Repurposing my Darkroom

Sirius Glass · Sep 8, 2023

cliveh said:
I don't intend to do any photoshopping.

I use GIMP which is free and only to reduce the size of an image.

VinceInMT · Sep 8, 2023

madNbad said:
…My wife and I have the philosophy of, set it aside and if we don’t use it it a year, it’s gone.

Sort of reminds me of my dad’s rule regarding our toys and such when we were kids. He was career navy and we moved a lot and at every move toys and such were downsized. Maybe that’s why I tend to hang on to stuff now.

madNbad · Sep 8, 2023

VinceInMT said:
Sort of reminds me of my dad’s rule regarding our toys and such when we were kids. He was career navy and we moved a lot and at every move toys and such were downsized. Maybe that’s why I tend to hang on to stuff now.

I'm pretty much the opposite. My dad never let go of the Great Depression mindset. He had several different hobbies plus he was the type who could fix just about anything. Small engines, typewriters, radios and all of the accumulated parts in boxes everywhere. When I moved west, I met my wife to be and she had just bought a house. It was 750 square feet. That's when I learned to prioritize and found I enjoyed life without the clutter.

Tim Stapp · Sep 8, 2023

madNbad said:
My wife and I have the philosophy of, set it aside and if we don’t use it it a year, it’s gone.

I tried that once. 367 days later I needed something that I had broomed.

Tim Stapp · Sep 8, 2023

I'm relatively new to the darkroom scene. When everyone was dumping analog equipment, I went on a buying spree. I have three enlargers, all Beseler. Two 23CII set up for 35mm and 6x7 and a CB7 set up for 4x5. I could get by with just the CB7, but why? I have less than $50 in all three. The most expensive item in my darkroom is my JOBO CPE2+ that I purchased from the UofM camera club in Ann Arbor, MI for $300. I was told that Omer himself had used that machine while a student there. Didn't improve my photography any, but I have fun.

pbromaghin · Sep 9, 2023

cliveh said:
I don't intend to do any photoshopping.

“Photoshopping” includes the normal exposure and contrast controls you now do in the darkroom.

Sirius Glass · Sep 9, 2023

pbromaghin said:
“Photoshopping” includes the normal exposure and contrast controls you now do in the darkroom.

Actually the terms are exposure time, development time, contrast filters, dodging and burning.

pbromaghin · Sep 9, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
Actually the terms are exposure time, development time, contrast filters, dodging and burning.

Pedant much?

Sirius Glass · Sep 9, 2023

pbromaghin said:
Pedant much?

Proper terms for each domain.

cliveh · Sep 9, 2023

pbromaghin said:
“Photoshopping” includes the normal exposure and contrast controls you now do in the darkroom.

But I don't.

VinceInMT · Sep 9, 2023

Even if I wanted to repurpose/downsize my darkroom, the forces of the universe are working against that. A few hours ago an acquaintance called and said that he’s cleaning out his basement and wanted to know if he could drop off his old enlarger that he hasn’t used in decades. (He’s photojournalist who switched to the other method years ago.). Sure, I said and he did.

It’s a Vivitar VI with a 50mm Nikon lens. I need to find a power supply/timer set up for it but it looks to be in good shape.

I did have to shorten the legs on the table by 1-1/2” to get it to fit.

TmRn · Sep 9, 2023

madNbad said:
We live in a small house and never had the space for a darkroom. Scanning allows me to continue using film without being reliant on a third party for processing.
It interesting to read the comments about how to approach seldom used gear. My wife and I have the philosophy of, set it aside and if we don’t use it it a year, it’s gone.

Uh . . . maybe 10 years. One year I know I would regret.

RalphLambrecht · Sep 9, 2023

cliveh said:
In the last year, I have decided to repurpose my darkroom and change it's design. I am keeping one 35mm enlarger, but intend to mainly only develop film and then scan it (wash my mouth out with soap and water). I also intend to end any alternative processing and just make negatives with a 35mm Leica. I am not embracing the digital age, but just trying to simplify my process.

Have others had thoughts about this?

Your final product must guide your process formaximum image quality; If yor aiming for a digital image nothing beats a digital camera . Ion the other hand, you want to end up with adarkroom wet print, start with film. Everything else is a compromise in image quality!

RalphLambrecht · Sep 9, 2023

TmRn said:
Uh . . . maybe 10 years. One year I know I would regret.

wifesand darkrooms get along well. They always hate the competition.

mshchem · Sep 9, 2023

VinceInMT said:
Even if I wanted to repurpose/downsize my darkroom, the forces of the universe are working against that. A few hours ago an acquaintance called and said that he’s cleaning out his basement and wanted to know if he could drop off his old enlarger that he hasn’t used in decades. (He’s photojournalist who switched to the other method years ago.). Sure, I said and he did.

It’s a Vivitar VI with a 50mm Nikon lens. I need to find a power supply/timer set up for it but it looks to be in good shape.

I did have to shorten the legs on the table by 1-1/2” to get it to fit.

View attachment 348572

Nice! I love free darkroom stuff. I had a nice surprise a few years back when my friend Roger Christian, former owner of University Camera in Iowa City IA had a 10 foot Arkay sink dropped off in my driveway. A customer of his, a former professor, had a contractor remove the sink from his home. All I had to do was clean it up and spray paint a bracket.
My first enlarger was a little Vivitar unit.

MattKing · Sep 10, 2023

TmRn said:
Uh . . . maybe 10 years. One year I know I would regret.

To deal with seasonal factors, I'd suggest a minimum of 21 months

madNbad · Sep 10, 2023

MattKing said:
To deal with seasonal factors, I'd suggest a minimum of 21 months

We have had a few times of “whatever happened to…”

Then, I also bought four of the same A&A half case for my M4 over the last few years. First one, it was great! Bought a grip, sold the case. The next two smelled like a moldy warehouse, the latest one is great!
It’s not a perfect plan but plans are seldom perfect.

xkaes · Sep 10, 2023

It's "McMurphy's Law" -- if you get rid of something, within a month you'll have a “whatever happened to…” experience.

This might even apply to boats, but I'm not sure about that.

Sirius Glass · Sep 10, 2023

xkaes said:
It's "McMurphy's Law" -- if you get rid of something, within a month you'll have a “whatever happened to…” experience.

This might even apply to boats, but I'm not sure about that.

Get rid of something and it will haunt you until you buy its replacement and another one the next size up or down. That often happens with lenses.

xkaes · Sep 10, 2023

You tell us. Does that apply to EXs too?

Kino · Sep 10, 2023

3 months to retirement and I can sort out my surplus darkroom and camera gear. Too much has accumulated; stuff that would have been "fun" to shoot/use, but now is a burden.

I have a small darkroom stuffed to the gills and enough more "rescued" stuff to make a couple of reasonable beginner's darkrooms.

While I will clear it out to a point where it no longer drives me crazy, I will always have that darkroom; even if I never use it!

Now I just need to stay away from stray dogs and orphaned darkroom equipment...

Sirius Glass · Sep 10, 2023

xkaes said:
You tell us. Does that apply to EXs too?

Getting rid of the EX was a promotion. She tries to haunt me, but I can easily ignore her.

VinceInMT · Sep 10, 2023

When I remodeled my darkroom about a dozen years ago after I retired I put all the “stuff” I wasn’t using in a big box and that went onto a high, back shelf on the garage. Over the years I’ve dug into that box numerous time for one thing or another.

My wife has been suggesting/hinting/cajoling that “we” need to get rid of some stuff, like stuff we don’t use. I scored BIG today and gave away a John Deere riding mower that I haven’t used in at least 5 years. She liked seeing the empty space in our shed. My new motorcycle lift fits there perfectly. But, hey, the lift was free so karma does work.

xkaes · Sep 11, 2023

Kino said:
Now I just need to stay away from stray dogs and orphaned darkroom equipment...

One of the local camera shops was basically giving away a Beseler 45 enlarger a few weeks ago. It had been FOR SALE in their shop for a while, with no takers. I have no idea what they were asking, and it would require a little "help" to get it in shape. They sent out a "SOS" for anyone to "TAKE IT AWAY" for $25. I was tempted, but I already have TWO. Somehow I controlled myself -- without much regret -- so it CAN be done.
Really.

I'm living proof.

Kino · Sep 11, 2023

xkaes said:
One of the local camera shops was basically giving away a Beseler 45 enlarger a few weeks ago. It had been FOR SALE in their shop for a while, with no takers. I have no idea what they were asking, and it would require a little "help" to get it in shape. They sent out a "SOS" for anyone to "TAKE IT AWAY" for $25. I was tempted, but I already have TWO. Somehow I controlled myself -- without much regret -- so it CAN be done.
Really.

I'm living proof.

Maybe we should start a "Darkroom Anonymous" chapter here...

Repurposing my Darkroom

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