Developing Medium Format Film Archives - Medium Format Photography

Rodinal For Medium Format Development

Ken — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 22:08:49 +0000

There are developers that photographers use, and then there are developers that photographers believe in. Rodinal, or Adonal as it’s sometimes branded, belongs in the second category. It is one of the oldest photographic chemicals still in active production — a concentrate so simple, so stable, and so opinionated in its results that it has...

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Wet Mounting Issues with Medium Format

Ken — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 21:23:04 +0000

The Case Against Wet Scanning: Why Mounting Fluid Might Not Be Worth the Trouble After years of experimenting with wet-mount scanning, I’ve come to a conclusion that might be controversial in film photography circles: for most of us, anti-Newton ring glass is the better path. Here’s why. The Promise of Wet Scanning If you’ve spent...

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Ilford HP5 Plus — History and Developing Tips

Ken — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:30:25 +0000

If there’s one black and white film stock that has earned its place in nearly every film photographer’s bag, it’s Ilford HP5 Plus. It’s not the sharpest. It’s not the finest grained. It’s not even the most visually striking at box speed. But HP5 is the film you reach for when you need to get...

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Developing Color Film at Room Temperature

Ken — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:50:08 +0000

If you have ever talked yourself out of developing color film at home, the reason was almost certainly temperature. The standard C-41 process calls for developer at 102°F, held within a degree or two for the duration of the development step. That requirement sends people shopping for sous vide machines, foot spas, immersion circulators, and...

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Hard Water Spots on Film Negatives: Causes, Prevention, and Fixes

Ken — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 16:45:36 +0000

Hard Water Spots on Film Negatives: Causes, Prevention, and Fixes Few things are more deflating than pulling a freshly developed roll of 120 film from the drying line and discovering a constellation of white spots and mineral deposits scattered across your negatives. You nailed the exposure. You got the development right. And now there are...

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Dynamic Range Of Film Scanning

Ken — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 22:59:50 +0000

Your film is holding more information than you think. If your scanned negatives look flat, lack shadow detail, or feel like they can’t compete with digital captures, the problem almost certainly isn’t the film — it’s the digitization process. A well-exposed color negative on modern film stock can record 12 to 14 stops of scene...

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Fogged Film From Light Leaks

Ken — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:54:21 +0000

Film Fogging: How to Identify and Prevent Light Leaks in Your Photographs If you’ve ever pulled a roll of freshly developed film from the tank — or received scans back from your lab — only to find mysterious glows, color shifts, or washed-out areas creeping into your frames, you’ve encountered fogging. It’s one of the...

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Inkjet Vs. Darkroom Prints

Ken — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 22:32:35 +0000

This is question I’ve always pondered. I’ll never stop shooting film, but do I need to enlarge in a darkroom as well? Is scanning and printing a better option? A scanned negative can retain the total gradations and colors I get from film, but also gives me a digital master that can’t be lost, scratched,...

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The Cost of Shooting Medium Format Film

Ken — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:08:57 +0000

Shooting medium format film is one of the most rewarding experiences in photography. The massive negatives, the shallow depth of field, the tonal richness — there’s nothing quite like it. But let’s not sugarcoat it: medium format film is expensive to shoot, and the costs have only gone up in recent years. Whether you’re considering...

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Film Developing Issues

Ken — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:17:11 +0000

The image below demonstrates several problems that can occur during home development. Dust, fibers, and processing errors are all common hazards. This test shot shows what happens when chemistry goes wrong. There’s also a fiber visible near the center—a reminder that medium format’s larger negatives attract and display more debris. The rest of the roll...

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