• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Printing in a tent...


I rent a room. The bathroom, kitchen and so on are all shared. I can't make them my darkrrom and stop my flat mates (4 of them) to use tem. I can use only my room for it.

Since hamburg is very expesinve I don't think I will find a place with kitchen ans bathroom for my own.
 
Theatrical supply companies have "Black Out Cloth". In the US 6 mil black construction plastic sheeting is quite inexpensive. Ponder and sip some wine for wisdom. The unique answer for you will work its way through the cloud of options.
 
Ian Grant said:
Those tents were originally designed for military use, I remember going into Nova Darkroom/Imaging Warehouse a few years ago and they were expecting the go ahead for an order for the Iraq war, they had a prototype on display.

Ian
Click to expand...

I have seen pictures of darkroom tents from WWII, some were quite large. During the Vietnam era the U.S Military used modular darkroom that occasional turn up on ebay. During the Gulf war the US still used film so they used the modular, but by the Iraq and Afgan war the US forces had gone digital, don't know why there was need for a darkroom let alone a darkroom tent.
 
How about an ice fishing tent? They are completely light tight. A guy has one on offer on apug right now. I can't tell if Mustafa bought it or not...

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

Here is a new one from a big sporting goods company in the US. You ought to be able to find something like it used somewhere in Europe.

Dead Link Removed
 

This seems to be a very good one.
I will try to find one of these to buy in Europe. Not now but next month paiment from my job al will be able to buy one if I find for the same price a sedcond hand one. Or wait longer and buy a new one.
 
NedL said:
Maybe in your room: a simple partition between you and the windows, then print at night?
Click to expand...

There is not, but this is a good idea. I can try create one using my studio backdrom and stands. Between the backdrop and the wall the table with the enlarger and evere thing else.

Thanks for the sugestion. I hope it works.

The bed thing is the short night period at this time of the year. But may be a solution until I find a better alternative that allows me to work during the day and let me rest at night.
 

What does a roll of heavy duty black plastic and 2 rolls of duct tape run in Germany? At least here in Arizona less than $20.00 US. If you cant afford the black plastic how about a few rolls of heavy duty alumummim(sp?) foil and a couple of rolls of duct tape?
 
From the OP's description, his apartment has a lot more window than it does wall. I suspect he has windows pretty much floor to ceiling on three walls. Covering it with plastic would be a huge pain both putting it up and taking it down. I think the tent is a good idea. I just think he needs to think about a slightly larger one that he can set up easily and possibly use with a small fan.
 

Exactly. They are pritty tall and large windows. 3 of the walls of my room are almost intire windows. It is a problem even to sleep because the courtins are not good, and the brightness of sun shine comming through the windows weak me up every early morning. To cover it with plastic is a lot of work to set up and take down. And buying courtins for it is not cheap.
 

I actually have some rools of large black bin plastic and tapes.

It will be easier try to make a larger tent with my stands than to cover the wondows.
 
Since you are stuck in your room, setting up and taking down the darkroom is going to be a p.i.t.a. A good solution for you would be to get a bunk bed (elevated bed kind of like this http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/90179786/) then seal off the bottom to use as a darkroom. You could even use cardboard for that which would save you some money, although it probably wouldn't be light tight enough for daytime printing unless you painted it.

Skip the tent idea.
 
marciofs said:
I actually have some rools of large black bin plastic and tapes.

It will be easier try to make a larger tent with my stands than to cover the wondows.
Click to expand...

Light will travel through most trash bin plastic bags. You would need to get blackout cloth and attach them to the walls with velcro tape. That way you could put up and take down the cloth repeatedly and easily with the use of a folding step stool.
http://www.sears.com/cosco-home-and...709000&pla=&kispla=00934709000P&mktRedirect=y
 
marciofs,

I actually did this once and it made a very satisfactory darkroom in an apartment in Pasadena, CA... In a room with two beds. I used thin wood maybe 1x2's and built several frame panels just snug to fit floor to ceiling. I tacked thick black plastic sheeting to the panels. I was lucky to have a room with two walls (can you trade rooms with a flat-mate for one with two walls?). I made an "L" shape darkroom in the big corner of the room with walking room by my bed on the short side of the "L" and then a light baffle door by using another panel snug against my bed which was under the window. My room-mate's bed was by the door, against the long side of the "L". I built a ventilation tunnel above the light baffle and used a large box fan to pull air out at the top.

Since it was "press-fit" it didn't really damage the walls and ceiling, but I don't remember if I ever got my deposit back... In the end when I moved, I think I threw it all away except for the fan. The next place I lived was in the mountains and I had a whole room for the darkroom.

It was really cheap, light-tight, and cool.
 

This bad is a good idea. I probably could use after move again, since I still look for a better place to live in the city.
 

I have a long table in my room. Above it I set up my photography back drop stand with a black back drop. Now I have to cover the back drop with a dark plastic because the back drop don't stop completly the light. The plastic I will use are king size bin plastic bags grabing them together with tapes.

It looks like a tent but bigger. And I can use a fan to think in a way to make the air inside circulate.
 
Hamburg is a massive city - is there no hire-darkroom in the entire place? The Ilford darkroom locator has one at least, though that might be for workshops only.

Alternatively, book yourself on to the cheapest photo-study course in the city and use that. Or are there practical-art centres where you can join up and use any and all of the facilities for a tiny fee? Hamburg should be more arty and cosmopolitan than this little corner of Netherlands and we have all these things in my small town. There is something available, it's just a bit tricky to find it.
 

I didn't think about it. I never used any darkroom rather than mine.
I will see what I find on google.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register