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Manual film processing was once a common practice among photographers and hobbyists. Now, with the advent of digital camera technology, the process of manual developing has become a lost art. While the hobby is not as popular as it once was, the equipment and chemicals are still available, and are cheaper than ever. Mastering this process will give you a greater appreciation and understanding of the true art of photography. This Instructable aims to cover the actual developing process in detail, but it is beyond the scope of this Instructable for me to cover camera operation and film selection in great detail. Instead, you will notice that I have posted links to excellent resources throughout the guide. Those unfamiliar with a particular concept should refer to these articles for reference. Any further questions are always welcome in the comments.
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Signing UpStep 1The Camera
You will need to have access to a film camera. Most people still have one laying around, but they can be picked up on eBay, Goodwill, or even the drug store for not much money. I still use an old Canon AE-1 Program, and it gives me excellent results. Don't worry about all the fancy bells and whistles; just find one that works. If your camera has an automatic mode like mine, just let the camera do the work. Some older cameras do not do the auto metering, so you will need to handle that yourself. The basic rule of thumb is the "Sunny 16" rule. This simply means that you should use one, over whatever speed your film is, as the shutter speed, and an aperture of f/16 on a sunny day outside. For example, on a sunny day, I choose to shoot with 250 speed film. My exposure will be for 1/250 with an aperture of f/16. Unfortunately, a more detailed explanation of manual camera operation is beyond the scope of this Instructable. For more information, I find this website to be an excellent resource (be sure to read all of the articles; there are nine.)
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WARNING: It is dangerous and illegal to pour fixer down the drain! It contains silver which is dangerous to people and wildlife! If you have a septic tank this is a definite no-no.
What can I do?!
Pour your used fixer and developer into a container (with a lid) that can be easily transported by automobile. Take the container to a photo lab (or even a pharmacy with a one-hour lab) and ask the lab tech for it to be dumped in the Waste or Silver Recovery unit. Don't ask a cashier! If you can, call ahead and ask for the lab supervisor.
If they ask questions:
Say you do your film at home, that it should be safe to pour in, they can ask their supervisor, and it's more money for them because of the silver it contains. The people aren't giving you a hard time, there is often all sorts of warning signs about mixing chlorine/bleach containing chemicals, with another type of chemical, that is all Greek to them. Be patient and let them double check, it's worth it for the environment.
Why?
The unit at professional labs zaps the waste with electricity and using magnets collects the silver and the rest goes down the drain. Not only does the silver not make it into the water supply, it is saved in large canisters which are picked up for recycling!
In the United States: Both Federal and State government agencies regulate the handling and disposal of photographic chemicals. For more info on proper disposal of photographic chemicals, see here (PDF).
It isn't only fixer that's dangerous. Any chemicals used in the process should be handled this way. The developer itself washes away chemicals with it, and even if you use an eco-friendly developer, the chemicals it washes away will make it just as bad for the bay as your standard chem developer. Unfortunately, I learned this after dumping a few gallons of used Caffenol into the gutter.
Good comment, by the way. I was a little shocked seeing such a nice Instructable with pictures of the author pouring everything he used down the sink.