• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

A moment's inattention and...

ntenny

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
Mar 5, 2008
Messages
2,537
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Format
Multi Format
I suppose this happens to everyone from time to time, but this is the first time it's happened to me: I just turned on the room light to find myself looking at an open box of paper.

Of course it *would* be a nearly *full* box of paper, too. So I said some words unbecoming of a gentleman, then had a diverting time developing blank sheets to find out how far the damage went, instead of the nice constructive printing session I'd been planning.

It turns out I only really lost a handful of sheets; after the first 5 or 6 they just have edge fog and are still usable. But still, what a pain in the neck.

-NT
 

Last year I left open my paper safe and turned the lights on. Very sobering experience. Same as you, much could be salvaged. It was the first of 5 packs of Fomatone MG 332 (25 sheets, RC paper). Am I glad this wasn't one single pack!

This year I did a similar thing with a bulk roll of HP5+. Again was lucky that Silverhalide products can actually take quite some beating...
 
My approach has evolved over the years. Currently, I only open the box to put a moderate amount of paper into the paper safe - the amount I expect to use in the next short while..
And I have the paper safe immediately below the light switch, so I can make sure to always check the paper safe before the lights go on.
I haven't fogged any paper through this type of mistake for quite a while.
I do seem to have developed an uncanny knack though of using the last sheet of paper in the paper safe and then discovering that I need to do just one more print.
 
+1 That is what I do.
 
Many years ago I shared a darkroom with a friend and whenever one of us was going to turn on the lights we yelled "Leitz!"

I still do it in my mind to this day, and haven't ever turned on the lights when I shouldn't have.

Of course I probably will tonight now that I jinxed myself......
 
Am I the only one that doesn't use a paper safe? Something about the hassle of pulling the paper from the box and then there bag makes me think multiple times about the lights. Not ideal for other reasons though.
 
I had a student with me in my darkroom in Japan. I was going through the steps on how to make a print with her. I had already shown her how to make a strip test, and just exposed the first test print (8x10). Just as the enlarger turned off, I said, "right!" and she turned the room light on! As I stood in the light, holding the exposed piece of photo paper, I learnt first hand the difficulty for Japanese when it comes to L and R.
 

During WW2 in the Pacific, Marines and probably also the Army used a password "lalapalooza" at night for the same reason......Regards!
 
bvy said:
Am I the only one that doesn't use a paper safe? Something about the hassle of pulling the paper from the box and then there bag makes me think multiple times about the lights. Not ideal for other reasons though.
Click to expand...

Before I was given a light safe by an APUGger who was moving across the country, I used empty paper boxes as light boxes for years.
 
hi nathan

sorry to read your sadness.
the last time this happened to me
it was during the great azo draught of the early teens / late naughts -
i turned on the light, and said some of the same words you said.
thankfuly it wasn't the 300R bulb i was using to make prints, cause
none of the paper was affected by my 60watt mistake ...
next time i hope you'll be using azo or one of its silver chloride cousins !
john
 
In my last full working day in the Navy I trimmed down 10x12 edge-fogged paper to make 125 8x10 prints. That was a long-lasting lesson!
 
i now have a "bucket list" of darkroom mistakes - as i check off each one i revel in a new learning experience, beat myself up less, and move on! i've been much nicer to me.

p.s. i already crossed this one off!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register