NEU TO THE DARKROOM

Hello. My name is Andrew. I am new to this forum (a friend from Medium format forum told me to check APUG out... poof here I am) I am looking for some people to help and guide me through the process of learning the "darkroom world". I have been doing digital photography for several years (Probably not using actual terms or what not, I use Appels Aperture and iPhoto programs to edit and make my pictures good looking to my standards (which are of course amateur). I am from Montreal Québec Canada and it doesn't matter where y'all are from we could email back and forth -

I might have stupid questions sometimes so Im looking for time-taken answers because this is how I learn to do stuff... I'd take a course in it, but I have some person issues to deal with to do with Gradation before university and collage, because montreal has several schools with great photography programs

1) I currently have NO equipment for darkroom, and What kind of room would work? It needs to be vented... ?

Anyway If ANYONE wants to help me in the future with questions and tips, and help
let me know

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Welcome Home Andrew !

Ron
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Welcome to APUG Andrew.

There are a few here on APUg who are from the Montreal area.

Myself, I'm at the other end of the country - the south-west corner of BC.

I'd recommend starting out with a good book and a couple of good internet resources.

An example book: Horenstein: "Black & White Photography - A basic manual

From Ilford's web materials: Dead Link Removed

From Kodak's web materials: http://wwwtr.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/aj3/aj3.pdf

There are also some good youtube resources - JBrunner is a moderator here with some excellent posted examples.

Hope you have as much fun with this as I do!

Hi Andrew,

Welcome to APUG.

Two good threads for you:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

and:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)



You can develop b&W film pretty easily without a darkroom.

Welcome to APUG, Andrew.

You can also search this forum by topic. Play around with the search engine (near the upper right corner of the layout). You can spend all day reading good information on exposure, development, darkroom work, etc.

Because of the tenor of your LFPF thread, http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=84694, I wouldn't want to annoy you by directing you to information written for beginners such as yourself, easily accessible on the web. Frankly, other than apparently seeking an "apprenticeship" with someone in your area, I'm at a loss to figure out what you do want from this or any other web–based forum.

Well EVERYONE from other places KEEP telling me to come here to this forum, because people are MORE THEN Happy to help new comers and people new to photography, dark room process. I don't want links and book pushed at me, I wanna talk one on one with a photographer (Via email) with questions, someone that would be quite helpful. And currently forums I find not very helpful and more confusing. And I would get apprentice or something in Montréal, but I don't speak french so before that would ever happy I'd need to take french which is a completely different course / source of learning that from Photography. I never took photography in school I just fell into the passion of it myself and started taking pictures when I was 15 years old, and I made some really good pictures (Digital) and I lost them ALL except for a couple developed (Printed) Small prints that I keep. NOW, years later they aren't as great as I thought and was told back then, but that interest is there if you understand me. I am highly interested in going into Photography as much as I can!! Possibly! Concorida and Dawson CÉGEP have programs, only thing is I never finished high school in British Columbia in order to go to POst-Secondary school in Québec (No grade 12) So Im in a complex of issues besides photography. So Im coming to online forums to learn at my own pase with actual photographers, and if I find someone IN MONTREAL that wouldn't mine talking one on one, or showing me the ropes that would be BEYOND awesome - even tho I would be just as happy with emails

let me know - I currently have a old text book of a friend of mine "Photography, Second Edition "Bruce Warren" BIG thick Gray/Beige book with a picture of a stream. It focuses on NON digital photography, dark room, developing process( B&W) fixing pictures, lighting, film, etc, etc pretty much everything I reckon, but it is a book, and one can't learn anything from just reading a book. and I have specific questions Id rather ask, then read a bunch of books or be re-directed to other links and forums... (Especially when everyone is telling me to come here, and I HATE forums and Im here looking for helpful friendly help

Thats a tad bit creepy how someone on here knows me :S (even tho same name)

hi andrew

jason posted some great links but one that is KING
is the link to his how-to videos on youtube

just in case you missed the link in his signature ..
http://www.jasonbrunner.com/videos.html

have fun !

john

JBrunner said:

Hi Andrew,

Welcome to APUG.

Two good threads for you:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

and:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)



You can develop b&W film pretty easily without a darkroom.

Click to expand...

Hey John is Silver Magnets something you use to take silver out of the fixer?
I was just thinking... lol

Wow. A Canadian that uses the word "y'all." As someone who was born in the Southern US (Georgia) and also uses the word "y'all," I'm impressed.

As for what type of room can be used for a darkroom, I would say the bathroom as long as you can block all the light out of it. I would refer you to the "Bathroom and other Temporary/Makeshift Darkrooms" thread but JBrunner beat me to it. Welcome to APUG!

ME Super

I think the way to go is with medium format in the bathroom. Developing tank, measuring cup for developer, bottle of fixer, water stop bath. Sheet of foam rubber and a sheet of 8X10 picture glass for contacts. Light bulb for exposure.

amundenovskiy said:

Hey John is Silver Magnets something you use to take silver out of the fixer?
I was just thinking... lol

Click to expand...

yep,
you put it in your spent fixer,
and turn it on, and it plates the silver onto a little rod ..
its kind of fun

john

amundenovskiy said:

Thats a tad bit creepy how someone on here knows me :S (even tho same name)

Click to expand...

Andrew:

A fair number of people here also visit other photo related websites regularly.

amundenovskiy said:

Well EVERYONE from other places KEEP telling me to come here to this forum, because people are MORE THEN Happy to help new comers and people new to photography, dark room process.

Click to expand...

Well, they were right. The knowledge of these people is incredible, as is their willingness, even eagerness to help others.

amundenovskiy said:

I don't want links and book pushed at me, I wanna talk one on one with a photographer (Via email) with questions, someone that would be quite helpful.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but books are ESSENTIAL. It has been said that if you read 5 books on any subject, you will know more about that subject than 90% of the people on earth. No amount of conversation can come anywhere near giving you the amount of information you need. I would advise that you read everything you can find and then ask questions about things that you didn't understand in what you read. You will learn much more and much more quickly that way.

pbromaghin said:

Well, they were right. The knowledge of these people is incredible, as is their willingness, even eagerness to help others.



Sorry, but books are ESSENTIAL. It has been said that if you read 5 books on any subject, you will know more about that subject than 90% of the people on earth. No amount of conversation can come anywhere near giving you the amount of information you need. I would advise that you read everything you can find and then ask questions about things that you didn't understand in what you read. You will learn much more and much more quickly that way.

Click to expand...

Not true ... Everyone learns differently mr and I learn fom spacific questions and little reading maybe sections from one book and mainly the book I already have - do telling someone to read a book is. It at all helpful. I'm just saying obviously your the type that needs to read five books in one subject? Lol the help people give on this site are very comical not to mention in order to have full everything u have I pay... It's a forum!!!! And on top of that this site is way less helpful then the medium format I think I have better help emailing a famous photographer and black mailing him
I'm
Just saying this was like the fourth comment with a full response. Everyone learns differently I learn the way I'm asking here - thank you.

Hello and welcome to APUG. You could go to a library.

Jeff

Jeff Kubach said:

Hello and welcome to APUG. You could go to a library.

Jeff

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hi jeff
i don't think the OP wants to take out any books from a library, or read anything (but emails) ..
good suggestion though


happy holidays !
john

It seems as if you've never been in a darkroom, so you'll need to do some research before you even know what questions to ask...
Many of us have been doing this for decades, and still refer to books (and, now, websites) to improve our skills. If you're not willing to put in the time, and effort, your results, and sense of satisfaction, will be disappointing.

Thanks for answering my question it helped

as for y'all. I like saying it, I HATE being same as everyone else, I THRIVE to be different and more unique!
Ciao

eddie said:

It seems as if you've never been in a darkroom, so you'll need to do some research before you even know what questions to ask...
Many of us have been doing this for decades, and still refer to books (and, now, websites) to improve our skills. If you're not willing to put in the time, and effort, your results, and sense of satisfaction, will be disappointing.

Click to expand...

I've been inside a darkroom like 50 times, What has that got to do with anything. I've read books on photography on dark room, I have several text books Im reading and highlights, HEnce for my questions.... not sure where I lost everything... and instead of continueslly saying read books read book, lets answer questions instead shall we... Oy forums are so nerdy almost want to leave except for the fact that I kind of like the cassfied ads that I can't go to for some dumb reason....

Hey awesome - thanks! I wrote that down in my note book Merci beaucoup1

Rich Ullsmith said:

I think the way to go is with medium format in the bathroom. Developing tank, measuring cup for developer, bottle of fixer, water stop bath. Sheet of foam rubber and a sheet of 8X10 picture glass for contacts. Light bulb for exposure.

Click to expand...

amundenovskiy said:

...lets answer questions instead shall we...

Click to expand...

Ask one.

amundenovskiy said:

I've been inside a darkroom like 50 times, What has that got to do with anything. I've read books on photography on dark room, I have several text books Im reading and highlights, HEnce for my questions.... not sure where I lost everything... and instead of continueslly saying read books read book, lets answer questions instead shall we... Oy forums are so nerdy almost want to leave except for the fact that I kind of like the cassfied ads that I can't go to for some dumb reason....

Click to expand...

Andrew,

Classified are for subscribers. Subscribers are what supports the nerdy band width and infrastructure that you find so useless. If you have some specific questions, ask them, otherwise move on, as you are wasting our collective nerd time.

amundenovskiy said:

instead of continueslly saying read books read book, lets answer questions instead shall we

Click to expand...

To get answers, you must set questions, which you really did not Try being a bit less vague, and you will see PLENTY of knowledge thrown back at you. If you can't be less vague then, I'm sorry, but DO read a book.

P.S.: Books also tend to improve one's spelling, as well.

See you around!