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Developing B&W film in Coffee


Mark Antony

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can you give more details? 30 min? how often did you turn the tank? how would you develop Tri-X 400?

 

Like Andy said a step by step is here:

Photo Utopia

But as you ask Tri-x would be rated at 200 ISO and agitation is every 30 sec.

 

but you need to follow the instructions on the site, as there is more to it than brewing a pot.

 

Andy, I only recommend fair trade it doesn't give me better results but eases my guilt justifying the high expenditure on the Leica :D

Mark

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I think any instant coffee will work, not sure about de-caf. The Washing soda is vital as it unlocks the dev agent in the coffee.

I think this method would be most useful with high contrast emulsions like Pan F in that it seems to have very low developer activity much like Rodinal at high dilution, holding back the highlights and letting the shadows 'catch up'.

If you live in areas of the world where the light is contrasty, like the Colorado desert or Australia it would work quite well also.

Anyhow thanks for your comments, here is a final image developed in coffee of a park in my city.

Regards

Mark

85989643.jpg

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I tried it, but it gave all my photos the jitters!

 

JUST KIDDING :D

 

This is truly amazing. Once I've figured out how to process my negs properly using the normal chemicals I must give it a try. That last pic does have a really nice, if somewhat different, tonal range.

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Guest tummydoc

Amazing, and something I shall have to try, to dazzle and amuse my colleagues, all of whom laugh in my face whenever I mention film. I would love to challenge them to drop their CF card in-to a cup of Starbucks and see what develops :D

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I've been reading a little about this coffee developing, and turns out that caffeine is essential, since it is in fact the active developer (reducing agent). Other options that I've come across are vitamin C and wine. Pee was mentioned in one webpage, but I don't think I'd try that.

This is a good link with the recipee for coffee and vitamin C

 

Shutterbug: Coffee, Tea, Or Vitamin C

enjoy :)

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Here some other alternatives of the Caffenol developer:

Caffenol Film Developer Formula

 

Which reminds me that maybe it's a good low contrast developer for the new introduced Rollei ATP-V1 Technical Pan film:

 

http://www.fotohuisrovo.nl/documentatie/Rollei%20ATP_englisch_mail.pdf

 

.... which I am just checking with some other low contrast developers.

 

Best regards,

 

Robert

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fotohuis

Thanks for that, I have been stocking up on APX100 120 (Rollei Retro) and soup it in Rodinal 1:100 for 20 mins with high contrast subjects, and 13min 1:50 in the dull English winter.

I'm not going to make a habit of the coffee, but I may try a higher contrast film like Pan F in 120 just for fun possibly some of that Rollei Tech Pan (if you want to bung a roll my way) :)

I like the compression of tonal values it gives, I think it would be hard to over develop with it because of it's low activity and staining.

 

Its worth a try even if you only do it once.

 

Mark

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