Is total darkness required for tray developing film?

[Andrew O'Neill]

My door seals aren't the best. During the summer months, when the sun is shining directly on my darkroom door, there is a very slight glow around it that you cannot see until your eyes become used to the dark. When handling film, I'm about 8 feet away from the door. When comparing film developed in the day and at night, the film base fog is the same.

[Ken Lee]

...why on earth is dev by inspection even necessary? I know this is how some people have always done it; but why on earth anyone would aspire to this approach today mystifies me.

Being greatly imperfect, I make mistakes during exposure and development. DBI with an IR viewing device has prevented catastrophe several times.

Here's a recent case: IR viewing device saves the day again

I was able to rescue this shot from oblivion.

[Joe O'Hara]

Regarding the coin tests, I would suggest that better sensitivity to unwanted light can be achieved by using
two pieces of film per test, first giving them an exposure that you know to give some noticeable density above FB+F
(from prior testing; it could be a very brief exposure to printing safelight, etc). In this way, you will be certain that
you are already out of any "toe" region of whatever film/developer combination you are using. Once you have done this,
do the coin test for a worst-case development exposure time, and then process normally. If you then see the outline of
the coin on the test film, you have trouble.

We are trying to avoid getting a false sense of security from testing unexposed film, where it is all below exposure
threshold out of the box, when we are trying to avoid fogging and killing the contrast in the shadow areas of the
actual pictures we are developing, which have some exposure.

Some film/developer combinations are said to have very nearly straight-line response curves (i.e., no perceptible "toe"),
so this may be overkill for your situation.

[Mamu]

I have hooks on the inside and outside of my darkroom(aka bathroom) door. Hanging heavy blankets from both works great. Cover your timer as mentioned above. Modern panchromatic films aren't suitable to development by inspection the way the film Edward Weston was using was. Early orthochromatic films were basically sensitive to blue light only. Shooting graded paper negs will give you a similar range of tonalities relative to color (and force you to compose with light and shadow which can be a great learning technique) If you want to practice tray development before working in total darkness, try a few paper negs under safelight. Rating it around ISO 6 (four stops more exposure than ISO 100) is a good starting point.

[aaronnate]

if you can see anything, including outlines it is too light. These are your negatives. Why take a chance.

[freecitizen]

When developing film in trays in total darkness I like to keep track of the time as development progresses.

I have an ancient device known as a " tape recorder ". I made a tape of myself as a speaking stopwatch ...... and I just play that while I am working.

Works a treat.

[Justin K]

So many helpful and creative suggestions here. Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

[Alan9940]

Being greatly imperfect, I make mistakes during exposure and development. DBI with an IR viewing device has prevented catastrophe several times.

Here's a recent case: IR viewing device saves the day again

I was able to rescue this shot from oblivion.

Ken,

What IR device do you use? I've looked a few times over the years, but most are dreadfully expensive. Thanks!

[Ken Lee]

Ken,

What IR device do you use? I've looked a few times over the years, but most are dreadfully expensive. Thanks!

Apparently the ATN Viper which cost somewhere around $200+ at the time if I recall, is no longer made: the company appears to have decided to concentrate on higher-end models.

There are probably other makes of the same basic type: "first generation" which combine an IR emitter of modest power with a simple monocular, not binocular. These designs are good enough for simple darkroom work, loading and unloading film etc.

On this forum there have been several threads over the years which discuss various options. You might try a Google search like this: "ir device" site: largeformatphotography.info

Some people have put an emitter on their darkroom wall and used simpler devices to view. If they don't mention the exact models, you might want to contact them if they're still around here.

[Jim Jones]

When developing film in trays in total darkness I like to keep track of the time as development progresses.

I have an ancient device known as a " tape recorder ". I made a tape of myself as a speaking stopwatch ...... and I just play that while I am working.

Works a treat.

In the 1930s the Kodachrome process was perfected by two professional musicians, Godowsky and Mannes, who used a musician's sense of timing to conveniently work with the film in total darkness without clocks or timers.