Okay, last week I did my first film development, and it went very well. I had done tons of research, and asked lots of questions here. I'm very glad I did, first because it was very helpful once I actually went and did it, but also because I like learning form folks here: you are welcoming, smart, and very knowledgeable. On the other hand, I see now what people meant by, 'just get in their and do something already!' I fretted over something that turned out to be not that terribly difficult. There are lots of perfectly valid ways to go about it, and film is forgiving in many ways. And even if I hadn't been successful, that would be an important lesson, too.
So, thanks!
Now, though I'm some time out from getting around to it, I'd like to try contact printing. I have some decent 5x7 negatives*, and the happy knowledge that I can get many more fairly simply. I plan to make any enlargements by electronic means through scanning, but the idea of making a photograph through manual means is very appealing. The thing is, like developing film was a few months ago, printing for me is a completely foreign idea. I got a bunch of books on film development based on recommendations here, and several have sections on printing, but they are pretty ambiguous. I wrote a book for beginning astronomers because the ones I found out in the world already were, it seemed to me, written by people who were so knowledgeable about the topic that they became unable to approach the field form a true beginner's perspective. That's how the books I've seen on printing photos have seemed to me. The authors assume knowledge in their readers that they should not, or they gloss over steps in the process, or use terms without clearly explaining them. Or, with a couple, if I recall correctly, they were so old that I worry the papers and/or chemicals they discuss are no longer available, or maybe desirable.
Man, I sure do go on; sorry! So, my question is, can someone point me to a source for learning how to print photos, a source that assumes no (or very little) knowledge? I prefer actual books, made of paper that I can hold in my hands, but videos and other internet sources might be helpful.
*I also stayed up very late last night, reading as much as I could in one sitting of the extremely long thread on x-ray film. It's so cheap that it sort of begs me to buy a larger format camera. At least two of the lenses I already own will cover 8x10, but I jumped from medium format to 5x7; 8x10 seems kind of small now that I know how little I need to spend on 11x17 film.... I've built telescopes; maybe it's time for a camera.
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