Darkroom Portraits (Part 2)

[chuckroast]

I guess it depends on the dust and humidity levels in the darkroom. I have no more dust problem with black plastic or cardboard than with a flat-painted surface. I wouldn't use a slick/shiny surface (paint, garbage bag, acrylic) as that kind of defeats the purpose of diminishing refections.

The issue with regular plastic is that it picks up static electricity which is a dust magnet. Cloth similarly tends to pickup dust and hang on to it.

If you live in a humid place, that's not much of an issue, but around here with RH down around 10% in the winter time, it's pretty gnarly.

 

[Tina Kino]

A question about lighting if I may (not exactly the right thread for it, but I figured as there are others with kitchen-darkrooms in here I might ask)

My enlarger (and most of the stuff, basically) will be on a table on one side of the room, where there's an Ilford SL-1 mounted on the wall, giving nice light to work (I'm only doing Ilford Multigrad paper for the foreseeable future).
Opposite that wall (behind me, if I'm standing in front of the enlarger) is the sink, as in: my wet area, with the trays. I realized I'd be standing in my own shadow when developing the paper in the trays.
There's cupboards above the sink area, as in the mockup-picture below - I suppose it would be a very neat solution to have amber LED strips on the underside of this, illuminating the trays.
There's of course plenty of these kinds of LED strips available, alas as per Ilford's suggestion I'd need something truly amber / orange (with wavelengths shorter than 580nm) - not easy to find it seems. The other thing is that the cupboards are merely 50cm above the paper - probably just too close, really?

Do you reckon this is even feasible, or would I be better of with just a big safelight (like an Ilford DL-20) hanging from the ceiling, instead of the SL-1 plus under-the-cubboard lights?

 

[MattKing]

Use red LEDs under the cupboards - possibly with something over them like partially fogged film to cut their intensity. Even better, rubylith in place of the film.
Orient them to face up in order that the light bounces first.

 

[Tina Kino]

Thanks for your feedback @MattKing - good tip to mount them facing up

Unfortunately, RubyLith is quite hard to get / expensive here in Germany (like the equivalent of USD 35 for one 20x24" sheet), so I figured it might be worthwhile to find some LEDs that are in right spectrum to begin with.

 

[Kino]

An option would be to get an inexpensive light stand that extends above your head, mount another safelight on it and trot it out when you do printing. Otherwise, I can go in the storage space you have your black partition!

 

[awty]

Here we go again.
Went from very small to very big, this my third darkroom will have to do as a medium size. A 2000mm x 900mm trough, a Durst 1200 enlarger and some storage.
I need to remove the old concrete laundry tub (heavy), plumb up the new trough and she should be good to go. Already light proofedish the window and door. Need some ventilation, might use some AC, that was great in my last DR.

 

[bernard_L]

There's of course plenty of these kinds of LED strips available, alas as per Ilford's suggestion I'd need something truly amber / orange (with wavelengths shorter than 580nm) - not easy to find it seems.

You probably mean longer than 580nm. Requirements will be more stringent if/when you use Foma Variant paper(s). Do not trust the "color" or "dominant wavelength" of the LED datasheet.
See these:

New to darkroom photography. Recommendations for safelights?

Hello, I am new to darkroom photography. I am setting up an enlarger in a spare bedroom, and developing trays in the bathtub in my only bathroom. Can anyone recommend what you consider a good safelight? I am only working in black and white, and with variable contrast papers. Thanks, Phil

www.photrio.com

New to darkroom photography. Recommendations for safelights?

Hello, I am new to darkroom photography. I am setting up an enlarger in a spare bedroom, and developing trays in the bathtub in my only bathroom. Can anyone recommend what you consider a good safelight? I am only working in black and white, and with variable contrast papers. Thanks, Phil

www.photrio.com

 

[Tina Kino]

Thank you @bernard_L