Enlarging len which aperture?

The quality of your enlarging lens will lead to better and sharper results at greater magnification. The aperture ( low number = large opening, high number = small opening) you set not only affects the amount of light it lets through but the depth of field as well. A good average aperture is F/5.6 in most cases. If the exposure times are to short a larger F number is needed, this will give you a chance to hold back shadow areas that may become to dark to show any detail. But don't get carried away and close down the lens by too  many F numbers as this may over heat the negative causing it to buckle, making the picture loose sharpness.

Drying cabinet.

The safest and one of the quickest ways of drying your film. The cabinet has a built in heater that gently blows warm air over the negatives lessening the amount of time that particles in the atmosphere can attach to your valuable film. They can be dry in fifteen minutes.

If, like me, you only have a small darkroom then a cabinet may not be practical within the room itself. You could place it outside but the problem I have with that is it looks like a gym locker, making it a blot on the landscape wherever you put it! Oh! and they're not cheap! Make your own mind up!!

Timing development

You should always base your process time on the latest information available for your usual developer. Then be prepared to use these figures as a guide or starting point. You should check each set of negatives carefully, if they are starting to look dark/dense then you will need to adjust the process time by say twenty per cent. If they are looking thin/light then a slight increase in process time is needed. It is a good idea to stick to one make of developer and film until you understand what it is capable of. By doing so, you will be able to extract every detail from the negative that was originally captured. With experience comes knowledge.

Over development

The film has been processed for longer than it needed. The following can cause this:

• Too long a development time.
• Too high a temperture. ( thermometers can go wrong.)
• Too much agitation.

Attention to these factors should avoid this. If you know that a film has been under exposed then you can remmedy it by over developing.