If you’re passionate about film photography like me and enjoy the entire process, including DIY development at home, while also being environmentally conscious, you might be interested in experimenting with Caffenol. So, grab your apron, let’s dive into this alternative process that combines coffee, vitamin C, and washing soda to bring your film to life.
What is Caffenol?
Caffenol is a DIY film developer that became a favorite among enthusiasts of home-based film photography. This magic potion is a blend of easily accessible ingredients – coffee, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), washing soda (sodium carbonate), and some optional ionized salt. It’s a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to commercial developers, adding a unique touch to your film development.
Materials You’ll Need
- Film Reel and Tank: To load and process your film.
- Thermometer: To monitor the temperature during development (it doesn’t need to be super precise).
- Measuring Spoons and Cups or a scale: For precise ingredient measurements.
- Coffee: Use the cheapest Instant coffee you can find (no coffee beans). (nofrills)
- 100% Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Available in powder form at most drugstores. (now)
- Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate): Commonly found in the laundry aisle. (arm & hammer)
- Ionized Salt. (sundhed)
- Water at 20°C.
- Fixer solution. (ilford)
The Caffenol CL Process – Stand-Up Processing
- Prepare Your Solution by mixing the following in a container:
- 20g of instant coffee
- 5g of 100% vitamin C powder
- 8g of washing soda (make sure it is dry)
- 8g Ionized Salt (Help reduce fog on film)
- 500ml of water (at 20°C)
- Dissolve the Ingredients: Stir the mixture until all the ingredients are fully dissolved.
- Load the Film: Load your exposed film onto the reel using a darkroom or a changing bag.
- Prewash your film 5mn in water at room temperature.
- Developing Time: Pour the Caffenol solution into the film tank and agitate for the first minute. Then, let it stand undisturbed for 70 minutes (for a 400 ISO film). This is the ‘stand up’ process, allowing the magic to happen gradually and… slowly.
- Stop Bath: Rinse the film with water to stop the development process.
- Fixer Bath: Use a standard fixer solution to fix the image on the negative.
- Final Rinse: Rinse the film thoroughly to remove any remaining chemicals.
- Done!
Variation Caffenol CL/CS (cold start)
Start with the solution at 15°C instead of 20°C.
Add 10 min development time so in this case 80 mins.
Effect: Reduce grains.
The Chemistry Behind the Magic
The magic lies in the chemical reaction between the silver halide crystals on the film and the Caffenol solution. The alkaline properties of washing soda activate the development process, while coffee acts as a natural reducing agent, converting exposed silver halide crystals into metallic silver.
The results are quite remarkable, if you ask me. The blend of coffee, vitamin C, and washing soda gives your photos a unique, earthy vibe that’s hard to replicate. Don’t worry about perfection—embracing the quirks adds character! Plus, it’s all about the journey, right? So, dive in, Experiment, embrace imperfections, and enjoy the journey of creating unique, coffee-infused memories on film!
