My second attempt was a bit of a failure. I set up the camera and my box, organised my chemicals, diluted some 10% silver nitrate solution to 9% (which requires a mathematical formula — V1 x C1 = V2 x C2, where V is volume and C is concentration), and was ready to go. I shot three plates, and they turned out cloudy, so I thought it might be the fault of my plate holder. It had warped a little after I coated it in polyurethane and left it outside in the humid Florida night to dry.
However, after drying, this is what the plates looked like:
One of my friends said that it’s a distinct possibility that the developer is the first problem, as it’s a month old, and apparently that’s too old. I’m also pouring badly, as the developer should be poured at one edge and allowed to flow over the plate so that the circle doesn’t appear in the middle where it first hits the plate.
The second problem may be that I didn’t keep it in the fixer long enough. I’m using Ilford Rapid Fix, not the potassium cyanide mixture that I learned with, and it requires more time.
Armed with this knowledge, I’ll be mixing up a new batch today and see if I have more success next week.
