My First Print

[Kirth Gersen]

Actually about my 10th try! As those on this forum have helped me with this, I thought I would show the 10x8 output from a favourite photo of my wife a couple of years ago (35mm PanF ISO 50). I will have a few more goes with it, dodging her hair and the chair a bit more, and of course straightening up the image.

Learnings:
- It's not easy is it! But hugely enjoyable and learning all the way. A few schoolboy errors, including forgetting to shut the aperture back down and add the contrast filter each time after checking focus.
- I'm pretty sure my Dark Room is light safe for print. I didn't do any tests, but the blacks look pretty black to me and the white, very white.
- I need a focus finder. I found it difficult to focus by eye, and may well have missed it a little.
- Dodging and burning is an art. But the most fun part of the whole exercise.
- My wife doesn't really get it, and would like her utility room back ;-) .

Thanks for everyone's help for getting me there.

Richard

 

[Eric Rose]

Looking good!

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Great work Richard.

Tom

 

[Konical]

Good Evening, Richard,

You're off to a great start!

Konical

 

[jimjm]

This looks really good, Richard! Good detail in her hair and a really nice overall feel to the print. If you're looking for a good book on printing techniques, I can recommend Tim Rudman's "Photographer's Master Printing Course".

I still get crooked borders from time to time. Sometime the paper shifts a bit when closing the easel, even though I try to hold it in place...

 

[NedL]

Great! Have fun and keep going!

 

[Photo Chemist]

That's so cool!!! Congratulations!!!!

I'm *this.close* to trying it myself. Last weekend I was able to pick up a free enlarger (FREE!!!!) and the accessories are now starting to arrive. hopefully in a a week or two I'll be able to try my first one.

 

[WilmarcoImaging]

Well done.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Great work. Well done. Deep blacks and crisp whites. That's a very good first print

 

[tezzasmall]

Excellent first-ish go!

Terry S

 

[R.Gould]

Looks good to me
Richard

 

[howardpan]

Isn’t it addictive to create something with your hands? I fell in love when I saw my first image emerge in the developer tray.

 

[Kirth Gersen]

Thanks everyone. Developing film was my gateway drug into this new addiction .

 

[Sirius Glass]

Make notes on how you print each negative: dodging, burning, exposure, filters, ... so that you can go back and duplicate your work. Great start.

 

[winger]

+1 to what Sirius wrote ^. Great start!