Have students practise the procedure with previously developed film or outdated film (available from camera stores) in the classroom before attempting to load their film in the darkroom. It is worthwhile to show them the importance of laying out the tank components in order so they are easily found when students are working in the darkroom. Caution students about touching the film anywhere but on the ends or edges to avoid contaminating surfaces.

Exposed film must be loaded in total darkness.

If there is no darkroom available, any room with no windows and a close fitting door to block outside light from entering will suffice.

Once film is properly loaded, film development can be completed in room light.

The film developing chemicals required are film developer, indicator stop bath, fixer (Hypo), washing aid, wetting agent and water (water should be drinking quality).

There are a variety of developers with individual characteristics that might vary significantly; check the manufacturer's recommendations.

The students need to be aware that good darkroom ventilation and careful handling of photographic chemicals is very important. Rubber gloves, waterproof apron and eye protection should be used, particularly when mixing stock solutions. For powdered chemicals a dust mask should be used to prevent inhalation of air borne particles. The student should carefully read and follow all directions that accompany the chemicals.

Have the students prepare a list of safety precautions for handling photographic chemicals in a concentrated or a working solution form.

Remember: add acid to water. As acid generally has a higher density than water, there will be a larger surface area (as the acid moves through the water) to dissipate the heat generated by the mixing reaction. If reverse mixing occurs the water will float on the acid and the heat generated by the reaction may create a vapour that will carry acid molecules that mix with the air in the room. The resulting mixture can create a health risk.

The film developer, stop bath, fixer (hypo), hypo clearing agent, drying agent and water are all chemicals that react differently with the film at various stages of development. Have students describe what is occurring with each chemical reaction.

It will increase the shelf life of chemicals if they are stored with as little air as possible inside the container. If stored incorrectly, the effectiveness of the solutions is severely impaired.

It is recommended that chemicals be stored away from light in dark coloured containers. Containers that have air evacuation capabilities are the best choice.

Explain the effect of using chemicals that are not at the recommended temperature. Interesting effects can be achieved when a higher than recommended temperature is used in the development process.

Have all the chemicals thoroughly mixed to working solution concentration in advance and set out in the order that they will be used during the film developing procedure.

Have the students use a developing tray with temperate water (20°C) moving through it to store the working solution containers during the development process.

Different chemicals and different manufacturers will have a variety of recommended developing times for their products. Refer to package directions.

Sources of information about different film developers and the time requirements for different types and speeds of film are listed in the bibliography.

In order for students to achieve consistent results, they must understand the importance of establishing a routine to follow during the developing procedure.

Developer should be mixed to a single use or one-shot concentration to avoid contamination problems that could occur with re-using film developers. Some chemicals, notably fixer, are reuseable and should be returned to labelled working solution containers. Caution students not to return WORKING solutions to STOCK solution containers.

Remind students of the importance of keeping their work area neat, clean and dry to avoid contaminating their film.

The most popular storage device is the polyethylene negative sleeve. The sleeves are transparent to make working with negatives easier and avoid contamination.

There will be occasions when light levels may not be adequate for the film that is in the camera. The scene may be so dimly lit that even when the lens is at its largest aperture the shutter speed will be too slow to capture the desired photograph.

An example might be taking pictures of a concert performance or a basketball game. In either case, the use of a flash would be ineffective. Pushing the film allows you to shoot at a film speed higher than normal, if the film in the camera was ISO 400 it could be pushed to ISO 800 or even ISO 1600. This will allow the use of a faster shutter speed but the film will be underexposed. In order to compensate for the underexposure the film is overdeveloped. The film manufacturer will provide recommendations in the instruction manuals that they provide.

There are side effects to push-processing that include a more grainy image as well as a loss of sharpness.