Where is your darkroom?

nyx · Apr 27, 2006

Mine is in the same room in which I live. I do some things in bathroom (toning, final washing, loading film into tanks etc) and some in kitchen (developing film).

Phillip P. Dimor · Apr 27, 2006

My current 'darkroom' is nothing more than a tiny bathroom. My enlarger sits on a small rolling cart which I wheel into the bathroom. I sit on the toilet and can print pretty comfortably.. My trays sit in the tub, easy to clean up afterwards.

Hardest part is setting up everything. I was spoiled, having a dedicated darkroom with a wet room and a dry room. Ah well. I miss having a 'real' enlarger. I'm using an Omega C760 (flimsy) but used to use an Omega DII (workhorse)..

Jim Chinn · Apr 27, 2006

Was sharing space in the laundry room for several years which is a pain because everything neds to be covered when not in use and then I have to run a misting humidifier before use to help settle lint and dust.

Since just after Christmas we have been doing a remodeling of the basement and a dedicated room has been in the works. Worst part is the darkroom is the last room to get finished.

colrehogan · Apr 27, 2006

My darkroom is inside a Harrison Jumbo Changing tent which I set up only to load/unload film.

wildbill · Apr 27, 2006

I put up a set wall paneled with that wonderful 80's fake pine paneling in the second bedroom of our apartment. It's 4ft x11ft and has a 7ft sink with hot &cold from the access panel to the bathtub plumbing in the next room. No drain though, i was scared of tapping into the 100 year old brass pipe.
vinny

titrisol · Apr 27, 2006

Used to be in the basement, now it is rolling cart in/out the bathroom.
Bfeore that the bathroom in my mom;s house. Old bathrooms used to be HUGE!!!

Gary Holliday · Apr 27, 2006

Thanks for all the answers folks. I too used to run between bedroom and bathroom, but it's so time consuming and things like that annoy me!

I like the cart idea, but is this wise? Does your enlarger not get knocked out of alignment? I'm using a "flimsy Omega C760"

DannL · Apr 27, 2006

1. A spare bedroom (AKA: The Lion's Den), I roar when someone enters this room. This is where I do most of the enlarging and cursing at night.

2. The closet. I know exactly what goes on in there, while everyone else is curious. Thus I can load tanks and finish film processing during the day.

3. The garage. I shoot during the day and play with chemicals in the garage at night. This keeps the chems away from the family.

I transport my exposed paper in a black vinyl pouch from the den to the garage. I get my exercise and also pick up snacks in the kitchen during the trip.

photo8x10 · Apr 27, 2006

My darkroom is in my garage.....a good place where to put chemicals(it's safe enough)....and a good place where spend time on my prints.....

markinlondon · Apr 27, 2006

Mine is in what Sylvia calls "the utility room". I have to move the cat's litter tray when I want to print, it's 1.5m by 1.2m, there's no water supply except to the washing machine and it's hopeless in daylight, but it serves.

Mark

Mackinaw · Apr 27, 2006

My darkroom is in our laundry room. It has running water, a basin and a good-sized flat space for either of my two enlargers. Developing trays and/or developing drum I stick on top of the washer and dryer. I normally do darkroom work in the evening, when we're not doing laundry, so no conflict there. So far it's worked out well.

Jim Bielecki

Lopaka · Apr 27, 2006

Jim Chinn Worst part is the darkroom is the last room to get finished.[/QUOTE said:
Yeah, my wife figured that if the darkroom got done before the rest of the basement, nothing else would get done. She was probably right.

After a long anxious process, I finally have a permanent darkroom in the basement (originally laid out by the builder as optional laundry room) since there is a first floor laundry that made it perfect. The room adjacent is the 'light'room for finishing (mounting, etc).

Ok - breaks over - back into the darkroom

Bob

Lee Shively · Apr 28, 2006

There was a small dressing room connected to a small bathroom that I converted into a darkroom when we bought our home. It has a floor-to-ceiling row of shelves, built-in chest with drawers and a built-in cabinet above the chest. I fit a sheet of plywood over some filing cabinets to hold the processing trays and I cut another sheet to fit over the chest to hold the enlarger. The area is tight but workable. The bathroom shower holds the print washer. I do my film processing in the kitchen.

MattKing · Apr 28, 2006

Windowless bathroom for enlarger and new (to me) print developing tubes. I also load my film developing tanks there.

The enlarger sits on a sturdy stainless steel cart with wheels. When not in use, it is rolled out to a low use hallway.

There is room on the cart for bins with lids, to hold timer, safelight, chemistry, paper, etc.

I also have a (too small) dedicated cupboard in the bathroom, and a shelf in a cupboard near where the enlarger (an older Beseler 67C, with the single large column) spends its time.

Developing happens in the light in the kitchen. I miss the experience of the image appearing in the tray, but there is one consolation - I've never had a darkroom before that had a nice view before

Matt

André E.C. · Apr 29, 2006

I use my sauna as a double duty area, Sauna/Darkroom!

Cheers

André

mcgrattan · Apr 29, 2006

I use our (only) bathroom.

I've been developing film using a changing bag and a couple of daylight tanks for a few years now and then scanning the results and have a pretty good workflow for doing that quickly and consistently. However, about 3 weeks ago I picked up an old enlarger and have had a couple of printing sessions in the bathroom.

Our bathroom is not light-tight so once a week or so I go in and tape a couple of old towels over the window, place the developing trays [different coloured cat litter trays!] in the bath and sit the enlarger on the floor. I can only print at night, sitting cross-legged on the floor, as there's just too much light in the day time.

It's a hassle setting everything up. It takes me about 45 minutes to make the window acceptably light tight, move in all the trays and the enlarger, plug in the safe light, check the enlarger is roughly flat and not crazily out of alignment, etc. and it takes me another 20 minutes or so to pack everything away and clean the bath properly to ensure no chemicals left over. But once everything is set up it's not really a bad working environment.

I make sure I use odourless chemicals though, the bathroom is small and has no ventilation. I've been thinking about possibly trying to tone some images in the future and I just don't think this room is suitable for it given the more noxious chemicals involved.

Where is your darkroom?

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