My first darkroom print

pbromaghin · Sep 14, 2023

I'm currently taking the beginning darkroom class at Red Rocks Community College near Denver. This is about the most fun I've had in years. Here is the first print.

Tri-x at 200iso in HC-110 dilution B. 5x7 Ilford Multigrade RC with a #1 filter. It's crooked because I misplaced the paper in the easel (hey, it was dark in there) - corrected on the one submitted for the assignment. Most of the dust is from the scanner.

mshchem · Sep 14, 2023

pbromaghin said:
I'm currently taking the beginning darkroom class at Red Rocks Community College near Denver. This is about the most fun I've had in years. Here is the first print.

Tri-x at 200iso in HC-110 dilution B. 5x7 Ilford Multigrade RC with a #1 filter. It's crooked because I misplaced the paper in the easel (hey, it was dark in there) - corrected on the one submitted for the assignment. Most of the dust is from the scanner.

View attachment 349041

That's pretty darn good for a first print! Getting paper crooked is all part of getting accustomed to the process. Looks about a half stop too dark on my dim tablet.
I'm going to try and get into the dark this weekend, unless it's better camera weather than darkroom weather

Daniela · Sep 15, 2023

Isn't the darkroom a magical place?
Happy experimenting, playing, banging your head against the wall/on equipment and printing!

pbromaghin · Sep 15, 2023

Daniela said:
Isn't the darkroom a magical place?
Happy experimenting, playing, banging your head against the wall/on equipment and printing!

Oh, yes! I was down in my basement today getting a blue C23 ready for my first, minimalist, darkroom. It needs another lens board and a set of filters.

mshchem said:
That's pretty darn good for a first print! Getting paper crooked is all part of getting accustomed to the process. Looks about a half stop too dark on my dim tablet.
I'm going to try and get into the dark this weekend, unless it's better camera weather than darkroom weather

Thanks! Yes, it is too dark. I made the wrong choice off of the test strip.

The instructor is Tom Finke, a street photographer who has published a couple books of his work. He's been very methodical in teaching with an eye toward making us self-sufficient and able to get consistent success. There is an advanced class next semester that I would like to take, too. While Gramma Mary may be just as glad to get me out of the house, it is an hour away and makes for a long day. My Beseler is an older model than they have, but close enough to allow duplicating the equipment and materials so a lot of the work can be done at home.

logan2z · Sep 15, 2023

pbromaghin said:
The instructor is Tom Finke, a street photographer who has published a couple books of his work.

Small world, I bought Tom's LPL 670DXL enlarger a while back. Very nice man, we still communicate via email occasionally.

Enjoy your darkroom course, looks like you're making great progress.

Sirius Glass · Sep 15, 2023

Now you will have to build a darkroom in your home.

pbromaghin · Sep 15, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
Now you will have to build a darkroom in your home.

It’s finally in progress after over a decade of looking at an ever increasing pile of equipment in the basement. First one will be a minimalist table with a C-23, trays, water in buckets, electricity from an extension cord and black landscape sheet plastic walls. Next one will have plumbing and power with an Omega D5XL. How long that will take may depend on if I ever do decide to make another foray into large format.

mshchem · Sep 15, 2023

My first darkroom some a very functional corner constructed with corrugated cardboard from the grocer. Then some 1/4 " hardboard on studs worked fine.

BryanFlnt · Sep 15, 2023

pbromaghin said:
I'm currently taking the beginning darkroom class at Red Rocks Community College near Denver. This is about the most fun I've had in years. Here is the first print.

Tri-x at 200iso in HC-110 dilution B. 5x7 Ilford Multigrade RC with a #1 filter. It's crooked because I misplaced the paper in the easel (hey, it was dark in there) - corrected on the one submitted for the assignment. Most of the dust is from the scanner.

View attachment 349041

Congrats. On the both on having a teacher and on the first print. My first print in my new darkroom was upside down and a circle because I had the condenser head set wrong. Oh, did I mention out of focus. 🫢

pbromaghin · Sep 15, 2023

BryanFlnt said:
Congrats. On the both on having a teacher and on the first print. My first print in my new darkroom was upside down and a circle because I had the condenser head set wrong. Oh, did I mention out of focus. 🫢

My test strip was upside down…

BryanFlnt · Sep 15, 2023

pbromaghin said:
My test strip was upside down…

My father-in-law (a photographer) said “Good now you can make lots of mistakes, on your way to learning.”

analogwisdom · Sep 15, 2023

Very nice! I really want to be able to build my own darkroom one day.

pbromaghin · Sep 19, 2023

logan2z said:
Small world, I bought Tom's LPL 670DXL enlarger a while back. Very nice man, we still communicate via email occasionally.

Enjoy your darkroom course, looks like you're making great progress.

He says you got a screaming-good deal on it, too!

moggi1964 · Sep 19, 2023

I only came to darkroom work in the last few years and it is truly magical and satisfying (and sometimes frustrating but that's generally due to the idiot who's typing).

Great first print!

logan2z · Sep 19, 2023

pbromaghin said:
He says you got a screaming-good deal on it, too!

He was very fair He obviously took very good care of the enlarger. He even had the original boxes/packing materials which made shipping the enlarger across the country feasible.

My first darkroom print

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