OK, I’m kind of excited. I got everything I need to develop film at home. I made it a WHOLE WEEK without them. I think I got all the basics—I’m sure I’ll screw something up and need to adjust my process, but then that’s the fun in it.

I got everything from Cinestill. Honestly, I couldn’t remember all the things I’d need, and the packages seem to be put together well and are well explained. Since I’m kind of starting fresh, that was appreciated.

I got the C41 color processing kit and the DF96 monobath for black and white films. And it’s probably WAY overpriced for what it is, but I snagged a Lab-Box and the extra module to handle 120 films. What I do remember of my film developing history is that loading film onto the reel is a PITA, and this is my first run with 120 film. I also grabbed a few small things like film clips and a thermometer from B&H.

The last thing I got was a styrofoam cooler off the local classifieds for the warm-up baths. It’s a Portillo’s Shop & Ship cooler—the guy selling it is a Chicago native and a Cubs fan. I think I’ll order some Portillo’s myself to get a backup cooler.

I think I’ll start with a black and white film. A friend gave me a few rolls of expired film and I want to see if I can get anything out of the emulsion.