Agitation and highlight density

[Mark Kononczuk]

Hello,
After various trials and errors regarding Ilford ID11 stock solution to water ratios I settled on 1:4 and 28-30 minutes at 20-23ish degrees C. My question concerns agitation times. Is it true that the whites develop first, then the greys and ending with the blacks? I have gone down to agitating six seconds with one and a half minute breaks for the first five minutes then agitating 10 seconds every 1.5 minutes for the remaining 23-25 minutes. My greys are awesome in tonal range but i still seem to be blowing out the whites. The detail is there, in the whites when i reduce contrast in Photoshop but i'd rather get it right before making prints with the enlarger. I use a 4x5 Graflex speed graphic with an aposironar and Ilford FP4 film and flash at about 1.5 m from the subject.
Thanks
Mark

[Neal Chaves]

Do you want a nice negative quite easily? Use HP5+ rated at 100 and develop in Ilfotech HC or Kodak HC110 1:31 68* 5:00. Beautiful skin tones.

[Vaughn]

...Is it true that the whites develop first, then the greys and ending with the blacks? ...
Thanks
Mark

No. All tones start developing at the same time. Since less silver was exposed in the shadows, they finish first. Reduce your development (time/temp/dilution/aggitation) to prevent blowing out highlights..

[LabRat]

Quik review of basic film development;

The EI of the film is the threshold in the shadow of the clear areas where it starts to record shadow detail (above the fog level)... This level develops early in the process and doesn't change much at all through the process (but you need adequate exposure to reach that shadow threshold)...

The midtones develop with a changing key and curve, but excess development can cause grain to really pop out if excessively developed...

The dense highlight areas on the neg is the area of most chemical activity and energy, building up to dense Dmax where light is not transmitted through causing bleached highlights where the grain has clumped up and hard to print or scan... Developing too much will cause these areas to block up...

So the old photographer's rule:

Expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights...

Over developing is probably the issue, so backing down the developing time is first... You can develop a fogged over sheet and hold it up to a light, and try to see your finger behind it (slightly)... That's about the proper level of developing time when visible, and easy to print highlights through...

Good luck testing!!!

Steve K

[Willie]

If you "settled" on a particular dilution/time/temperature and it is not giving you what you need - change something.
Better temperature control might help.
This might help: Beyond Basic Photography: A Technical Manual by Henry Horenstein. A good book on darkroom process.

[jnantz]

use sprint film developer, it is nearly impossible to blow out highlights even if the film is over exposed a little bit. you might also consider doing a few test exposures using your dark slide to make a test strip of your film, and bracket your development to decide what developer and film exposure combination works with your personal exposure, development, printing style

[Michael R]

If I’m understanding what you’re saying, your would like your negatives to be less contrasty. Shorten the development time. Pretty much as simple as that.

Hello,
After various trials and errors regarding Ilford ID11 stock solution to water ratios I settled on 1:4 and 28-30 minutes at 20-23ish degrees C. My question concerns agitation times. Is it true that the whites develop first, then the greys and ending with the blacks? I have gone down to agitating six seconds with one and a half minute breaks for the first five minutes then agitating 10 seconds every 1.5 minutes for the remaining 23-25 minutes. My greys are awesome in tonal range but i still seem to be blowing out the whites. The detail is there, in the whites when i reduce contrast in Photoshop but i'd rather get it right before making prints with the enlarger. I use a 4x5 Graflex speed graphic with an aposironar and Ilford FP4 film and flash at about 1.5 m from the subject.
Thanks
Mark

[Tin Can]

Now that should be widely repeated

Concise

Thank you

No. All tones start developing at the same time. Since less silver was exposed in the shadows, they finish first. Reduce your development (time/temp/dilution/aggitation) to prevent blowing out highlights..

[Bruce Watson]

No. All tones start developing at the same time. Since less silver was exposed in the shadows, they finish first. Reduce your development (time/temp/dilution/aggitation) to prevent blowing out highlights..

Exactly this.

Or as people have been saying for about as long photography has existed, "expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights".

[Mark Sawyer]

If you're often photographing in situations where the highlights blow out, look into stand developing, also referred to as compensating developing.