Darkroom Portraits (Part 2)

Arklatexian · Jul 21, 2018

David Brown said:
View attachment 203036

I do have a question about your very excellent darkroom. Do you have a keyed lock on any doors allowing entrance into the room? I'm not worried about someone stealing equipment. Worse than that, is the fact that non-photographers in the family and even digital-users spell darkroom: J U N K R O O M and if they are allowed "free access" make it just that, a junk room. This has caused the demise of more "darkrooms", almost, than the advent of "digital'. It is not intentional, it's just, when no one is using the room, it is dark and quiet and a convenient place to put junk so that it is "out-of-the-way". Answer? Lock all the entrances to the darkroom and keep the keys with you. Been there, had it done to me........Regards!

Pieter12 · Jul 21, 2018

David Brown said:
View attachment 203036

Beautiful. What are room dimensions?

RalphLambrecht · Jul 22, 2018

MattKing said:
Shane:

Whatever you decide, try to make sure that you won't find yourself having to work in your own shadow either at the sink or elsewhere (paper storage/cutter, easel).

Somewhere in a corner that results in light being reflected off of large surfaces tends to work well.

good point! That's why I decided against a Thomas Duplex light, mounted in the center of the darkroom.my lights are mounted to the wall above the work areasehere I need them.

David Brown · Jul 22, 2018

Arklatexian said:
I do have a question about your very excellent darkroom. Do you have a keyed lock on any doors allowing entrance into the room? I'm not worried about someone stealing equipment. Worse than that, is the fact that non-photographers in the family and even digital-users spell darkroom: J U N K R O O M and if they are allowed "free access" make it just that, a junk room. This has caused the demise of more "darkrooms", almost, than the advent of "digital'. It is not intentional, it's just, when no one is using the room, it is dark and quiet and a convenient place to put junk so that it is "out-of-the-way". Answer? Lock all the entrances to the darkroom and keep the keys with you. Been there, had it done to me........Regards!

There is a lock on the door, but only used when I'm actually in there. The door stays open when the room is not in use for better HVAC circulation. All of the "junk" is my junk!

David Brown · Jul 22, 2018

Pieter12 said:
Beautiful. What are room dimensions?

10' x 14'

Arklatexian · Jul 23, 2018

c41 said:
My darkroom is temporary, for as long as we rent this house.
It's squeezed in the laundry pretty nicely. The enlarger sits in a shower space.
Bottom right is the laundry sink that meets all my wet stuff needs, so I skipped on building an extended sink, and just have a 'wet table' for trays as visible on the right.
I couldn't pull the 'dunny' out since it isn't mine, so I just built the wet table around it.
There are more racks for stuff top right out of shot.
Behind is a hot water tank and washing machine, so no more space to extend into.
Would be nice to have somewhere to layout prints/negatives etc. to look at but this is it.
View attachment 176634

Shucks! Now I want wallpaper in my darkroom. Makes it look more "homey" for want of a better word.......Regards!

c41 · Jul 26, 2018

c41 said:
My darkroom is temporary, for as long as we rent this house.
View attachment 176634

Handed the keys back this morning on this place., the darkroom was great while it lasted.
The new rental has a garage which has been set aside for the next darkroom.
Power but no water. I'll store fiber prints and wash in bulk in the laundry.

The garage is fairly big (for this part of the world), approx 6m x 3m. (1m = about 3.3 feet)

The downsides are that access is only by a roller door at each end, noisy and a hassle to lift up and down.
These doors also leak light like a sieve and I'm pretty disheartened at getting the room light tight.

Plan A would have to be a large covering of some kind at each end, that'd have to move out the way to get in/out.
(I've tried blacking out corners but the light gets in above and below the roller doors, also even through the runners at each side - not possible to cover without blocking the roller mechanism)

Plan B would be to make some kind of temporary wooden box of 3 walls set against one garage wall with a plastic or fabric roof above.
Internal dimensions mean that'd be quite low, 1.9 metres - 6'4" or something like that.

Plan C is to buy a metal shed, assemble it in the garage, and put everything inside.
A shed still has to be under cover, the heat will be too much when our summer comes around.

I guess Plan A will be becoming an expert at curtain fabrics this weekend alongside some means to attach them to walls/ceiling.
Anyone have gigantic curtains happening? Or a little room inside a room?

Pieter12 · Jul 26, 2018

c41 said:
Handed the keys back this morning on this place., the darkroom was great while it lasted.
The new rental has a garage which has been set aside for the next darkroom.
Power but no water. I'll store fiber prints and wash in bulk in the laundry.

The garage is fairly big (for this part of the world), approx 6m x 3m. (1m = about 3.3 feet)

The downsides are that access is only by a roller door at each end, noisy and a hassle to lift up and down.
These doors also leak light like a sieve and I'm pretty disheartened at getting the room light tight.

Plan A would have to be a large covering of some kind at each end, that'd have to move out the way to get in/out.
(I've tried blacking out corners but the light gets in above and below the roller doors, also even through the runners at each side - not possible to cover without blocking the roller mechanism)

Plan B would be to make some kind of temporary wooden box of 3 walls set against one garage wall with a plastic or fabric roof above.
Internal dimensions mean that'd be quite low, 1.9 metres - 6'4" or something like that.

Plan C is to buy a metal shed, assemble it in the garage, and put everything inside.
A shed still has to be under cover, the heat will be too much when our summer comes around.

I guess Plan A will be becoming an expert at curtain fabrics this weekend alongside some means to attach them to walls/ceiling.
Anyone have gigantic curtains happening? Or a little room inside a room?

I have a home-theater blackout curtain that runs across the width of my garage (about 3.6m), effectively making it light tight (I also close the garage door just in case). It consists of 4 overlapping panels, attached with industrial velcro to a masonite panel mounted perpendicular to the ceiling because the curtains are not long enough to reach the floor otherwise. All the joints at the ceiling are taped with duct tape or gaffer's tape. The curtains are velcroed to the wall at either end. Not all so-called blackout curtains are really light-tight. I went shopping with a small flashlight that I would try to shine through curtains at the store.

c41 · Jul 26, 2018

Thanks. Good idea on the flashlight. There’s one local fabric place i can check out. I’ll head out this weekend.

If the big end coverings prove too much cost/complexity, i think it’s Plan B for sure.

c41 · Jul 30, 2018

I did find a reasonable deal on blackout curtains and spent a weekend attempting two simple curtains to run perpendicular across the space.
It looked cool, like a studio, but was a total disaster as a darkroom lol.
Light leaks above, below and to each side on both curtains that it was plain would never quite be resolved.

So Plan B is in full swing. I made a rudimentary box last night (more of a 'lean to' really.)
I can use corflute to black out each end and maybe the 'roof'.

The back 'wall' will be those blackout curtains.
How to make a convenient door is the one thing I'm not too sure on yet.

Ventilation is penciled in for when it gets hot or I get dizzy.
Liquid management will be buckets when I buy them.

I look forward (very much) to not making a room dark and just photography once more.
I hope I'm not breaking this one down in 11 months time.

Will grab some pictures once its complete anyway..

choiliefan · Jul 31, 2018

I've heard Duvetyne fabric is a good choice for darkroom curtains.

Ai Print · Aug 2, 2018

I have a roll of Duvetyne fabric and among other super handy things like Griptac, it is invaluable in any darkroom for a myriad of reasons.

I got a good bit done on the wet side over Spring but evacuating from and dealing with wildfires this Summer had stopped things completely for nearly two months. I am back in the swing of it now and even developed 15 rolls of 120 last night. It was amazing to have a perfect flow from the film loading area ( At right not pictured ) all the way around to drying in a perfect counterclockwise 220 degree arc, it was a blast to use it! There sink at left is 9 feet by 32" deep and the one at right is 6 feet by 26". The 16x20' print washer is under a hinged section of the film processing shelf on the right. The bridge will lift up and be held in place during print sessions and lowered for film. The left side of the 6 foot sink shows the location of the 20x24" print washer.

I have found one of the biggest time sucks in doing the wet side is always looking for ways to reduce water consumption. I can already tell this is an area in which I will try to constantly innovate.

I am hoping to be 100% done by next Spring and have it usable for printing this Fall, I'll see how that goes....

abruzzi · Aug 3, 2018

Ai Print said:
I have a roll of Duvetyne fabric and among other super handy things like Griptac, it is invaluable in any darkroom for a myriad of reasons.

I bought some 16oz Duvetyne to make a light curtain in my bathroom that I am converting, and discovered that a single layer is not 100% light tight, at least not from the perspective of the New Mexico sun. I think it will work for a lot of other stuff, but the window will probably get the aluminum foil treatment.

I got a good bit done on the wet side over Spring but evacuating from and dealing with wildfires this Summer had stopped things completely for nearly two months.

I don’t know which fire you were dealing with, but I heard the Spring Creek Fire was huge and very destructive. My father and I were riding motorcycles through Colorado a few weeks ago, coming down from Steamboat Springs into Avon on the way to Leadville. That whole valley around Avon was dark as dusk in the middle of the day. I’d never seen anything like it. I hope you didn’t lose anything to the fires.

Ai Print · Aug 4, 2018

The only thing was lost was our patients regarding the lack of care of our planet, the fire got within 1/2 a mile of our place...close but only some smoke smell to clean up once this is all said and done.

I’m getting caught up on film, up to 60 rolls now.

Black Dog · Aug 7, 2018

Arklatexian said:
I do have a question about your very excellent darkroom. Do you have a keyed lock on any doors allowing entrance into the room? I'm not worried about someone stealing equipment. Worse than that, is the fact that non-photographers in the family and even digital-users spell darkroom: J U N K R O O M and if they are allowed "free access" make it just that, a junk room. This has caused the demise of more "darkrooms", almost, than the advent of "digital'. It is not intentional, it's just, when no one is using the room, it is dark and quiet and a convenient place to put junk so that it is "out-of-the-way". Answer? Lock all the entrances to the darkroom and keep the keys with you. Been there, had it done to me........Regards!

Yes...I know the feeling only too well!

c41 · Aug 10, 2018

Very impressive set up Ai Print, I like the sight of stainless steel there.

I did finish my new temporary set up. A box in a garage covered in plastic/curtains with power but without plumbing.
It'll do. What it lacks in elegance or permanence, I hope it'll make up for in what comes out of it.

It amuses me that it the shape of it and the use of curtains gives it the look of an oversized passport photo booth.
Not sure I can capture that digitally but will give it a shot at some point.

I'll be breaking it in this weekend in any case, before I forget how it all works.

Early Riser · Aug 30, 2018

RFotofolio has an article on the building of my darkroom and studio.

https://rfotofolio.org/2018/08/30/where-we-work-brian-kosoff/

Bob Carnie · Aug 30, 2018

Early Riser said:
RFotofolio has an article on the building of my darkroom and studio.

https://rfotofolio.org/2018/08/30/where-we-work-brian-kosoff/

I will state right here that Brians setup is probably one of the finest darkroom setups I have ever seen.

Micheal Wesik in Vancouver though may even trump Brian's setup. but I am completely gobsmacked by both of these gentleman's setups.

I would die and go to heaven happy if I could work in either one of them , completely professionally thought out .

Ai Print · Sep 4, 2018

Wet side is done, on to the enlarger wall....

The setup will be three LPL 4550 XLG / VCCE enlargers, two on either side baseboard mounted for up to 20x24 and the one in the center wall mounted to achieve 40x50 at the floor.

CMoore · Sep 4, 2018

Ai Print said:
Wet side is done, on to the enlarger wall....

The setup will be three LPL 4550 XLG / VCCE enlargers, two on either side baseboard mounted for up to 20x24 and the one in the center wall mounted to achieve 40x50 at the floor. View attachment 207404

............... Wow.!
Not saying my (especially mine) prints would be any better, but.....every time i see those LPL units, i wish i had them.
I have only SEEN them, like on this thread here, never used one.
But they look like they are a "better" made enlarger than my Beseler 45s.
Seems like having just the center column would be stiffer, and that the Neg Holders are a better design.....seems like they slide in more square and solid... and seal tighter.?
Anyway, i am blessed to have a spare bedroom that has a closet that shares a wall with a bathroom sink, and a wife that supports my hobby, but......i am truly envious of the space some of you Guys/Gals have.
Well Done

Michael Firstlight · Sep 4, 2018

I grew up with Durst enlargers, starting with an M601 - loved 'em and love how well they were built. I used Bessler's in HS, fair, but seemed less well made except for one of the big motorized units. I used Chromegas in a community lab and never liked how they were made - felt flimsy, but wow, when I got my LPL 670MXL (7700) last year I had no idea what I had been missing. That got me looking at the 4x5 LPLs this year now knowing just how well made 670MXL is. This weekend I set up my first 4550 XLG with both a VCCE and color module, I think I've died and gone to heaven. Maybe the really high-end Dursts ad Deveres are better, I don't know as never having used them, but with these LPLs I'll never want for another enlarger unless I decide I want to move up to 8x10.

Mike

wyofilm · Sep 4, 2018

I bought a 4550 XLG enlarger last year and I really love it. Now if I only had a larger dark room ... Also, thinking about a color module for it.

Jason

Ai Print · Sep 4, 2018

Michael Firstlight said:
but with these LPLs I'll never want for another enlarger unless I decide I want to move up to 8x10.

That's pretty much where I am at, got my first one in 2013, paired with some RH Designs electronics and never looked back. One of several reasons I love them is that they are still a current model and thus far, KHB Photografix has most of the goodies and parts that are still made. One no longer made unicorn was the 35mm condenser / diffuser mixing box, took years to find but I nailed one. You gain 2.5 stops of light using it and the print quality is amazingly good.

I am back on this build about full time, no major jobs after this month and until December, so I got ahold of my contractor today and we will likely have to rip out some drywall and reenforce between the metal studs for the wall mounted one.

I just scored some awesome countertop finish material today from our local thrift for cheap, two 3'x8 foot sheets of Melamine in a stunning black wood finish for the enlarger wall. I'll cut one into the material for the countertop on either end and then one for the center which will actually be a giant 65"x36" cart that moves for mural printing, countertop will be adjustable for alignment:

Ai Print · Sep 12, 2018

Alrighty, moving along really well now.

My contractor / handyman and I decided to just go big, rip out some drywall and create super solid mounting blocks for the mural enlarger that go right into the concrete foundation wall. It's perfectly plumb and as solid as it gets. Projection tests are showing prints up to 45"x54" from 4x5" negs, 45"x45" on medium format, etc. I also had him cut up all that second hand Melamine I got into what I needed so I don't destroy it with my less than ideal blades, it is really nice countertop, some pieces are in-between the pegboard sections for cosmetics and mounting areas. The wall is 13' feet wide and over 8.5' feet high, just enough for what I need this part of the room to do. Obviously I will do some darkening of the inside of the mural area near the floor but for now it is fine.

All three enlargers are up, I will likely hold off on the center piece / cart to give it some more design time but now at least I can print!

wyofilm · Sep 12, 2018

Ai Print said:
Alrighty, moving along really well now.

My contractor / handyman and I decided to just go big, rip out some drywall and create super solid mounting blocks for the mural enlarger that go right into the concrete foundation wall. It's perfectly plumb and as solid as it gets. Projection tests are showing prints up to 45"x54" from 4x5" negs, 45"x45" on medium format, etc. I also had him cut up all that second hand Melamine I got into what I needed so I don't destroy it with my less than ideal blades, it is really nice countertop, some pieces are in-between the pegboard sections for cosmetics and mounting areas. The wall is 13' feet wide and over 8.5' feet high, just enough for what I need this part of the room to do. Obviously I will do some darkening of the inside of the mural area near the floor but for now it is fine.

All three enlargers are up, I will likely hold off on the center piece / cart to give it some more design time but now at least I can print!

View attachment 207938

Looking slick. Maybe you mentioned it earlier, but is your wet side ready?

Darkroom Portraits (Part 2)

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