Does the quality of darkroom equipment matter?

[eli griggs]

That is a way to deflate ones ego to complete flatness!

I was just wiped out.

 

[eli griggs]

I remember when Fred Picker of Zone VI Studios sold "master reference prints" made by his assistants from some of his negatives. I never fell for that myself, but someone who did called them the worst prints he'd ever seen in his life, after purchasing a set, which might have cost around $30 at the time. You don't get something for nothing.

No doubt, a quality master print was a expensive matter, even then, about 1978-1984, when $200-$250 was a fair price for one on good FB paper, with notes.

 

[mshchem]

I've no read most opinions, but one thing I'd like to note, is once you KNOW how to make a proper print and what it will look like when dried down, toned or otherwise treated, it's pretty damn hard to make a bad one.

I do advocate buying an actual professional print, for the dark room, made to top standards, so you know what a good print, with true blacks, whites and division of tones and shades should look like.

No to copy those same elements but to aspire to quality printmaking, regardless of topic.

I also believe, whatever kit you have, unless it's subpar and causing problems or too specialized in its operations for a good work environment, stick to the basics of B&W print making, at every stage, and experiment in one aspect/process at a time, no going for a free for all, but in carefully noted record of what the basic conditions were and the complete notation of ALL work done.


Basic kit can take you a long way and knowing you're no making prints like others here should no push you into spending the coin to meet, their standards like fancy temperature control baths, agitators, formulas and papers.


You will be able to do plenty in a starter darkroom and some kit you can whip up yourself, so take a breath, go over the basics time and time again and practice/print as often as you can, with your own negatives shot in many lighting situations.

There is no reason you can no make perfect prints, other than distraction and a lack of experience with the basic steps.

IMO.

I'm not trying to be critical, but I've not heard the word "kit" used to describe darkroom equipment before. My darkroom is a accumulated and fine tuned over abundance of 20th century discards

 

[eli griggs]

I'm not trying to be critical, but I've not heard the word "kit" used to describe darkroom equipment before. My darkroom is a accumulated and fine tuned over abundance of 20th century discards

So you put together your darkroom kit, just as I and many other folks here done.

There have been "complete" darkroom packages sold, might still still be, but 'kit" in this usage is no the same of an airplane model kit.

Same thing with camera kits, lighting kits etc., but no young Foxes.