Semi-Stand development and uneven spots

[sanking]

"Ken's method of using full strength developer and then pouring out in favor of pure water is risky at best. The benefit of that method is more contrast compression than it is to increase adjancecy effects which is caused by exhausted developer at tonality boundaries and reduced agitation. "

I agree with Steve. Although some people have reported very good results with full strength solutions of Pyrocat-HD, say 1:1:100, and some have even reported good results with very strong dilutions, such as 5:3:100, I am personally convinced that the best approach is to use a very dilute solution, say 1:1:150 - 1:1:200 with extended development times. This procedure tends to minimize the chance of uneven development, based on my own experience.

[John Cook]

Ken, historically speaking I first became aware of stand development in 1970.

I was doing some "pro bono" work for the West Springfield MA Police Department, offering help with their mug shots. They still had an old mahogany 4x5 mug shot camera with a sliding back to do a front and profile view on a single sheet of b&w film. The Nikor stainless tank factory was located there and had built them a beautiful stainless "soda fountain" custom sink/developing line.

But no one had ever mentioned how long to develop films or how to agitate. The men used to load the arrest shots from the previous night shift into Kodak hangers, pop them into the developer and then go to lunch. It wasn't until mid afternoon before someone might remember to fix and wash the negs.

To this day, the West Springfield Police Department has on file some of the most beautiful b&w mug shots ever taken. Don't know what ever happened to the processing sink or antique camera.