Darkroom portraits

Jeremy · Aug 11, 2006

ever so slowly getting things in order. a larger sink with temp controls and 3 faucets is going to be stolen from another grad's studio (who does 100% digital), need to bring in the enlarger, a futon, and misc. items like the printer and scanners and what-not. Still, it's head-and-shoulders above the combo bathroom/bedroom i was working out of before.

arigram · Aug 11, 2006

Did Jackson Pollock do your paintjob Jeremy?

Jeremy · Aug 11, 2006

arigram said:
Did Jackson Pollock do your paintjob Jeremy?

haha, it was the previous tenant--but i kinda dig the feel and hope to have it covered quickly with workprints and such.

also, i had a limited window of opportunity for using a truck and needed to get stuff up there

Black Dog · Aug 12, 2006

Even my darkroom's nearly finished now-well apart from the plumbing & electrics & a few other details As the great Morrissey put it " I just might die with a smile on my face after all".........

Now if I could only get my hands on a Kodak tray siphon....

Mark Pope · Aug 12, 2006

Try Silverprint http://www.silverprint.co.uk The last time I looked, I'm pretty sure they had them listed in their catalogue.

HTH

MenacingTourist · Aug 12, 2006

It's not small it's cozy

Here's mine.
We have a half bath downstairs that I can quickly convert into a cute little darkroom when needed. So far it's been great. My favorite part is the sponge painting somebody did. Kinda looks like they stenciled poop all over the walls. My wife and I got a kick out of it but now it's been painted over.

Troy Hamon · Aug 12, 2006

Half bath, brings back memories... It looks pretty familiar, but I like the layout better than the one I worked in before we moved. Two questions.

1) How is the ventilation? I had problems with ventilation in the one I worked in because the door was totally NOT lightproof and I had to arrange a blackout cloth darken it. After doing that, there was no way for air to come in and replace the air that was being removed, so the ventilation was, after a while, effectively nonexistent. My eyes don't like fixer fumes, so that was an issue for me. If it hadn't been a rental, I would have made some revisions to ensure that I solved that problem.

2) Where do you put the enlarger? Or are you a contact printer? It looks like you would need to put the enlarger over the toilet, as the rest of the space is spoken for.

MenacingTourist · Aug 12, 2006

Since I only have time to print at night I don't have problems with stray light or at least I haven't seen any fogging problems. Ventilation is solved by me going in and out a lot. The paper always gets put back in the box and it's dark enough outside the bathroom that I don't worry about anything else.

I'm only doing contact printing right now (an enlarger may be in my future) so this set up is perfect. If I had to I guess I could put an enlarger on the toilet seat. I figured that I should keep it simple and get some practice in before making things more complicated. Actually this is advice I've seen a lot around here so I figured these people know what they're talking about. Turns out they do.

I should also mention that I do all my film processing with a Harrison tent and Jobo drums. The bathroom is for printing only.

I'm going to make some prints as soon as I post this. I shot some 6.5x9 sheets of Efke 25 this week and wanted to see the prints. The negs look good so I'm just itching to make prints!

Alan.

David A. Goldfarb · Aug 12, 2006

If you can find the pictures of my dark/bathroom way up there, you can see my rolling typewriter-table arrangement for the enlarger over the toilet. Since you're in Princeton, you can even come by and take a look at it, if you're in Manhattan (when I get back into town).

payral · Aug 13, 2006

Here is mine.
Dead Link Removed
It's build in a corridor in my apartment. I can enlarge silver print and contact pd/pt prints.

David Brown · Aug 13, 2006

payral said:
Here is mine.
Dead Link Removed
It's build in a corridor in my apartment. I can enlarge silver print and contact pd/pt prints.

Very nice, Philippe!

From now on, I'm calling my darkroom: "mon laboratoire".

Cheers,

BruceN · Aug 13, 2006

At last it is done! Well, useable anyway...

I've been working on my new darkroom since we moved here over a year ago, and just processed the first films in it this morning. At nearly 300 square feet it's huge compared to the closet I had before. I built the sink out of 3/4 inch marine plywood and finished it with 5 coats of garage floor paint. The ventilation above the backsplash is a section of square vinyl raingutter downspout. I cut slots in it and plumbed it through the back wall to a fan. It exhausts outside through a dryer vent. The vent tube is attached to the wall, not the sink, so if I need to move the sink for something I need only disconnect the drain. The sink measures 8 feet by 2.5 feet. The enlarger table measures 3 feet by 6.5 feet. The enlager table and sink stand are actually reloading bench legs from Cabela's to which I added 2x4's and 3/4 inch plywood. I still need to build a rack to hold my drying screens, but that won't be difficult. I'm quite excited to get back to printing!

Bruce

Jeffrey A. Steinberg · Aug 13, 2006

Is that a digital thermometer above the sink? What brand. Calumet used to sell one and I never bought it. Now they don't have it anymore.

--Jeffrey

jovo · Aug 13, 2006

Jeffrey A. Steinberg said:
Is that a digital thermometer above the sink? What brand. Calumet used to sell one and I never bought it. Now they don't have it anymore.

--Jeffrey

Well...hey you! Nice to see you back! I thought you might have gone over to the dark side...but, at least to some extent...you didn't! As the Ausies say: " Good on ya!"

BruceN · Aug 13, 2006

Jeffrey A. Steinberg said:
Is that a digital thermometer above the sink? What brand. Calumet used to sell one and I never bought it. Now they don't have it anymore.

--Jeffrey

It's a "PROTEMP," made by Dunwright & Vogel and I absolutely love it. I'm not sure where you would get one these days.

Bruce

Jeffrey A. Steinberg · Aug 13, 2006

jovo said:
Well...hey you! Nice to see you back! I thought you might have gone over to the dark side...but, at least to some extent...you didn't! As the Ausies say: " Good on ya!"

Wow, didn't know I was recognized as missing. I have been lurking....Still taking a lot of photos, just been busy at work.

(I take photo's on the dark side, but just "snaps". Heirloom photos--B&W analog to stay!).

--Jeffrey

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · Aug 29, 2006

I'm so envious of the general "stuff" in these rooms, I'd kill to even be in a store that had half of the stuff in this topic. I've got a stainless-steel film tank, a dark bag and a bulk film roller. Gotta start somewhere, I guess.
But I must admit I lurk through the pages of this topic like a photographic-stalker or something, amazing.

BruceN · Aug 29, 2006

Fleath said:
I'm so envious of the general "stuff" in these rooms, I'd kill to even be in a store that had half of the stuff in this topic. I've got a stainless-steel film tank, a dark bag and a bulk film roller. Gotta start somewhere, I guess.
But I must admit I lurk through the pages of this topic like a photographic-stalker or something, amazing.

That's what I started out with - minus the dark bag. After the third time of taking "Basic Photography" at the local community college just so I could have access to their darkroom I decided it was time to have my own. Probably due to pure selfishness - I just didn't want to share anymore. That and the horrors of trying to actually accomplish something with abused equipment, contaminated chemistry and "Get your elbow out of my ribs please." My first one was a tiny bathroom, in fact I believe it still appears somewhere early in this thread. Now I finally have the one I always wanted and the challenge is finding enough time to spend in there. ;-) As you said - You gotta start somewhere, and anything worthwhile is rarely easy. Keep at it and you'll get there.

Bruce

Bob F. · Aug 29, 2006

Fleath said:
I'm so envious of the general "stuff" in these rooms, I'd kill to even be in a store that had half of the stuff in this topic. <snip>

So would I these days! Only place I've been in the last couple of years with this kind of stuff at all is MrCad's and that is all used gear. Silverprint sell new stuff but they have the unhappy habit of closing at the weekends...

Almost all my darkroom was bought from online dealers or via the auction site (except my sink from the aforementioned MrCad, and the cabinets from the local DIY store).

Have fun, Bob.

Sportera · Aug 31, 2006

As many you already know, we lost our home and my darkroom in the storm and are now living with family. My parents home to be exact. Almost all of the equipment you see here was donated to me by members from the Apug and Photo.net forum, with out them I could not have continued to work.

I have two enlargers, was printing 4x5 today so thats why the D2 is in there, I also have a donated Leitz enlarger, from John Doane over on Photo.net. I could not believe such generostity when he sent it to me!

On the advice of another member, AGnome, I bought a craftsman tool cart to roll into my the bathroom, it also holds all the darkroom stuff when not in use.

Sportera · Aug 31, 2006

Oh the photos are, in order:

Dryside
Wetside
Printwasher

Sam

pesphoto · Aug 31, 2006

Glad to see youre up and running again.

BWKate · Aug 31, 2006

Sam,

Your darkroom is great! It looks like it does the trick and you're able to keep going on your incredible work. People are so amazing, aren't they? You've seen both sides of good and bad. It's been quite the year for you and your family and I'm glad to see you being able to keep up your work. I will never forget you or your photos. You have put a human face on Katrina and because of your images whenever I hear anything about Katrina I think of you and your family. I feel privileged to have been able to witness what you have shown.
I have shown your images to my family and friends and they have been equally moved by your experience. Thank you for sharing.

Kate

Jeffrey A. Steinberg · Aug 31, 2006

Sportera said:
Oh the photos are, in order:

Dryside
Wetside
Printwasher

Sam

Very good photos, Sam. Sorry about the subject matter. Your site was very well done and highlighted your point of view very well.

White camera and film did you use for the photos of Katrina? You mentioned that you were developing 4x5. Where those taken in a smaller format?

This page, Contact, doesn't load anything. Not sure if you knew that?

Dead Link Removed

Sportera · Aug 31, 2006

Jeffrey, I was aware of the contact page but my web developer lost his home too! I don't know how to fix it. If anyone could help I would appreciate it.

I shoot with a Tachihara 4x5 and a Leica M6 mostly. I do on occasion use other cameras but these work well for me so I stick with what works.

Kate, I was touched by your comments, and thank you for spreading the word.

Darkroom portraits

Jeremy

arigram

Jeremy

Black Dog

Mark Pope

MenacingTourist

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Troy Hamon

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payral

David Brown

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Jeffrey A. Steinberg

Alex Bishop-Thorpe

BruceN

Bob F.

Sportera

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Sportera

pesphoto

BWKate

Jeffrey A. Steinberg

Sportera

Darkroom portraits

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