Darkroom portraits

[Blacknoise]

I've made a bench for mine, Its pretty good seeing as its just in the bathroom. Bench is over the bath, its nice and warm, has running water and a toilet for emergencies(!) The extractor fan is light tight, and right over the fixer tray where I need it. I also made a borderless easel, its just a piece of board with re-positionable spray adhesive on it, but it gets the job done.

 

[moouers]

With no running water, I run prints out to the kitchen sink to rinse for mow.

Just toss the print in the toilet and flush!


I'd post pictures of my darkroom, but it's just a counter, sink and bathtub.

 

[kipkeston]

this is mine. basement of my apartment.

 

[moouers]

this is mine. basement of my apartment.

Looks kinda creepy. I like it!

 

[phaedrus]

Here's my darkroom in the full light of some nasty fluorescent tubes. It used to be a workshop beneath my garage before I cleaned it out and made space for a black & white and alt processes oriented darkroom:

The wet side without trays. Note the shower sink plus bucket used as a fluids dump, I carry all fresh H2O in fuel canisters up the garden path to my darkroom. The tables are rickety and move all the trays once you bump into one of them.

The wet side with trays. Enough space to run arcane processes as for example photogravure. The water heater is for just that.

The dry side with loudspeakers, inquisitive cat, UV exposure unit (head bronzing lamp on some stacked books), drill and workbench from the workshop days of this space and Kaiser enlarger under that hood.
Behind me, not pictured, are shelves for chemicals and paper and the copper plate printing press.
For all that squalid glory, I have to use that darkroom more often!

 

[Soeren]

This is my newly finished darkroom mark I.
No running water but until now that has been no problem. Lots of dev session and one print session so far and a lot to learn.
One or two of the enlarger will have to go (not the Omega) so I can get more workspace.
Thanks to Tom A for the pics.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Søren,

What format is the 'Super Chromega D' enlarger?

Tom

 

[Soeren]

Søren,

What format is the 'Super Chromega D' enlarger?

Tom

Up to 4X5". Its an Omega D3 autofocus. I have 50mm 80mm Rodenstock and a 100mm Ektar for it but the focustrack is for a 75mm :rolleyes: not to big a problem though. When finances allow I will have to get a 135mm with turret and focus track for it just to be able to make smaller prints
Best regards

 

[Soeren]

Just for scale. Im 185 cm tall
Im certain those walls were straight when we build the shed, honest
The other two enlargers are a Durst AC707 autocolor (6X7) and a Meopta axomat 5 (24X36).
Thanks to Tom A for the pics.
Best regards

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Is the "wet side" in a different room?

Tom

 

[Soeren]

Is the "wet side" in a different room?

Tom

No it is in front of me. The small enlarger just stand there, when/if in use it will sit on the baseboard of one of the big ones. A splash wall may be one of the thing to come.
Best regards

 

[ic-racer]

Up to 4X5". Its an Omega D3 autofocus. I have 50mm 80mm Rodenstock and a 100mm Ektar for it but the focustrack is for a 75mm :rolleyes: not to big a problem though. When finances allow I will have to get a 135mm with turret and focus track for it just to be able to make smaller prints
Best regards

I was quickly drawn to your D3/Chromega picture. I'm in the process of setting my buddy up with the exact same combination (all put together with surplus parts that I have been fixing and assembling for him). I just got the Chromega timer fixed and now we are making longer lifting rods to complete the project and get that Chromega mounted up there.

Yes, the 4 1/4" cone is the one for the 135. We were lucky in that the week we picked up the enlarger there was a 4 1/4" cone on e-bay.

 

[Soeren]

SNIP>
Yes, the 4 1/4" cone is the one for the 135. We were lucky in that the week we picked up the enlarger there was a 4 1/4" cone on e-bay.

HRMPH Lucky you. That will be on my budget for 2010 + 6X6 and 6X7 negcarriers. I have the 6X9 and could make masks for the smaller formats but.......
Best regards

 

[JBoontje]

Alright, its time to post my future darkroom. I would like your opinion on it, what should I change?
It took some time to set up, went up in there yesterday again and vacuum cleaned the whole place. Got rid of 8+ spiders as well, hehe

If you need bigger images: Dead Link Removed

 

[Tom Kershaw]

JBoontje,

Will you have running water in there?

Tom

 

[Soeren]

Is it in the attic? Youll properly need some good insulation. And ventilation as well. Be very thorough before having the electrics done. I have already moved some of my wiring due to "bad" layout and will have to move two more outlets. Storage place can easily be underrated.
Best regards

 

[JBoontje]

@ Tom:

Unfortunately not. That means I will be walking up and down a ladder with a bucket of water I think.

@ Soeren:
Yes, our garage-attic. There's really not much I can change about it, right now I simply carry my stuff in there which I will be needing most.
The few chemicals I own right now are in my bedroom, its probably warmer here than in the attic.
A ventilator is next on my list. Maybe I can blow fresh air inside, or get the bad air outside... not sure about that.

It might not be the ideal darkroom location, but its all I have right now. I'd still like suggestions on how to adjust this space so it will be a pleasure to work in there

 

[Soeren]

My darkroom is in a "Shed" built in our "Carport?(spl)" Its insulated and warmed by a small oilfilled electric radiator. works great (at least untill I see the bill ) I recomend 100mm of insulation to keep it frostfree at least if not comfortable to work in during winter. In the summer it doeesn't matter it'll be to hot anyway
Best regards

 

[DeBone 75]

Well after some delay I'll post some pics of my somewhat unfinished attic darkroom. Hot in Summer fairly cool in Winter, but it's home. Rough dimensions are 20ft x 14ft x 9ft high. The slopped roof takes some of that space away. I have the two enlargers in the pics plus my dads old 2 1/4 X 3 1/4 Sunray and a Durst Pro 4X5 that is in pieces. As time and money allow, I will finish the insulation and the Luan on the ceiling. The old stereo on the wall was bought at a "junk" store for $20.00. After some cleaning it works fine. Love records. Eventually I will have water, but no real hurry. I do all wiring, carpentry and plumbing my self. Thats my real profession. Took my son and I twenty minuets to get the 10x10 up the steps. Attic is on third floor

 

[ic-racer]

You don't see many of those horizontal Omega 10x10s


I really like that Omega. I like its design better than the 'manual' Durst 184. I also believe that big Omega is still considered a current production enlarger.

 

[DeBone 75]

"You don't see many of those horizontal Omega 10x10s "
That way I can project on the slanted ceiling for parallax correction. Ha Ha

 

[billysiddle]

The first darkroom you build for an enemy.
The second one you build for a friend.
And the third one you build for yourself.

Until now I have built five darkrooms. But there are still things to improve. And everytime I study other peoples darkrooms, I learn one or two nice tricks.

Would you mind posting some images of your darkroom? I'll start with mine. I use it one day every week. And even after about twenty years of darkroom work, I still want to change things. (That's why I got the idea of this thread.) My desktop is very cluttered because I'm in the middle of a rearranging my darkroom.

1) My darkroom sink. I adapted an existing sink to do all my film developing, and washing. Above the sink chemicals are stored child-safe. I built my own sodium lamp.
2) An Omega D5 XL enlarger for 4x5 inch negatives
3) A Durst M605 enlarger, my darkroom books and negatives.
4) The wet bench with photographic paper to the left, and film tanks underneath.
5) Bulk chemical storage and processing clock.

5? great ....you did good job ... can you tell me the procedure of darkroom building..
Thanks in advance....

 

[Ricus.stormfire]

Heres mine:

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[Ricus.stormfire]

damnit!!! Umm how do I get picture here again (off my flickr stream)?

 

[Ricus.stormfire]

... or my harddrive, me and computers, thats what happens...a screw up