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I'm new to this forum, but it does seem to be one of the "nicer" photo forums around... Is anyone doing their own darkroom stuff? I'm in the process of getting mine together for the first time in years and I need some ideas. I have the run of a pretty good sized bathroom, but I'm still running into space problems. It is shaped just wrong for a good darkroom... I'm going to have to put the trays in the tub, but I can't get 4 11x14 trays in there, grrr.... I've been tray developing my 5x7 and 4x5 film in the tub, but print making is going to be a pain. Does anyone use tubes to develop their prints? Any other space saving tips? For right now, I don't plan on going above 11x14, but I can't even do that well now, any ideas?
TIA!
Follow Ups:
... multiple 11/14 trays in a bathtub, SURE!!
Somebody used to make a VERTICAL rack for 3 (dev, stop, fix) trays.
If it's no longer available, have a handy friend make one for you,
Simply use the top tray for developer, the middle tray for stop-bath, and the bottom one for fixer.
If you wish, the rack could be made to accomodate 16X 20's instead.
Spent all my working life as a Medical photographer, now retired, and have a setup like this in a spare bathroom.
Cheers, Impoverished.
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My son-in-law is a professional photographer. Asside from doing wedding photos, which is his main source of income, his work has recently appeared in Sunset Magazine and several coffee table photo books, -but he doesn't use a darkroom. He prints all his work on an Epson printer. In fact he was playing around with a Cannon G3 and now I was shocked to see him toting around a new Cannon digital EOS 10D. Has darkrooms gone the way of the horse and buggy and are now only used as a hobby???
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It really depends upon what you're doing. Does your son make 30x40 inch prints on his Epson from his G3? Does your son shoot architectural photos with his EOS10D? Probably "No" to both of those questions.It's applying the appropriate tool to the job. If Sunset accepts digital files - that's great. The pubs I work with still want transparencies because they prefer to scan the work themselves as they screen it directly from the film as part of the scanning process - and for several other reasons.
For a lot of commercial work, the fine photographic print has, in fact, gone the way of dinosaurs. But, if you haven't seen a really big LightJet print from a medium or large format transparency - well, let's just say the 10D (nice camera) just doesn't match up (in my opinion).
I still use a darkroom for black and white work because I have more control over the final outcome with image "look" (combination of paper, developer, toning, etc.) than what I've seen available through digital manipulation and digital printer output.
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When I was in highschool I took photography classes. I worked on the school's Annual as their sports photographer. We probably spent most of our time in the darkroom learning how to develop and enlarge our photographs (that is, when there was no hanky-pank). I enjoyed portrait photography as well. It gave me the oppertunity to ask all the pretty girls if they would like a free portrait of themselves. In those days they were black and white. I handpainted them. I think to this day that handpainted portraits are far more beautiful then color portraits.
Today, I am not a professional photographer, infact, I'm probably not even a serious amateuar. I use my cameras simply as tools to photograph my artwork for the printer, and for that I feel that I need the best I can afford.
My son-in-law calls himself a professional photographer and I bet he doesn't know one thing about developing his work, working with an enlarger or even being in a darkroom.
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Interesting observation. My feeling is that digital work is just a difficult as working in a darkroom - but in a different way. Yes, you're doing things in software which is "easy" (?), but the amount knowledge you need to really make a good looking photo in Photoshop is as complex as making a really good photo in a darkroom.Yeah, digital makes it easier for the average person to turn out a photo, but that's really not much different than taking a photo on film and sending the negative to a lab to be printed. I know several professional photographers who couldn't turn on a safelight - but they make their living by taking photos. Send the film to a lab to be developed & proofed, send it to a lab for the final prints. They don't even own darkrooms.
Most wedding photogaphers (that I've known) have never been in a darkroom and don't know the basic technical aspects of photography. Ask them how film speed is calculated and you'd get a blank stare. Ask them what a characteristic curve is and their eyes go glassy.
But, they can sure tell you how to make a "Stained Glass Misty" bride / groom portrait (baaaaaarrrrfff).
So, I don't find your son-in-law to be outside the norm for a lot of photographers - either today or even 25 years ago. I worked as a professional for years and started out with a nationally known photo company. My boss didn't go near darkrooms (although I think he had been in one once). When it came to the really difficult photos, he always had me do them (we did some industrial work, most of our work was portraits). If it was color work it got sent out to a lab, if it was B&W I did the development and printing in my darkroom.
He was making about $250K / year in 1973 through his photo business!! Not bad for a guy who didn't have a darkroom...
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Isaac,I used to work in R&D for Unicolor Div. Photo Systems Inc. years ago. We made all kinds of photographic chemistries and processing equipment including drums and rollers.
You can use drums for daylight processing of films and papers if you can find this equipment. Check with B&H Photo in NY. You can hand roll the drums but better to find a bidirectional automatic roller for films to avoid bromide drag. Other more advanced systems like Jobo and others will also work for all you needs without a huge space.
Hi Isaac
Welcome to the forum, it's not very busy here but may pick up in time. I'm sorry I can't help much with darkroom tips as its 30 years since I set up darkrooms in bathrooms. I have just got back into photography this year with a Canon G2 & I'm having some fun using Photoshop as my darkroom. Hope you get some tips from someone.
regards rod
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