Failures and one success. Yesterday I processed a film in three sections; I try three cornered leeks from my garden for a recommended developing time for general plant matter, but nothing worked at all. I try doubled the developing time to 30 mins, but again nothing. So I make up Caffenol C. and it works really well, @26 degrees, 13 mins developing time. This is my control.
I try the three cornered leeks again (a bunch, as much as my finger linked to my thumb, boiled for 10 mins, mashed and steeped overnight) to try as a paper developer. First tho, I try yesterday's Caffenol C. as a paper developer, 2mins dev, 30secs stop, long fix in salt solution (until an 'eco' fix arrives by post) on a paper pinhole but guess that film developing exhausts it, removes its potency. I make up some fresh Caffenol C. and it works. The prints are floating around in salt fix solution now, for 48 hours.
I think about the toxicity of what I'm doing with 'safer' chemistry. These liquids. Some online posts say it's ok to flush used developer and fix down the drain if you're not using a septic tank; some say you should neutralise to level the ph and then leave outside for some time to neutralise further. So many variables so many thoughts. And the more I read, I don't seem to be able to find a recipe that uses basic weeds - whatever I mean by that - I have a hunch that nettles might work.
In the darkroom I don't have a clock so I count in my head or out loud; in the kitchen I listen to the clock ticking in an otherwise house. Ears ringing inbetween liquids making pictures.
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