I'm going to teach you the basics of printing in a darkroom, discuss the basic terms and processes, and explain the workings of the the equipment you'll be using.
Developing a picture in a darkroom for the first time is a timeless experience that everyone should experience at least once in their life. The feeling that you get when you first see an image appear on a once blank sheet of paper is almost magical. The first time I printed a photo in a darkroom, I instantly forgot about the horrid smell of the chemicals (For the record, I now enjoy that smell), and just watched as my photograph appeared out of thin air.
For any general photography questions you have (terminology, mostly) that are not covered in this instructable, Check Here first, and if your question is still not answered, feel free to leave a comment here, or PM me with it.
Developing a picture in a darkroom for the first time is a timeless experience that everyone should experience at least once in their life. The feeling that you get when you first see an image appear on a once blank sheet of paper is almost magical. The first time I printed a photo in a darkroom, I instantly forgot about the horrid smell of the chemicals (For the record, I now enjoy that smell), and just watched as my photograph appeared out of thin air.
For any general photography questions you have (terminology, mostly) that are not covered in this instructable, Check Here first, and if your question is still not answered, feel free to leave a comment here, or PM me with it.
- Note - Make sure to read the warnings in step 14, as well as all warnings on the supplies that you use before attempting any dark room work.
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Signing UpStep 1: Supplies
- A negative to print
- 100% Cotton cosmetic pad
- Rubbing Alcohol
- A light tight room (Must be well ventilated) (Bathrooms with towels shoved under the door can work well)
- Running water
- Safe light
- 4 Trays for chemicals
- Enlarger with a condenser head (and bulb)
- Paper easel (holds the paper in place under the enlarger)
- Timer
- Squeegee (Technically optional, but highly recommended)
- Drying rack/clothes line and pins
- Grain enlarger (optional)
- Emulsion paper - doesn't matter much what you use. I prefer fiber paper.
- Gloves and apron are optional.
- Chemical storage bottles
- Developer - I use Kodak Dektol
- Stop bath - I use Kodak Indicator stop bath
- Fixer - I use Kodak Fixer
- Hypo clear - I use Kodak Hypo Clearing Agent
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/128650-REG/Beseler__Cadet_II_Enlarger_with.html
You can also get used equipment from Ebay for a lot less.
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My late father used to make photographs appear without modern machines in the 60s and 70s... I was wondering how was that possible..
thanks for you reply..
What can I do?!
Pour your used fixer and developer into a container (with a lid) that can be easily transported by automobile. Take the container to a photo lab (or even a pharmacy with a one-hour lab) and ask the lab tech for it to be dumped in the Waste or Silver Recovery unit. Don't ask a cashier! If you can, call ahead and ask for the lab supervisor.
If they ask questions:
Say you do your film at home, that it should be safe to pour in, they can ask their supervisor, and it's more money for them because of the silver it contains. The people aren't giving you a hard time, there is often all sorts of warning signs about mixing chlorine/bleach containing chemicals, with another type of chemical, that is all Greek to them. Be patient and let them double check, it's worth it for the environment.
Why?
The unit at professional labs zaps the waste with electricity and using magnets collects the silver and the rest goes down the drain. Not only does the silver not make it into the water supply, it is saved in large canisters which are picked up for recycling!
In the United States: Both Federal and State government agencies regulate the handling and disposal of photographic chemicals. For more info on proper disposal of photographic chemicals, see here (PDF).
Additional Notes: Don't develop film in the kitchen where you eat, as this tutorial states for making prints, don't eat anywhere during the process! Also, don't pour chemicals out at all, and don't let them make contact with older porcelain it WILL stain any porcelain the finish has worn off of. If this does happen you need to find "Farmers Reducer" and scrub it with a brush, it'll take some elbow grease (Powdered cleanser with bleach might work too).
Interesting...the timer in your printing darkroom is the same as the one we use in our developing darkroom. For printing, we recently upgraded to digital timers-time is adjustable by 1/10 sec, and you can adjust the brightness from the timer.
Another slight difference: rather than move the card with the light on for test strips, we just set it to 3.5-4 seconds, and move the card after the light is turned off. Not saying it's better, just noticing a difference.