Developing 110

There are certain times when I’m in mid flow doing something and I think to myself “why ever did I start this”? Going back about 4 weeks, I ordered amongst other things, a roll of Lomography Orca B/W 110 film from Analogue Wonderland. I see that it’s made in Chechia so I’m assuming it’s actually Foma! I congratulate both Lomo and Foma for helping to keep that format alive! I duly set out and exposed the film.

For those of you who are as old as me you will remember the name Johnsons. If you are younger – think Paterson, very similar business. I have a couple of their old reels, unlike the Paterson design these use spacers (the white bits!) so the reels can cope with 16mm film, which is also 110, 127, 35mm and 120. All very useful, except the reels don’t fit the Paterson tank! No worries, I blocked up the hole in the top where one normally pours in the chemistry – as without that central Paterson column inside, the tank is not light tight – been there before – got that T shirt! I dove into the dark bag and split open the 110 cassette. I was expecting a battle to get the film on the reel, but not a bit – it went on very easily. I put everything together – took the tank out of the dark bag, gave the bag a shake to get the remaining bit’s and bobs (broken cassette) out, and out fell the film!! I had very cleverly managed to load the backing paper onto the spiral! Had I have tried to do that, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able! After a few choice words, and being somewhat frustrated by my own stupidity, I threw it all in the bin.

Later that evening I went online to order another roll and AW were out of stock. In a rare moment of inspiration I looked at Bristol Cameras website – I’ve recently purchased 100ft (or as we now should say) 30.5 meters of Foma 100 from them recently, and sure enough they had it! Better still I was headed for Bristol that very weekend. I walked along the river to their store to find them closed! Another week passes and I recieve an email from AW saying it’s back in stock – so I make up an order for another roll! I duly set out and exposed the film (again).

This time I pay more attention, learn from my error, load the film onto the reel. I ended up having to use my largest tank for the smallest film, due to the length of the Johnsons spiral, that includes the core, having to clear the funnel part of the Paterson tank that normally slips inside it’s own column. All that done – I developed the film in D23 – finally I got negatives! – Why ever did I start this???