with your own material (optional but recommended)
Not included
- Additional rolls for extra tests (€12/roll)
Frequently asked questions
What do we do in the experimental development workshop?
Development tests with unconventional processes and reactants: push, cross-processing, temperature, extreme dilutions and homemade developers.
Should I bring material?
You can bring your own exposed rolls if you want to work with personal material (recommended).
Do I need previous experience?
Yes, it is an advanced workshop: you need to have developed film before.
Workshop details
- Objective
- Understand how chemical variables alter the image result and experiment with alternative developers and non-standard processes.
- Methodology
- Direct experimentation: strips are developed with different parameters to compare results.
- Outcome
- Several strips developed with different processes and a personal record of results for each technique tested.
- Prerequisites
- Able to develop B&W film. Must have done the Film Development workshop or have equivalent experience.
- Who it's for
- Analogue photographers who want to go beyond standard development and understand how to chemically manipulate the result.
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