Last weekend I went back on the Thames but now with the 5x4 shooting B&W

I made 16 5x4 photos

And … I also started using a Mamyia 7 with witch I used 22 medium format films . Those need processing. Film processing is long. Xxxxx xxxx xxxx xx. That’s me swearing. I love processing but it’s so looong and I’m so stress about so many things and currently I’m feeling hyper so it’s difficult to accept that I have to spend 30 min for each 4 films.

Anyways

I processed 6 of the 5x4 films

These is my chemistry, all ready mixed and measured

I’m using ID11 for developing

Ilford Stop

And Ilfjr Rapid Fixer

My calculations for the FP4 film shot at 125ISO. Dev temp 22C. Dev mix 1+1 (1stock +1water). Dev tine at 20C is 11min (from Ilfird website) add 10% per 1C I’ll have to keep my films in Dev for 9 min

Stop 1 min Plus wash (I like to wash after as gives the fixer longer life)

Fix 5 minutes

Agitate 4 times every minute

After all that washing .

As its been long time since I’ve been processing. I felt like a kid, I had to quickly look at the film while washing. The exposure look ok. One is overexposed but I knew I fucked up, I forgot to set the correct aperture…

Done the first 6 films. Another 10 to go.

None of these exposures are what I need. UPS

Analogical photography is where science meets creativity I read somewhere.

Processing films is a precise process. Not mixing chemistry correctly or not respecting the times or procedures will heavily affect the films and failing getting any image it will happen if the process is not correct. But it’s easy once that all is week planned.

It was a battle to start but once I was in the moment I loved jt. I can get sucked in easy when I love what I do, my mind is with the process, nothing else matters, the world outside the developing tank could wait. My worries and stress were not bothering me for those 30 minutes. Contrary to what I felt before staring in the end I felt joy, I was content regardless of the fact that I didn’t had the shots I wanted on the films processed.