I called home developing a hassle until a guy at a Denver lab showed me my own negatives
Two months ago I finally tried developing black and white film at home after putting it off for over a year. I kept picturing chemical burns, ruined rolls, and a bathroom that smelled like a science project gone wrong. My first two attempts actually made me feel right, the first roll came out blank and the second had streaks all over the sky. Then I drove up to a lab in Denver to buy more developer and the guy behind the counter asked to see my negatives. He held them to the light and said my problem was the wash, not the chemistry, and that I was pouring the fixer in way too hot. He walked me through a plain tap water rinse at room temp and told me to stop overthinking every step. My next roll came out clean, real grain and all, and the whole thing cost me about $2 a roll in supplies. So what was the dumbest mistake that made you almost quit home developing before you figured it out?