Twelve year old girls in the DR or: AAARRRGGGGHHHHHH!!

[Rick A]

Hope the title isn't too long, it is appropriate. Last evening I held a darkroom session for two twelve year old girls(three inc. my own ). They have been reading a story about a woman pro photographer(I didnt ask)and, of course, all eyes turned to the 'old man', he has a darkroom!
After a short lesson in what light does(blank stares), off to the DR. Brief explanation about chems, and safety, we turn to photograms. A short inventory of some items include, a book, feathers, hair clips, and some odd and ends of translucent and transparent items. The girls realized that some items were not going to work as they thought, try new items.
At this point, I have to say, a small confined space with any kids(especially giddy girls)takes on an air of its own. Who'da thunk the smells could be THAT bad(yes I had the exhaust fan on)I guess I should feel honored that they are so comfortable around me to be themselves, dang, those were the worst farts I ever smelled!
The session lasted about an hour, not too bad, held their interest that long before they started goofing. We did end the session with printing a negative. We even did a Sabittier print(experiment gone right).
To sum up, there were some 'eyes as big as pie plates' and ear to ear grins, and Wow, look what we did's. My daughter is an old pro in the DR, after all , she spends time in there with me (best assistant you would ever want). Her friends have become smitten (I'll do my best to nurture it)and will be back.
Even though it was a school night, there was a sleep-over. As I write this, the girls are up(and have been for a while) and in the DR OOHing and AAHing last nights work.
Ann--Thank you for all the paper. We used a fair chunk last night, glad we have a pile to use. No prints hit the waste bin.

Rick

 

[markbarendt]

Go Rick!

 

[frotog]

That's hilarious and awesome!

 

[winger]

That's very cool. I think 12 is about the age that I did the Shutterbug week at Girl Scout camp and got thoroughly hooked on photography. Keep them enjoying it!

 

[SuzanneR]

Awesome!!

 

[kompressor]

I had to wait until 16 before i discovered the magic in the darkest room of the house. But i had then been reading about iy since very young age and i will never forget the first time i saw the red lamp come on for the first time. Funny thing, i still have the same wonderful feeling 19 years later

 

[Jeff Kubach]

That's great to hear.

Jeff

 

[Vaughn]

How fun, Rick!

I have taught summer classes in photography to high school girls (and some boys). Once they get going, they can really burn through the paper!

Vaughn

 

[ic-racer]

I set up a spare enlarger just for my two oldest (but both still under 12 yrs). They seem to like it and also enjoy taking pictures with the film cameras I gave them. In the darkroom we use the Kodak projection print scale and they get to pick the slice they like and set the timer.

I have also done lith prints. That works out fantastic because they get to hold the flashlight and give the word to me when to pull it. Even if two kids print the same negative they each have a unique print.

Coming up we are going to be doing some reductions so their American Girl Dolls can have some pictures too.

I was also astounded when my 9 year old girl and here little brother, used her D*** camera to take about 80 frames of the American Girl dolls for a stop-frame-animation sequence she set up and directed on her own. I downloaded the frames to some animation software and we played the movie on the computer. It was amazing how they figured out how to do that on their own.

 

[lorirfrommontana]

Awesome! I love being in the darkroom with my girls.

 

[Tim Gray]

That is great! Get them hooked.

 

[Jedidiah Smith]

Rick,
Thanks for that great story! I love to hear this, really. Maybe it rings true with me because I have a 6 year old daughter myself, and she loves to do anything in the dark room with me. At this stage we're just getting it set up again in my office, and doing some test prints, etc. She thought the new safe light was really cool for some reason (I think because I now have a timer that turns it off and on automatically with the enlarger)

Awesome and thanks for sharing! Keep those girls into film...the next generation. Maybe they will each bring a friend and then you'll have a whole troop? Never know, I'll bet their future high school has an old room that used to be a darkroom that is no longer being used . . . (mine does, back home in Alaska, it's all locked up, but everything is still in there, just waiting!)

Jed

 

[Anscojohn]

Hey Rick,
Being the "old fart" of a darkroom rat must have taken on new meanings after that episode!

Seriously, I echo the sentiments stated by others. Getting those soon-to-be teeny boppers interested in something as magical as traditional photography is sure to pay off for them and cannot hurt as deposits in your own personal karma account.
Greaty going, guy.

 

[Chazzy]

I'm as impressed as everyone else. Keep up the good work!

 

[KWhitmore]

Great story...get 'em hooked early! )

 

[Robert Hall]

I've had 14, 12 yr old boys (scouts) in the darkroom several times to work on all sorts of projects. The two 600cfm fans help a lot.

 

[Rick A]

I thought I would share this from last nights lesson. The girls saw this in my darkroom manual and had to try it. This was entirely their own work, while I stood back and watched.

 

[lorirfrommontana]

Cool!

 

[photoncatcher]

Good to hear some one is teaching the youth. I was lucky (?) enough to be asked by my Daughters Girl Scout leader to teach the troop about photo. At the time I was working at a local 1 hour lab, and the entire troop (about 18) showed up at my lab, and got the whole tour. About a week later they all came to my apartment ( suddenly the 18 had grown to 25) and after a short discussion of camera, and film types, they split into three groups and got the DR demo of printing. I have a couple of kitten photos, so there was lots of "oh she's so cute " coments, and the girls all got a print or two. One of my fondest memories from a great time being a Dad. Man I miss those days.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Two weeks ago I ran another session with my younger son's Beavers (5-7yo) troop. I did the same setup 2 years ago when my older son was a Beaver.

I set up my Crown Graphic with a Speedotron flash rig, and did a portrait of each of the 15 kids on some Ortho Lith 4x5 film.Did this in two groups of 8 or less

Then we went up onto the stage of the school auditorium, where there were 16x20 trays of developer, stop, and fix set out in the middle of the otherwise empty stage on a couple of tables. The stage has dark blue curtains, and when paired with some gym mats to fill the gap at the bottom, is light tight enough.

Leaders held flashlights fitted with red rubylith filters. Plastic gloves were handed out, the film holders unloaded, then everyone dropped thier piece of film into the developer tray, and I explained what was happening, as the film went from pink, to clear to until the image began to emerge. This is where the Ortho film is very useful, and the chorus of 'oh cool' s begins.

Then after I did some eyballing the negs for the rightish density, it was on to the stop, then the fix.

I washed the negs once home, and now have some printing to do.

 

[Videbaek]

Wish I had my own home darkroom, I'd love to get my son and daughter in one to join in the fun. Photography is a very solitary thing on the whole, it's difficult to include family if you're not photographing them and my wife has been known to complain... "Some men go fishing. You go photographing." Also, the smell of fixer seems to be a serious irritant. Here's hoping you have decades of darkroom togetherness ahead!

 

[removed account4]

thanks for sharing!
both the experience and the image

john

 

[PeterAM]

My daughter picked up on photography at about eleven or twelve after watching the old man playing around with his cameras. She was into art (painting & drawing) at the time, but got hooked enough on photography to major in it at college. I built a serious darkroom while she was away for her freshman year;by the end of college, she was teaching me. She then got an MFA in photography;lived at home during grad school, which she did at night, while working as a gallery manager (high end NYC photo gallery) during the day.Used the hell out of the darkroom during that period.

She's now forty years old;my darkroom is dismantled, with all of the equipment packed up at her house. We both still shoot film, but it remains to be seen if the DR will ever go back together. Best part is that we occasionally shoot together, just like 25 years ago. The most interesting thing is that we see very differently, but there is also a strong commonality in a lot of our work.

 

[Rick A]

I feel that I am very blessed with a gifted child(actually nine gifted kids)who loves art in any form. She has a gift to sketch, as well as work a camera. She also sculpts little critters, and makes up little scenes for them. Lately, she has been working on animated shorts with some video gear we had sitting around. She writes short stories (great imagination)and illustrates them. She plays guitar, harmonica, recorder, and is teaching herself the trumpet.We gave her the first guitar at three. She plays like Bob Dylan, and understands Peter Gabriel. Yes, I am bragging about my youngest daughter, she deserves it. She shares her enthusiasm for photography with her friends, and they come around to give it a try. I am more than happy to teach them.

Rick

 

[F80p]

I am young and not married yet but i am happy to know that the art and passion of darkroom is being transferred from one generation to another. At least this will keep film alive!