How Does Photographic Film Work? The Complete Process

Why do some people still swear by photographic film in a world where digital dominates?

The answer lies in a single frame every shot taken on ORWO’s WOLFEN film is steeped in history, texture, and a little bit of magic.

In this article, we’ll understand how photographic film works and captures light in ways that digital can't and why ORWO Shop's unique range is a favorite among purists.

The Basics of Photographic Film

To start, let's ask how does photographic film work as a light-sensitive medium. It is coated with layers of silver halide crystals.

These crystals are the active elements. They react when exposed to light. Each layer of film is built differently to respond to varying wavelengths.

This is especially true for color film. Its red, green, and blue layers capture different light spectra.

When it comes to black-and-white film, one layer of silver halide crystals captures gray shades. It does this based on the intensity of light exposure.

More chemical layers capture the nuances of color in color film. A base, usually made of plastic or cellulose, covers these light-sensitive layers to provide structure and durability.

The ISO rating decided the film's "speed," making higher ISO film more light-sensitive and suited for low-light conditions.

To fully understand how does photographic film work, one must also look at the latent image process.

Capturing the Image: The Latent Image Process

 

It all starts when you snap that camera shutter: light falls onto the film. That light energy stimulates the silver halide crystals.

They leave an invisible chemical blueprint, called a latent image. Each absorbed photon of light will eject the electrons, and then those electrons combine with the ions of silver in the film.

These atoms remain unstable until enough of them collect to form a "latent image site" or clusters of about two to four silver atoms.

Understanding how does photographic film work includes knowing that each layer has a different color filter. It lets in red, green, or blue light.

This allows processing to capture colors and stack them into a full range. More light on the part of the film flips on more silver atoms.

This creates an accurate but invisible chemical photograph of the scene because of the lens.

Also Read - 7 Best 35mm Film Of All Time (Tried & Tested)

Developing the Film: Bringing the Latent Image to Life

After exposure, the film must be left in the darkroom for further development, safe from natural light.

The several stages involved in the development process include:

Developer Bath:

The film is put into a developer solution. It enlarges the exposed silver atoms. As a result, the latent image becomes a visible image.

On black-and-white film, it darkens the light-exposed areas. It creates a negative image, where lights appear dark and vice versa.

Stop Bath:

After development, a stop bath (weak acid or water) halts the action of the developer on the film.

Fixing:

Next, the fixer removes any unreacted silver halide crystals from the film, stabilizing the image.

This step ensures that the film no longer reacts to light, so it can be safely viewed outside of the darkroom.

Washing and Drying:

Washing removes chemical remnants, and then the film is dried. For color film, multiple developer and fixer baths create the negative for each color layer.

Once made, these negatives can be processed further to produce prints or digital scans.

Printing the Film Image

To turn negatives into positives, an enlarger casts light through the negative onto light-sensitive paper.

The paper is then developed to create a final print. This method does not give immediate results like photography does.

It requires careful handling and technical know-how. But it gives depth and texture, which are unique to photographic film.

Key Film Types and Their Unique Qualities

Different types of films offer rich artistic possibilities.

Black and White Film:

It is known for its classic, high-contrast look. It is popular in fine art and portraiture. Its development is simpler, using fewer chemicals. It also offers greater exposure flexibility.

Color Negative Film:

This kind of film has a broad exposure latitude and can catch quite a few colors. It is usually used with positive prints and is also commonly handled to print slides in either negative or positive.

Slide Film (Reversal Film):

The positive slide film is used and great for projection or scanner applications. It produces colors rich in detail but low latitude, requiring good illumination control.

Instant Film:

Polaroid developed instant film. It forms an image right away without a darkroom. It has similar chemistry but develops automatically inside the film structure.

Each has unique traits that appeal to photographers. They just differ in aesthetic and technical aspects.

The Science of Exposure and ISO Sensitivity

The three primary controls over exposure are aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. While the aperture and shutter speed determine the amount of light hitting the film, ISO determines its sensitivity.

Lower ISOs like 100 produce finer grain and lack sensitivity, which is excellent for bright settings. Higher ISOs, such as 800, create coarser grain but allow use in low-light settings.

Mastery of these controls allows control over the final image's sharpness, contrast, and grain.

Why Film Photography Persists

What artists and photographers find so fascinating about the film is its tactility, intentionality, texture, and depth.

While post-processing can simulate film in digital captures, analog captures light organically, specific to each roll.

It's this very reason that we at ORWO Studio keep photographic film alive. We have fine films, like WOLFEN, for the ones who value a personal connection with their craft.

To understand more about how does photographic film work and our offering, visit the ORWO Shop or check out more of our film heritage at ORWO Studio.