Visit my new blog

I´ve decided to split my blog in two. I will continue to post DIY projects and musings here, but (serious) pictures, taken on film of course, will be posted in my new blog "Silver Halides"

I now consider Caffenol to be a developer like any else. As such the new blog will focus more on the pictures, rather than the process.

Wednesday 15 December 2010

New old brew

I´ve now used up all of 6 litres of developer, 12 films in all. I had to pour out some moldy coffee, but apart from that I used every drop I pre-mixed in the beginning of October. I´ve brewed up new solutions for this the latest TMAX100 film (examples below). I´ve dispensed with Potassium Bromide altogether. Whether or not that was a good idea I´m not sure. For the first time I´ve got what could be streaks, 2-3mm along one of the edges of most of the frames. I´m not sure why. Anyhow, when mixing the new Ascorbic acid and Sodium Carbonate solutions together, before adding coffee, I could see a marked difference in colour. The stored solutions grew ever more yellow when mixed, the freshly mixed solution however turned a very pale greenish yellow. Whether or not this change in reaction has anything to do with the developing capabilities I couldn´t say. I seem to be getting good results no matter how long the mixtures have been stored.

Fresh Caffenol-C-M (no PB remember):
TMAX100, Caffenol-C-M
TMAX100, Caffenol-C-M (if you pick one to enlarge, this is it)

TMAX100, Caffenol-C-M

TMAX100, Caffenol-C-M

2 comments:

  1. Beautiful photographs. I'm still building up the courage to try caffenol.

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  2. Follow Reinhold's, his friends, (caffenol.blogspot.com) and my recommendations and you can't go far wrong. Try TMAX 100 in C-C-M to begin with, 15 minutes at 20C/68F. It gives good results and is rather forgiving. Expose Between 100 and 200 ISO. Take notes on our exposures and bracket a stop or two. Should give you some pointers as to how you should expose and develop to satisfy your personal tastes.

    Make sure you use proper ingredients. Anhydrous sodium carbonate, ascorbic acid (not vitamin-c tablets which contain lots of other stuff) and real gut rot instant coffee (the cheaper the better, cheap robusta coffee beans contain more caffiene acid than the more expensive arabica beans). Weigh the ingredients, do not measure volume (apart from the water of course).

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