> Aha! sure, my developer is dark brown. So that's the problem!
> i guess
> i'm off to the store to share a little chat with the
> salesperson.
We've all been there, done that. Don't feel bad. I would take
in a small sample and your receipt. (A urine sample can also be
used in a pinch--put in a drop of red and yellow food coloring
if it isn't dark enough) <smile>
Another technique for testing your developer is to take a drop
of it and place it on a small scrap of printing paper. Turn on
the light and watch to see if the emulsion turns black where
it's wet. No black, it's shot.
BTW, most papers have some form of developer in the emulsion
now. If you take a scrap of unprocessed paper and set it out in
the light you'll see it gradually darken. This imbedded
developer helps in two areas: It provides for rapid development
(50% of the time of non-developer papers) and less chance of
splotchy development.
Regarding stop-bath. I much prefer using a proper stop-bath
over plain water. It makes the fixer last longer and prevents
streaking and splotching (a technical term) if you turn the
lights on during fixing. It takes a good 30 seconds for the
developer to become inactive in either stop-bath or fixer.
Surface development stops immediately, but the emulsion is more
than just surface.
Lastly, when using resin-coated papers, keep your total
"wet-time" under 15-20 minutes. Any longer and the corners start
to seperate. Usually a couple minutes of soaking in clean water
and a 30 second under-faucet rinse is more than enough wash
time. I use a clearing agent to make sure any remaining fixer
is neutralized, but that's being anal.
If you want to try the really good stuff, check out
www.fineartphotosupply.com for developer and fixer. They sell a
non-acid fixer which is simply amazing. Forget hours of wash
time for fiber prints--just a couple minutes does it. One of
these days I'll have exhausted all of my regular fixer and I'll
convert over to it for everything. As the big companies abandon
the traditional wet darkroom products, companies such as
fineartphotosupply become more and more important. Anthony is a
good guy. Opinionated, but good. He knows his stuff.
AG-Schnozz
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