The Film Development Process: The Science & Chemistry Behind the Magic

molly hicks
Apr 13
3 min read

Updated: Apr 29

If you've ever wondered how your analog photos come to life—from that quiet click of your camera shutter to a beautifully developed image—this blog is for you. At Hicks Film Studio, I don’t just develop film—I preserve memories with intention, care, and a little bit of chemistry magic.

Whether you're a dedicated film photographer or just getting started, learning about the black and white film development process can deepen your appreciation for analog photography. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what happens to your film at Hicks Film Studio—and how each chemical bath plays its part in transforming your negatives into art.

Step 1: Receiving and Preparing Your Film

Your journey begins when your roll of 35mm or 120 black and white film arrives. Each roll is carefully logged and labeled according to your preferences. Clean handling is crucial at this stage, as fingerprints or dust can damage the emulsion layer on your film.

Step 2: The Film Developing Chemistry – Bringing the Image to Life

Black and white film contains a single silver halide emulsion layer. The process is straightforward but requires precise timing to control contrast, grain, and tonal range.

Developer
Common Chemicals: Metol, Hydroquinone, or Phenidone
What It Does: Reduces exposed silver halide crystals to black metallic silver, creating the image.
The Science: Developers donate electrons to the silver halide, reducing it to visible metallic silver. The choice of developer influences the final look—affecting grain size, contrast, and tonal gradation. I use Kodak D-76 Developer - although I'm happy to use your preferred chemicals.
Stop Bath
Key Ingredient: Acetic acid (typically a 2% solution)
What It Does: Instantly halts the development process by lowering the pH, preventing overdevelopment.
Bonus: Also neutralizes alkaline residues, prepping the film for the fixer stage. If there is any developer left in the tank - the fixer in the next step will not work!
Fixer
Key Ingredients: Sodium or ammonium thiosulfate
What It Does: Removes all unexposed and undeveloped silver halide crystals, stabilizing the image for long-term preservation.
The Science: This complexation process renders silver halide water-soluble so it can be washed away.
Washing & Wetting Agent

The film is thoroughly rinsed to remove residual chemicals. A final bath with a wetting agent (like Photo-Flo) prevents water spots and streaks during drying.

Step 3: Drying & Quality Control

Negatives are hang-dried in a dust-free environment. Once dry, I inspect each roll for sharpness, density, and overall image quality.

Step 4: Professional Film Scanning

Once developed, your negatives are scanned using high-resolution professional equipment. Standard service includes:

Dust removal
Straightened and cropped frames
Optional image adjustments or raw scans—your choice

I can scan 35mm and medium format black and white (and color) film to JPG or TIFF, depending on your preferences. (Color developing will be coming soon!)

Step 5: Delivery & Archiving

Your digital files are delivered via a secure shared folder, and your negatives are safely packaged for return. I'm happy to discuss optional services such as negative storage or print ordering.

Why Choose Hicks Film Studio?

At Hicks Film Studio, I combine traditional chemical processes with modern scanning technology to give you the best of both worlds. Here’s what sets my service apart: