Most of you have probably toyed with the idea of trying your hand at home film development but then put yourself off. “It’s too tricky. It’s too expensive. I’ll mess it up.” Well, we are here to tell you that DIY development just got a lot easier. We have teamed up with Rollei to bring the joys of the dark room to your home. You have the tools and the skills to create great shots, and now you can be part of the whole process by developing your own black and white films!

The Rollei B&W Starter kit is just what all aspiring DIY developers need to get their gloves on. The kit comes complete with all the things you need plus detailed instructions on the method and how to get best results. Inside the classy dark wooden box you will find 2 Rollei Retro 100 and 2 Rollei Retro 400 films. Your essential chemicals are provided courtesy of AGFA and therefore you can expect quality results from the 125ml Rodinal (developer) and 125ml Agefix (fixer).

shop.lomography.com/go/?where=shop&pro=dev

To show you just how easy developing your own films can be we got Mod-father, Mandi to turn his talents to another type of DIY. Here is a taster of his step by step guide.

“This is something some of you already know, some of you have tried this in school and some are just to anxious to try it out.
Don’t worry if you are now saying; "No, no, it´s all wrong!" or "I will never understand molecules!" I tried it out with limited means and the result is great!
Maybe it is not all 100% correct, but as long as it works, I am proud to present:
My first self-developed negative (after all these years) and how YOU can follow suit.”

Overview of method
1. prepare film
2. prepare water + chemicals
3. use developer
4. use water
5. use fixer
6. water
7. use water+ "wetting agent" and leave to dry
…For the complete step-by-step guide follow this link!
shop.lomography.com/rollei_film_development/

• Concentrate while working through the process. The first part is essential, the rest is easy-cheesy
• Handle and dispose of the chemicals with care! You are working with liquids that are hazardous not just to you, but others around you and the environment.
• Don´t mix up chemicals, stay clean, the world will still turn but your negative might be destroyed.
• Don´t panic!

• Do research on this topic, you will find more interesting stuff out there
• There are special chemicals and loads of stuff for every step related to this topic.
• Remember! There are different chemicals for developing colour negatives, this guide is just for your B&W films.
• Decide what you really need, I managed with less than the minimum equipment.
• The use of demineralised water can be useful when living in an area with "hard water" (can leave ugly stains), I read a tip somewhere which says boiling water before usage might help
• If you lack a decent chronometer, load up your mp3-player with songs long enough for each step, this adds some entertainment too!

So what are you waiting for? Follow these links and get developing!
shop.lomography.com/go/?where=shop&pro=dev
shop.lomography.com/rollei_film_development/

Tell us your about your experiences, tips and hints!