Light in the Dark

[Curt]

I was looking for the right lighting for my darkroom remodel but couldn't come up with anything specific so I put in two eyeballs in my sloped ceiling and installed two 75 watt halogen flood lights. Give great lights on lighting for mixing and cleanup etc..

I have a hanging light above the wash to view the print without having to turn on the overheads. I don't have a good idea of the foot candles of illumination and the bulb for it. Does anyone have recommendation that works?

I did run across a web site a few minutes ago that addresses the issue for color prints but I do only BW.

Curt

Dead Link Removed

 

[Lopaka]

I think anything that is good for color evaluation would be fine for B&W. Particulaly for evaluating the color effects of toning processes.

Bob

 

[Maris]

I use a 25watt pearl incandescent about 1.5 metres above the wash tray. This light is at first frustratingly dim but it has to be so.

The brighter your inspection light the heavier you will expose the paper to get a good looking wet gelatin-silver photograph. When you look at the dry images next day everything will be too dark; too dark to start with plus dry-down.

Another consideration is the tendency for galleries to light black and white photographs as if they are fade prone "works on paper" like old master drawings. I have measured lighting values down to a dim yellowish 50 lux and pleading with curators to give them a decent 800 lux never works. Evaluate your photographs under lighting conditions similar to the final display environment.

 

[MMfoto]

I've been happy with a single 100W daylight bulb hanging low and conveniently near the sink. I like it pretty bright, so I can get a good look at the wet prints, and I like the light low so I can really lite up the print. Store bought daylight bulbs are so cheap that you could just buy 25W-100W bulbs and plug em in till you get the desired result. I don't think it's super critical with B&W, but daylight bulbs are really nice for valuating print color, and they do chear the place up a bit too.