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Darkroom portraits

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Thanks for your good suggestions

Indeed I am aware of the wet/dry problem..I'm already planning something like grahamp suggested. However not started yet
The space between the trays and the enlarger is normally a bit larger..I just arranged it like that for the photo

Anyway: it's just like in the first post..the first darkroom you build for your enemy-.- The next one will be way more "thought-out"
 
feeling impatient now!

Hello,

I'm living near London and have only recently discovered thisbrilliant website.
I love traditional photography so much, I wish everyone could appreciate it, but i'm the only one in my entire sixthform year who is using the darkroom (which is amazing. I'm practically living in there at the moment).

A few days ago an old neighbour over heard me pleading with my dad for my own home darkroom, and he came round the next day with two boxes packed with B&W film processing and printing equiptment, including a simple enlarger, which he gave to me for free! I couldn't believe it and am now extrememly excited.

I'm hoping to convert a garden shed into my own not-perfect-but-certainly-better-than-nothing darkroom
when I get it going I will take some photo's to post here.

All the darkrooms previously posted here are super, and this thread has given me many ideas, thanks!
 
There are some photos of APUG member Síle's darkroom in a shed (a darkshed) here: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
Good point about height, I had only really considered floor space.

The darkshed by Síle is a prime example. I'm sure mine will be far from it. My dad won't give up his lovely big workshop shed with heating and electricity ready to go, so it looks like im stuck with a battered, cob webby and cold lump at the bottom of the garden. woo!
 

In those circumstances you should probably have an RCD on the mains supply.
 
Darkroom is almost finished. Details are in the blog. (see sig line for link)

Sorry about the bad photo merge. I don't do this stuff very much - or very well ...
 

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David Brown said:
Darkroom is almost finished. Details are in the blog. (see sig line for link)

Sorry about the bad photo merge. I don't do this stuff very much - or very well ...
Click to expand...

Im diggin your paper stocks there David.
 
I wonder if anyone could tell me where they found their darkroom furniture? Like, wet and dry tables.
I have a very tight budget unfortunatley, would be looking at a push £100.
I'll be in a small shed, so ideally the tables would sit either side leaving a (small) space to move in the middle.

I have a feeling it's going to be a loooooooong time before I save up the funds for this darkroom.
 
I think any sort of sturdy table will do, as long as it isn't too low. Cover the wet side table with some plastic if you don't want to ruin it. I suppose you can get some sort of cheap tables at some surplus or goodwill store. Or ask around in the neighbourhood if someone's got a leftover kitchen table or something like that. I've made do with a long wooden plank set on two chairs. In a darkened hall. So, anything goes as long as it is sturdy enough.
 
Good Afternoon, Violet,

I don't know about the situation in the UK, but over here, various items of furniture are very commonly available for near-giveaway prices at yard sales. Occasionally, people will even put an unwanted item out near the curb with a sign indicating "Free" or "Please Take" instead of having the garbage truck collect it. Thrift shops almost always have old furniture on the floor. The only disadvantage to any of these options is that you have to have a means to haul the item. With only minimal tools and woodworking skills, simple shelving can be built at low cost. Making a sturdy enlarger table, of course, requires a little higher level of ability. A little ingenuity, creativity, and flexibility can be enormously helpful.

Konical
 
man you guys are killing me. what I wouldn't do for another long sink in the darkroom....
 
My dry bench top came from a salvage yard. I built the frame and diagonal support legs and bolted the whole thing onto the wall. It is deep enough to take Beseler 45MXTs. My web bench is a commercial steel sink unit that also came from the salvage yard (Urban Ore in Berkeley for the SF Bay locals). If someone is remodeling a kitchen nearby you may be able to salvage the top. One of the work surfaces in my first house came from a refurbished 'granny flat' (that's an in-law space for the American audience ).

You can use some strong builder's polythene to protect tables or as a basic waterproof spill surface. For the wet bench you could use a trestle table, but something more solid would be better for the enlarger.
 
grahamp said:
My dry bench top came from a salvage yard.
Click to expand...

The "countertops" on my dry side are two pieces of an old, tall door that I rescued from a trash pile. It was originally one piece, but there was an "incident". (All outlined in the blog)

At the other end of the scale, I splurged and bought a stainless steel restaurant worktable. When I saw one, it just seemed perfect for the space and the tasks assigned to it.
 

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Hospital and restaurant skips, great stainless steel gear to be found in them. Usually if you ask nicely there is no problem with taking them.
 
David, I'd probably rotate that press. I can imagine it becoming a pain after just a few prints.
 
A great thread with some truly great darkrooms.

Here is my darkroom, started black and white developing and printing a few months ago. Alot to learn, this site has been very helpful.



It is a small space but I only really use 1/2 the space anyway.



Have two enlargers at the moment as I got one free when I bought a camera. Keep the paper in the draws of the desk



There was a gaping hole in the wall, leading to under the house. This was a disused storage room under the house before. I decided to put a ventilation fan in to keep freash air in the room. Light coming in isnt a big problem as I use the room only at night and the hole comes out underneath the house.



I have seen some massive enlargers in this thread, am i correct in thinking these are for printing larger films?
Currently I use an LPL enlarger that has a 35mm film and 5.5cmx5.5cm film holders. I have just purchased a 6x7 film camera so I think I may have to get a new enlarger, unless my enlarger will be able to do a larger film. The enlarger is an LPL 66-SII. I wonder if I cut a 6x7 hole in the 5.5 x 5.5 film holder would i be able to enlarge a 6x7 film?
 
I don't think you will be able to do 6x7 with that enlarger. The light source isn't designed for that, and won't illuminate the corners of the negatives.
 
As well , take the tension off when the press is not in use. Press will last longer that way.
clayne said:
David, I'd probably rotate that press. I can imagine it becoming a pain after just a few prints.
Click to expand...
 
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