This is from Lomography, the guys who reinvent film photography. They make some, yes, film soup, based on an own secret recipe. You’re still with me? Well developing good old film is all about the right mix of chemicals. You wash and bath the film. So why not just… cook it.
Says Lomography:
It is purely personal preference whether you want your film exposed before or after the “stewing” it in your film soup. Personally, I would stew it after I have finished the roll, that is partly because of the uneven film surface after being boiled in the soup. Therefore, it might reduce some of the trouble while exposing the film. The film is of your own choice, negative film, slide film, etc. As for exposure, try to avoid under exposure, as chemical reactions tend to enhance the negative effect of the film. Talking about my experience, a slightly over exposure yielded a very good result. After finishing your roll, keep the film all the way into the cartridge and into the box.
Recommended ingredients and materials:
- Darkroom (closet, or very dim and dark room for alternatives)
- Neutral detergent (household detergent)
- Clips (to hold the film in the darkroom)
- Stove (for heating the film)
- Pot (for heating and stewing the film)
- Hairdryer (for drying the film)
- Towel, tissue or newspaper (for cleaning)
- Support and understanding from your family (the room will smell like the detergent afterwards)
Now follow the steps detailed by Lomography’s Let’s Cook the Film: The Recipe of Film Soup!
You might end up with these…:
