There is much more to getting a great final result than merely loading film into the camera, capturing a potentially compelling image and printing the negative.  Truth be told, I don’t enjoy testing at all and I’m not a prolific tester.  But it’s essential to establish the proper film speed for each of the films you use and the correct development times for those films with your developer(s) of choice.  Thankfully, there are a number of ways to get the results you need. Testing doesn’t need to be intimidating and can be as simple as cutting your film speed in half of the manufacturer’s stated box speed and cutting the manufacturer’s development time by 20%; then making adjustments as you go along. But make no mistake; these tests form the basis of a solid black and white analog photographic process.  Without conducting them you stand little chance of making what John Sexton calls an “expressive print”.

Once the foundation is established I believe the most important thing is consistency in your process.  Get the technical issues worked out and make the mechanical steps as easy and predictable as possible. This way you can save your energy for the most important part of photography – the creative process! Here’s what I do:

1. Establish the proper film speed for the films I use with my developers of choice
2. Establish the proper development time for the films I use with my developers of choice
3. Determine the correct enlarger height, enlarging lens aperture and exposure time necessary to make a properly exposed proof sheet (what Fred Picker called the Proper Proof)

4. Go out in the world and make photographs
5. Develop film and file in numbered archival sleeve pages, stored in archival ring binder containers
6. Make proof sheets and file into notebooks with the same numbers and added description of the what is contained on each roll of film and when it was taken
7. Add roll numbers and descriptive information into a searchable Microsoft Word table to assist in easy of location and retrieval
8. Examine a proof sheet and select negative(s) to print
9. Make test strips (I use a full sheet of paper for each one) for several contrasts
10. Determine your starting print exposure and contrast grade of paper
11. Make my best print, writing down all the steps taken onto a print “recipe” form I’ve made
12. Wash and dry on print drying screens
13. Selenium tone the print (some do this as part of step 11 and cut out step 12; I wait until I have a number of prints and do this as a separate step)

14. Wash and dry on print drying screens
15. Dry mount the print using archival mounting tissue and archival mat board
16. Evaluate the print
17. Redo the print if necessary or just trash it if it is hopeless
18. Spot the print if necessary
19. Frame the print as appropriate using black Nielson frames
20. Store mounted prints, toned unmounted prints and untoned prints in archival boxes

I hope this is helpful. In the future I intend to discuss each one of these process steps in some detail but this is a good start. Note that the process I have outlined above is what works for me.  You might choose a different approach. The key is to establish the foundation that gives you the results you desire and then maintain a consistent and repeatable process. Once established you will see how much more enjoyable your photographic life becomes!