Giving a darkroom print lesson to son.

[Ronald Moravec]

He is 45 and finally coming on board.

I have not made a print in 10 years. Rather like digital.

I have to inherited cans of Dektol. Not a typo CAN

Some rust on the outside, but the powder came out white and clean They have to be 40/50 years old at best. No price

There is also a can of Microdol X. Sticker is $239 for gallon can.

Shame to have all this stuff sit. It was the best money could buy. All Leica enlargers.

 

[David Lyga]

I have to inherited cans of Dektol. Not a typo CAN

But, in fact, the typo is in using 'to', rather than 'two'. For shame.

Ronald, your acknowledgment that the old cans STILL offer untainted developer powder is all too true and is an inferentially striking and justified attack on the 'paper foil' that Kodak adopted in the '70s.

Good, teach your son with full confidence, as, like learning to ride a bicycle, the knowledge that you had previously acquired does not expire. Start with usable negatives, ones that are easy to print. Only after mastering that do you venture into the more difficult ones, using different grades of paper or contrast filters.

At 45, your son is of the more valuable ones just starting, as he has had much time to think about the 'efficiency' of digital and still sees merit within the analog paradigm. There really IS a fascination with doing this and hopefully your son's interest will increase with experience. - David Lyga