Hello my name is Brittaney and I am just starting the whole darkroom process... and I've got a question maybe you can help me with. Do I put the film into the development tank, develop it, dry it and then put it into the enlarger, or do i put untouched film into the enlarger? Thank you so much.
Hi Brittaney,
First. Welcome. Second: Is Western Hills Camera still out there? Third. You have to develope, stop, fix, wash, and dry the film. You take the resulting negatives and put them in the enlarger to print them on paper, which is also developed (in trays), stopped, fixed, washed, and dried.
John (a former UC grad student) Mount Vernon, Virginia USA
Honestly, I'm not sure if Western Hills Camera is or not. Sorry, but I'm never out that way.
All right, that makes sense... and all this does is allow the film to be exposed in the safelight, Yeah?
The exposed film is put into the developing tank in complete darkness. Once it has been developed (making the latent image visable), then fixed, the resulting negatives can be exposed to light. When she take a picture in the camera, there is not visible image on the film, yet. It has to be developed, as above; then fixed.
When you put your negative into the enlarger, you expose light through it on to some photographic paper. This can be done under a safe light. Still, you will not see an image on the paper (it is also a latent image at this stage) until you develop the paper in (its own kind of ) developer. Again, this image must be fixed before you can turn on the white light to enjoy your result. I suggest you check out a book on basic developing and printing. All shall then be manifest clear.
John, Mount Vernon, Virginia USA
PS There were a couple shops down town, too; but I don't remember the names.
Thanks. Umm... yeah. This whole thing is for my senior exit action project (S.E.A.P)... If a don't pass, I don't graduate. So, I'm honestly just starting to figure it all out, but thank you so much for your time and your help. I've been researching the internet and I have 4 magazines from a while back. but I'm planning on getting a book before I actually get started. Again, thank you.
Welcome to APUG Brittaney, from western Massachusetts. There are plenty of very helpful people here on APUG, so ask away. There is no such thing as a dumb question.
gene
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Long live Ed "Big Daddy" Roth!!
Another Mass. guy chiming in with a big hello, Brittaney. Tough getting started on what seems a complicated process under the pressure of graduating, isn't it? Don't worry, it's not that complicated and it is remarkably addictive. Just remember, if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong. Ask all the questions you need here; APUG has hundreds (thousands!) of kind and helpful folks who check in regularly and are quite willing to help you think through the process.
As said, there is no such thing as a dumb question - dumb answers are always a possibility however - but luckily, there's not too many of those around here...
Books on darkroom work are not as common as they once were but you should be able to find one or two in your local library or bookshop and the Ilford website Hans pointed you to has a lot of info (if somewhat haphazardly arranged).
Hello from Cinci.. 
- but luckily, there's not too many of those around here...
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