Time to get in the darkroom

Rob Skeoch · Mar 19, 2020

I'm planning to head to the darkroom for a few evenings this week. With everything else on hold, things are slowing down, so maybe I'll have a chance to get some printing done. Is anyone else heading to the dark side?

Todd Barlow · Mar 19, 2020

YES!
Multiple rolls to develop and contacts to make.
A couple ready to print as well.

cowanw · Mar 19, 2020

Developed yesterday and printing today!

Rob Skeoch · Mar 20, 2020

i guess Ontario is just ahead of the curve.

spijker · Mar 20, 2020

Was there last night. Working on my BPX34 contribution, accompanied by nice jazz music from Stanley Péan on Radio Canada's ICI Musique.

David Brown · Mar 20, 2020

Yeah. Caught up on film developing. I just need to get started on printing. I also have some non-chemical prints to work on as well. No excuse. Here I am with all of the equipment and plenty of paper. (both kinds)

Renato Tonelli · Mar 20, 2020

I am almost finished building my home darkroom. A few more weeks (at a rate of an hour or two every day) and it should be good to go.
I have been using my University's darkroom for many years but I am now relegated to working from home and no longer have access to it.

gordrob · Mar 20, 2020

Just heading into the darkroom now for most of the day. Have a stack of negatives to proof and then print. I will probably spend most of the next three days in there.

R.Gould · Mar 20, 2020

I have spent most of this week in the darkroom, I have a huge backlog of negatives to print, so with the way things are going over here I will have a good go at catching up with myself over the coming month's, gotta be careful as I now come into the at risk group,

Ko.Fe. · Mar 20, 2020

Rob Skeoch said:
i guess Ontario is just ahead of the curve.

Printed yesterday, left chemicals in the bottles and continuing to print today. Back to DR now, a.k.a. bathroom.

mooseontheloose · Mar 21, 2020

I'm currently trying to get through 93 rolls of film that need developing - most are from recent trips, but on going through my film fridge I found a few tucked in away with unexposed film so some are a bit older. After that, contact sheets. After that, start fulfilling obligations to a couple of exchanges here. Then, start working on proper prints. I'm still waiting to hear whether or not the new semester will be postponed or not, hopefully yes, so I can get as much darkroom work done as possible!

RalphLambrecht · Mar 22, 2020

mooseontheloose said:
I'm currently trying to get through 93 rolls of film that need developing - most are from recent trips, but on going through my film fridge I found a few tucked in away with unexposed film so some are a bit older. After that, contact sheets. After that, start fulfilling obligations to a couple of exchanges here. Then, start working on proper prints. I'm still waiting to hear whether or not the new semester will be postponed or not, hopefully yes, so I can get as much darkroom work done as possible!

I am surprised to see how many people are making contact prints. Are usually go from developing straight to printing.

BMbikerider · Mar 22, 2020

Yes is the short answer. I was in there last night and made some comparison prints from the same negative to demonstrate to me the difference between Ilford Multigrade 4 and multigrade 5. The result is a clear winner for the new paper. It is faster, by at least half a stop and the contrast is better too, I would say by about 1/2 to 3/4 of a grade. It is difficult to estimate exactly but a definite improvement over MG4. What is noticeable are the blacks are much more intense, but still with detail in shadows. Comparing it with MG Fibre it is also better but not so markedly. I can visualise the sales of MG Fibre will decrease because this paper is so much better than MG4. I also found developing it for 1 min 30 @ 68F was absolutely spot on. Any longer made no difference at all.
If anyone asked me what problems there may be with using it, I would say I may have to moderate my film developing times to reduce the contrast in really bright sunlit pictures.

mooseontheloose · Mar 22, 2020

RalphLambrecht said:
I am surprised to see how many people are making contact prints. Are usually go from developing straight to printing.

I don't need the contact print as such to choose a negative for printing, it's more for being able to quickly find and sort through various rolls at a glance. If I had to scan the negatives every time it would be too time-consuming.

Rob Skeoch · Mar 22, 2020

I made five prints yesterday. Just 8x10's but I'm happy with them. Back in the basement today. Again just making 8x10. When I get one I really like I put it in the hopper for 20x24's and then I mix up the big trays. Will have to reorder developer this week.

R.Gould · Mar 22, 2020

RalphLambrecht said:
I am surprised to see how many people are making contact prints. Are usually go from developing straight to printing.

I'm the same, I never make a contact print, I have a good look at my negatives with a loupe, edecie what I want to print and just get on with the printing

bsdunek · Mar 22, 2020

With everyone catching up on their darkroom work, I expect to see a lot of interesting submissions in the Gallery! Meanwhile, I'll be in my darkroom.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 22, 2020

R.Gould said:
I'm the same, I never make a contact print, I have a good look at my negatives with a loupe, decide what I want to print and just get on with the printing

+1

darkosaric · Mar 22, 2020

Yes, that is my plan as well, it is time for printing 2019 backlog, started yesterday.

mrosenlof · Mar 22, 2020

I was last printing 3 weeks ago, just as the current situation was starting here in the US, but largely ignored.

We just had some flooring work done right outside the darkroom, so my task for today is pull out everything in there that's pull-out-able, and clean and dust everything. It's probably 20 years since the last time I did that. Feeling just a little bit of fear.

gordrob · Mar 22, 2020

Heading back to the darkroom now. Third day in a row. Trying to get a better handle on split grade printing.

Mal Paso · Mar 22, 2020

I just finished building a LED split grade head and made my first split print yesterday. I'm waiting for the heater to get the darkroom warm and get back to it.

Tim Stapp · Mar 22, 2020

I wish. Step Daughter and Grandson moved back in and have blocked access to the darkroom. Hoping warm weather gets here soon so I can put them outside in a tent

James Bleifus · Mar 24, 2020

I was supposed to be in California right now, picking up photo supplies, but I canceled my trip because of the virus. I'm completely out of film until (if I'm lucky) the end of the week, so I'm in the darkroom doing work that I was saving for June and other months with less exciting light.

Cheers, James

etn · Mar 24, 2020

RalphLambrecht said:
I am surprised to see how many people are making contact prints. Are usually go from developing straight to printing.

To me it's a nice, time efficient method to have an entire medium format roll printed at once (to look at or show to other people) - printing them all would be too time consuming and probably a bit of a waste as not all are good enough.
A bit pointless with small format, though, the pics are just too small.

Time to get in the darkroom

Rob Skeoch

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Todd Barlow

cowanw

Rob Skeoch

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spijker

David Brown

Renato Tonelli

gordrob

R.Gould

Ko.Fe.

mooseontheloose

RalphLambrecht

BMbikerider

mooseontheloose

Rob Skeoch

Advertiser

R.Gould

bsdunek

RalphLambrecht

darkosaric

mrosenlof

gordrob

Mal Paso

Tim Stapp

James Bleifus

etn

Time to get in the darkroom

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