Darkroom: Best Practices and Efficiencies

[Pieter12]

Dodging and burning 10 identical prints can be tedious to say the least. Why do you need editions of 10?

 

[cliveh]

Dodging and burning 10 identical prints can be tedious to say the least. Why do you need editions of 10?

Why do you assume he needs to dodge or burn?

 

[Craig]

Disclaimer: I don't own one. I do have an old Philips device with a CdS meter (!) and analog rotating disk "calculator"(!!) that has the same purpose --propose suitable grade and exposure.
But... I have doubts about the claims:


The final print is evaluated according to the relation between the tones of the various parts, seen simultaneously in their mutual relation. No machine can replace your eye+brain in that respect.

With some use and experience, a user probably could skip a test strip. I still do one, but in many situations it simply confirms that I have both the right exposure and grade.

Of course the final print is evaluated by eye, but like the lightmeter in camera, with experience you know what you are going to get and how to meter to obtain the results you want. The Zonemaster does that under the enlarger.

You take light readings from various parts of the negative and it plots them on a readout from black to white. Changing the exposure shifts them either darker or lighter and adjusting the contrast changes the spread. With the zonemaster calibrated to your paper you can pick spot on the negative, meter it and then move it to the tone value on the paper that you want. The readout will give you the exposure and contrast grade to use to achieve that.

 

[Pieter12]

Why do you assume he needs to dodge or burn?

Because nearly everything does.

 

[Grayjohn900]

I scan every frame of film I shoot. I can see quickly in Photoshop if I need to crop, and then I can do simple dodging and burning. I then live with my favorite scans for a while before deciding whether it’s worth printing or not. I just look at them on my phone in my spare time. This works really well for me. Also when I go into the darkroom I shoot for something close to the file I’ve been looking at for a while on my phone/computer. If done right in the darkroom the print will far exceed my scan. Always a good feeling.

Great insight - I’m still learning negative lab pro and have much more to learn

 

[Grayjohn900]

I'd propose to split the question into several areas, then do a search on this forum for what's already been discussed (which is plenty), and then append your questions to existing threads where opportune and/or create new threads with more focused questions. In principle we're OK with a carpet bombing approach along the lines of "tell me what works for you in the darkroom", but evidently it'll be all over the place.

Thank you Koraks

I’ll keep that mind - still relatively new to photrio and learning the ropes. So much great information here for me to take back and incorporate!

How about yourself? What’s your workflow like?

 

[Brendan Quirk]

Here we go - my BW printing flow:

Scan all negatives. Print "contact sheet" for bookkeeping purposes. Number negatives: roll number frame number. Write any subject, equipment, development info etc. on print out.

Use scans on computer screen to choose which negs to print; maybe get some composition ideas.

All fiber based prints.

Generally print 8x10 - larger is for special occasions. 8x10 paper is not so bad to waste a little.

I never do test strips - I get better results if I go straight to first print - because:

RH analyzer pro gets me really close. Rare to need more than three prints; often one is good. It helps, I admit, that I am more interested in storytelling than knock you dead formalism. Burning and dodging is sometimes rarely needed - depends on subject, exposure etc. I will use it to even things out (skies, etc) but not usually for emphasis. I think I average about 1.5 sheets per negative first session. There are many who might claim I am being too accepting. I do OK, however. 8 to 12 negatives is typical for a session.

2.5 minutes in Dektol, gentle agitation the whole time. A few seconds in indicator stop - until I feel the base is neutralized (no gloves). Into Kodafix, maybe 30 seconds agitation. Pull out previous print, and place in water tub - leave current print in fix until next print. Thoroughly rinse hands in water tub, dry (no problems with fix carryover - haven't had the dreaded brown spots in a long time.)

After printing session, here is the further processing:

Empty and refill print holding tub three times
3 min in 1/13 Selenium toner. I do three prints at a time, shuffle them every minute. Place in new water holding tub.
Empty and refill three times.
3 min hypo clearing - same regime as Selenium. As they come out of the HCA, I place in "archival" washer that is already full and going. (Washer is made from fish tank and plexi sheets. Drains top and bottom).

After last print is in, set timer for 20 minutes. This will actually give at least 30 minutes of wash due to the time it takes to do things. (Lie down for a few minutes)

Take print out, drain, lay face up on fiberglass screens. Long ago I made drying screens from canvas stretchers and dowels for legs so I can stack them.

Until now, I needed to rinse prints in distilled water, due to hard local water. No longer need to do that.

Close doors and make sure cats are out.

Next day, flatten for 30 seconds in dry mount press.

This process is geared to maximize processing throughput. If I still had to work until 4 AM, I couldn't do it anymore. The prints pass the residual hypo test, and have the benefit of mild Se toning (the archival protection of Se toning has been disputed, though.)

I have never, in 55 years, had a fiber-based print go bad. Resin coated, however, not so good. The worst there is absorption of liquids at the edges due to long wet times, and excessive sun exposure on walls cracking the polyethylene coating. Cutting the edges off of RC prints does help - they can go yellow, otherwise. Short immersion times would be better with RC.

There it is ...

 

[MattKing]

The biggest problem with the question poised in this thread is that the answer depends so much on our individual circumstances.
At home for the last several years, I've been limited to a temporary darkroom space so so much of what I do relates to dealing with that reality.
In addition to the home setup, I do have the opportunity to use shared darkroom space, but it is a group darkroom at least an hour's drive away, so most of my practice isn't oriented to that environment.
In the past I've worked in a variety of environments ranging from small dedicated dark cupboards to shared facilities setup to serve a busy photographic department in a major city newspaper, plus a commercial lab printing colour prints for professionals. In addition, I've had experience both in retail sales of darkroom stuff, and in related fields like an old fashioned print shop using lithographer's materials.
All of those experiences influence the things I do in my current environment.
For all those reasons, any answer I would give would be inextricably related to what I need and want to do - not anything that might be generally described as a "best" practice.
Forums like this are much more useful for addressing specific issues than they are for describing how to start from scratch.
That being said, these threads are full of interesting examples:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/darkroom-portraits-part-2.89555/
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/bathroom-and-other-temporary-makeshift-darkrooms.35581/
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/the-little-bits-and-pieces.178704/

 

[koraks]

How about yourself? What’s your workflow like?

Depends on what aspect, purpose etc.