I have been away from photography for a number of years after participating fully during college and using the university photo labs. I'd like to get back into B&W photography again, including processing my own film at home and eventually printing as well. Would someone be kind enough to guide me as to what this would entail including list of updated equipment, chemicals etc. as well as a good source for supplies at reasonalble cost / or perhaps someone knows of a thorough text of some sort?

Thanks!

-- S. Bowers (SSHIPBOW@aol.com), February 28, 2001

Answers

Well, the interesting thing is that probably nothing, or very little has changed since your college photo lab days.

This is a pretty good book on the basics of photography:

Black and White Photography : A Basic Manual by Henry Horenstein, Carol Keller(Illustrator) (Paperback - August 1983)

I find B&H and Adorama good places for mail - order:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

http://www.adorama.com

Freestyle in CA is also good, but you have to do more 'picking and choosing' as their prices are all over the place. Some items are a good deal, others - pretty expensive.

As I have said repeatedly on this forum, I like the Sprint line of chemistry, available from both B&H and Adorama, except B&H is not shipping Sprint paper developer at present, so go to Adorama and order one liter bottles of: film developer, paper developer, stop, fixer, and fixer remover. It is all for dilution 1:9 with excellent instructions on the bottles. [You will hear MANY other opinions, I do think this is an excellent way to get going.] Also get Photoflo from Kodak, or the equivalent from somebody else. Get a small bottle of Hypo check from Edwal. For paper, start with Ilford MG IV Deluxe in whatever surface you think you prefer. Get a Beseler 23 C enlarger or something like that, with a good Nikon or Schneider lens, a set of filters from Ilford A four blade easel from Saunders, a digital timer, a safelight, a two reel Patterson tank, thermometer, some measuring beakers & storage bottles, 11x14 in trays, tongues, a static cloth from Ilford.

If you have any money left over, take a friend and go out to dinner!

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), February 28, 2001.

You'r welcome?

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), March 09, 2001.

Chris, Please do not be offended that you have not received a thank you until now - truly I appreciate the response and all the information. However, I am not a big internet user and only go on line every couple weeks or so - once a week would be often for me. So again I appreciate your help and will hopefully put it to good use in the near future!

Sherri

-- S. Bowers (SSHIPBOW@aol.com), March 11, 2001.