The little bits and pieces

[Donald Qualls]

Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey mixed w/ water and a lil lemon

When I was in high school, more than forty years ago (and again in college a few years later) it was drummed into me that there should be no food or drink anywhere you're handling chemicals. One moment of inattention (potentially due to Jim distracting you) and you could find yourself drinking developer or fixer...

That said, I don't think I've tried adding lemon to my bourbon and water...

 

[Down Under]

Collapsible (they fold inward) funnels from K-Mart. In the kitchen ware section. Several sizes, cheap, useful as anything for everything.

I also buy almost all my darkroom chemistry bottles and measuring cups from K-Mart. All plastic, of course. Also all inexpensive. So I carefully mark them, with a black marker and on their bottoms, FD (film developer), PD (print developer), SS (self-explanatory) and FIX, and replace them every 12 months.

I believe I've already posted about using cat litter trays to process, fix and wash prints.

Not for nothing I am known at home as the K-Mart/Reject Shop Cheapskate...

 

[Down Under]

When I was in high school, more than forty years ago (and again in college a few years later) it was drummed into me that there should be no food or drink anywhere you're handling chemicals. One moment of inattention (potentially due to Jim distracting you) and you could find yourself drinking developer or fixer...

That said, I don't think I've tried adding lemon to my bourbon and water...

This brought back a long-forgotten memory. In the early 1960s I was taught most of my basic darkroom skills by a Christian brother (he was a teacher in our local high school) who drank cheap red wine out of his Anscomatic tank. Apparently he did this for many years. He is now in his 90s and still kicking on, tho' I think his days of holding a Speed Graphic or indulging in all-night printing sessions are long gone.

I too am known for indulging in the occasional glass of good South Australian or Victorian cab-sav in the darkroom, but out of a proper wine glass and nowhere near my printing trays. So let me say (for my own protection) that this is by no means a recommendation for drinking on the (printing) job...

 

[snusmumriken]

When I was in high school, more than forty years ago (and again in college a few years later) it was drummed into me that there should be no food or drink anywhere you're handling chemicals. One moment of inattention (potentially due to Jim distracting you) and you could find yourself drinking developer or fixer...

Or worse, pouring a single malt into your developing tank.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Or worse, pouring a single malt into your developing tank.

That'd be a waste of a good single, but probably wouldn't hurt the film.

 

[MattiS]

I started my old modelling circular saw and cut two dividers for my Otocon condensers and a home brewed VC filter holder. Saves a lot of space, I also don´t trust the foam stuff in the original boxes.

Durst would have called it "Otobox", I´m sure.

 

[Rick A]

Rubber floor mats from the dollar store. That's all I've got. Sorry folks...

Yup, beats standing on bare concrete and cheap. Mine interlock and fit my space just right.

 

[eli griggs]

I was at "Michael's" yesterday and while cruising the painting section I came across "finger painting" trays which might serve well as cheap developing or wash trays.

The pics I took with my phone won't allow me to move them, but Michael's is an easy search to figure and then out.

They were about $7.75@ but looked like an 11"x14" print might process well in them.

 

[bernard_L]

Aquarium pump. So when I wash the FB prints I can have the agitation to promote exchanges, without running water continuously. Three successive fillings of the washing tray, 10-15min each. HT-2 says I'm OK after second filling; third is for good measure. Water from third filling (mostly clean) can be used as first filling of next batch (roughing out).

Pet or piglet or reptile warming pad. So I can have the paper dev at 20°C when the room is at 15°C.

 

[Terrence Brennan]

I try to do my best and ensure that the angle of light minimizes reflections. It's not perfect (so photoshop comes in handy), but not having a pane of glass between photo and digicam sure helps.

Michel, How do you eliminate reflections when you do this? I have been totally beaten by the problem so far.

Try polarizing the lights, whether they are electronic flash or tungsten. I worked 21+ years at the National Gallery of Canada, first as a photo lab technician, and later as a photographer, and polarizing the lights was de rigueur for all copy setups, whether we were coping photographs, drawings, paintings or small 3D objects. And be sure to aim your lighting accurately, and use a decent meter to check for even illumination across your copyboard.

If you are copying an old photograph, where the image is partially or completly "silvering out," polarize the lights and the camera lens, and rotate the on-lens pola filter until the silvering out disappears. You will find that this method is also very good for copying anything else, especially works on paper. It will greatly increase contrast and saturation, and reduce flare.

When we used to employ the double-polarization before we went digital (or does one say "embraced digital?"), calculating exposure was a bit of a bear. One of my former colleagues used to say that, "...it really soaks up the light."

 

[Pieter12]

Try polarizing the lights, whether they are electronic flash or tungsten. I worked 21+ years at the National Gallery of Canada, first as a photo lab technician, and later as a photographer, and polarizing the lights was de rigueur for all copy setups, whether we were coping photographs, drawings, paintings or small 3D objects. And be sure to aim your lighting accurately, and use a decent meter to check for even illumination across your copyboard.

If you are copying an old photograph, where the image is partially or completly "silvering out," polarize the lights and the camera lens, and rotate the on-lens pola filter until the silvering out disappears. You will find that this method is also very good for copying anything else, especially works on paper. It will greatly increase contrast and saturation, and reduce flare.

When we used to employ the double-polarization before we went digital (or does one say "embraced digital?"), calculating exposure was a bit of a bear. One of my former colleagues used to say that, "...it really soaks up the light."

Besides using a polarizing filter on the lens and the lights, I also use a little trick to make sure the lights are even: Place a pencil or chopstick in the middle of the art or photo to be copied, perpendicular to the surface and in line with the center of the lens. The shadows thrown on the art should be the same length, the same intensity and aligned with the end the center line of the art. If the artwork is dark, place a sheet of white paper in its place or on top so you can see the shadows clearly. If you are shooting digital, make a test shot and examine it for evenness.

 

[eli griggs]

Try polarizing the lights, whether they are electronic flash or tungsten. I worked 21+ years at the National Gallery of Canada, first as a photo lab technician, and later as a photographer, and polarizing the lights was de rigueur for all copy setups, whether we were coping photographs, drawings, paintings or small 3D objects. And be sure to aim your lighting accurately, and use a decent meter to check for even illumination across your copyboard.

If you are copying an old photograph, where the image is partially or completly "silvering out," polarize the lights and the camera lens, and rotate the on-lens pola filter until the silvering out disappears. You will find that this method is also very good for copying anything else, especially works on paper. It will greatly increase contrast and saturation, and reduce flare.

When we used to employ the double-polarization before we went digital (or does one say "embraced digital?"), calculating exposure was a bit of a bear. One of my former colleagues used to say that, "...it really soaks up the light."

If you have a beveled mirror or glass in your shot, try using a light spray of a powdered deodorant, I think we used "Secret" many years ago, when the studio I worked for did large shoots, including room sets for Dillard's, Ivey's, and Belk's, etc.

Simply mask off the flat of the mirror's surface and lightly spray the bevels until you have the effect you want.

This is where instant films or digital proofs come in handy, always shot from the main camera position.

Good luck.

 

[Pieter12]

Studios used (and probably still use) Krylon dulling spray for shiny surfaces, such as chrome or glass when you want to get rid of reflections. A light spraying will usually do the trick. It wipes right off, too. I wouldn't recommend it for glass that you need to see through such as a framed piece of art with glass. Polarized filters on lights and a polarizing filter on the camera are your best option then. Just make sure you aren't getting the camera reflection in the shot. I would shoot through a black card with a hole just big enough for the lens in that case.

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

When you cannot justify an LPL4500II this could, if you have a Beseler, suffice?

To quote an old but famous movie..

I love the smell of fixer in the morning!!

TB

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Since I have acquired my new Dektronics Printalyzer Densitometer, I have been quite busy characterizing my materials, and I have started with the step wedge, and then the papers.

You can make curves with relative exposure values, but working from absolute exposure values is actually more fun, because you can estimate precisely the amount of light needed to print for the highlights.

To do so, you need an incident light meter to measure the projected image. A first try with my Sekonic L-398 was already not that bad (it's in foot-candle), but it doesn't have much resolution when it comes to measure the weak illuminance coming from an enlarger. So I got myself a cheapo lux meter from Amazon (40$) with an external probe.

Since this is essentially an incident meter that does not do exposure calculations, all I had to do was to make a quick Excel sheet using my paper characterization data (exposure needed for IDMin), and now for a given paper, I can calculate the required exposure regardless of the negative or enlargement size. This is essentially what enlarging timers with exposure probe are doing.

I validated my calculations using a negative I had already printed: I arrived within 1/2 stop.

So this little lux meter, coupled with some pre-set calculations in Excel will make a pretty decent tool in the darkroom to speed up the test strip stage. I could probably also use it to estimate paper grade by measuring the shadows in the negative as well.

 

[BMbikerider]

A hairdryer, which I use to dry test strips both B&W and colour. The B&W to assess the drydown i.e. the density of a test strip when it is dry. Not used much these days because with Ilford MG5 there is little change.

Also used when I am colour printing every time, because RA4 paper has a slight blue colour cast when it is wet that disappears when it is dry. Fuji is not too bad, but Kodak (when it is available) has a pronounced blue cast especially in the shadows this will dry to a deep neutral black when dry. (only if the colour filtration is right in both cases)

It is just one of those things that make life that little bit easier

 

[Chuck_P]

Since I have acquired my new Dektronics Printalyzer Densitometer, I have been quite busy characterizing my materials, and I have started with the step wedge, and then the papers.

Oh boy..........mine is due to arrive this Thursday the 12th. And I'm proceeding just as you described first with step wedge to assess personal EI with TMX 100 in XTOL and N + and - development times, then with paper to test for relative ISO Range Numbers to see what grades my LPL4550 XLG filtration settings are actually providing me.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Oh boy..........mine is due to arrive this Thursday the 12th. And I'm proceeding just as you described first with step wedge to assess personal EI with TMX 100 in XTOL and N + and - development times, then with paper to test for relative ISO Range Numbers to see what grades my LPL4550 XLG filtration settings are actually providing me.

You are in for a treat. It's a well-built tool, reliable and repeatable. Once you plug it into Excel, you can literally make H+D curves in real time.

 

[Chuck_P]

You are in for a treat. It's a well-built tool, reliable and repeatable. Once you plug it into Excel, you can literally make H+D curves in real time.

Glad to hear that.....I saw it presented on you tube by Matt Marash.

 

[Grampadoug]

Glad to hear that.....I saw it presented on you tube by Matt Marash.

I, too, have this marvelous little masterpiece. Do you have any reference resources you’ve used that you would share? I guess I don’t really know how to apply the information to improve my printing. Thanks.

 

[GaryBfoto]

The Best way to improve darkroom workflow is a superior safe light. I'm new here but have built a fantastic led light and can post pics and a do how if anyone likes. It's like working in daylight

 

[Pieter12]

The Best way to improve darkroom workflow is a superior safe light. I'm new here but have built a fantastic led light and can post pics and a do how if anyone likes. It's like working in daylight

If it is like working in daylight, it may be too bright. Have you done a test?

 

[GaryBfoto]

If it is like working in daylight, it may be too bright. Have you done a test?

yes Tested very extensively, no fogging of any type, on multiple types if paper.

 

[Chuck_P]

I, too, have this marvelous little masterpiece. Do you have any reference resources you’ve used that you would share? I guess I don’t really know how to apply the information to improve my printing. Thanks.

I suggest:

1. For film testing: "Ansel Adams Guide, Basic Techniques of Photography, Book 2....... by John P. Shafer

2. "The Variable Contrast Printing Manual" by Steve Anchell

 

[eli griggs]

The Thomas darkroom light, with a sodium bulb of about 30 watts is quite bright as well, even with several applications of the two correct gels, and so it's really important to check out each new and old paper even when the housing is four feet or more from your work areas.

My first exposure to this lamp was in the old Ivey's (then Dillard's) uptown store in Charlotte, NC., When doing some freelance darkroom printing and later photo assistance.

The Lamp was hung in a spacious darkroom, seemed incredibly bright, and, IIRC, was above the print processing machine they used for b&w photographs.

No harm came to the materials and I was sold on finding one for my own darkroom, later on, which I still have any use.

IMO.