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Photographing in a B&W Darkroom?

Jeff Bannow

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Location
Royal Oak, M
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I've decided to document the local public darkroom, and think I may have a potential snag. I'd like to photograph inside the B&W darkroom with the safelights on, which uses Thomas safelights.

Anyone know if I will have issues with the safelight not properly exposing my Fuji Acros film? I'm guessing it won't be an issue, but I'm not sure.
 
I've shot under my red LED safelight before. It's not very bright of course, but if you use panchromatic film it should work.
 
The Thomas safelights emit light in a relatively narrow band of frequencies, so although panchromatic film like Acros will most likely respond to the light, it is anyone's guess how best to meter for it.

You might want to consider using Ilford XP2 Super, because of its ability to retain detail when overexposed, and to bracket a lot.
 
Darkroom scenes in movies (and there are many) are routinely faked because of exposure problems. The lighting is much brighter then would otherwise be allowed.
 

Why do you need to expose with the safelights?
 
Why do you need to expose with the safelights?

I'd be interested in knowing what that OP would say, but my answer would probably be that if there are colored objects in the room (particularly "signature" things like Kodak film or paper packaging, or people, for that matter) then photographing in white light will render them incorrectly.

The good news is that few of the public understand B&W photography any more, so even if there are people present in the photograph, it may not matter what color the light is.
 
Sounds like you should shoot a movie!
 
I once took a picture of my school darkroom with Kodak EBX. It was so red! Exposure was bang on with my pentax lx
 
RalphLambrecht said:
Find the time when the darkroom is not in use, trick the white lights to be on or bring your own, and shoot with a red filter attached.
Click to expand...

Then the people wouldn't be in the photo though! I may try that - I can stay late and photograph after closing. I'd like to capture everyone in there working as well though.
 
Jeff Bannow said:
Then the people wouldn't be in the photo though! I may try that - I can stay late and photograph after closing. I'd like to capture everyone in there working as well though.
Click to expand...

Don't throw the people out. Ask them to participate and have them fake to 'work' on their scraped prints.
 
Of course, the real trick is going to be staging a photo for the color darkroom! 25 enlargers and no safelight in there.

You are just looking at this the wrong way: black and white darkrooms use colored safelight filters, so obviously the color darkroom would have a black or white filter. Clearly, white won't do, so you must be photographing a room illuminated by a safelight with a black filter!

(Except that the format would be wrong, I could send you an archivally processed negative that I already have, and save you the trouble of actually taking the picture. I promise that the prints will look just the same!)

 

I actually thought about just printing out a black piece of paper for the color darkroom.
 
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