Who loves their darkroom????

[Stew]

I love my darkroom! I'm not in there as much as I would like to be,but when I am time just flies! It's magical watching an image appear before your eyes in the developer and even after ten years of doing darkroom work it's still a thrill!

Rob

 

[Lee L]

The $100/yr for membership at IFP-MSP is the best money I've spent in photography.

Was this formerly "Film in the Cities"?

Lee

 

[raucousimages]

I love it. I have built over a dozen darkrooms (4 for myself). I learn from each one and each one gets better.

 

[BWKate]

I love my darkroom that I share with my other 13 members. I was not able to be in there this summer due to a heavy work/home schedule but that is about to change and I'll be in there as often as I can!
When I'm there time ceases to go by fast and my happiness quotient goes up by about 300%!
I'm with Roger on this; I couldn't survive without one!

Even when I've worked 8 hours at my day job and I go there after work I no longer feel tired and I'll stay there until I can't stand anymore and still able to drive home.

 

[doc4x5]

I still love my darkroom. It is a major struggle, even as a retired person, to block the 4-6 hours to justify setting up to print. I hoped I would be able to spend more time there when I finally retired, but life is just incredibly busy and those blocks of time are hard to come by.

Even though darkroom tools are quite crude, compared to the microsurgery possible in Photoshop, there's still something about a straight silver print, toned with selenium.

I plan never to give up film, unless they stop making it. I now own a decent scanner and have scanned a bunch of my 4x5 negatives, and have had quite a bit of fun manipulating them, I go back and forth, not to the point of losing sleep, but it is an ongoing struggle. Which road to take? Time will ultimately answer this most difficult question.

Eric

 

[Mark Pope]

Mine's a great place. Roger was absolutely right and I couldn't do without mine.
It's too small and it's not perfect, but I love it. IF my premium bonds / lottery syndicate ever come up, I'll have a darkroom to die for! Until then I'll make do with my little haven.

 

[philldresser]

Its my little island haven in the middle of a rough sea. Its not perfect (or even permanent) but I love going there.

Phill

 

[jim appleyard]

A former editor of "Shutterbug" once referred to darkrooms as a "sanctuary" and was looking forward to shooting more film and spending more time in the "sanctuary" in the coming years. Sanctuary seems to fit nicely.

I once mentioned this statement to a digital friend (is is possible to have friends that are digital and are they really friends?) and he said he could always close the door to his office where his computer is. Somehow it just ain't the same!

 

[Changeling1]

I don't have one, but the army base near me has a photo center with darkroom and I go there three times a week. I already have a band room and home portrait studio so my wife won't let me take over anymore rooms.

I agree, you must be fair to your spouse. Just pick up a large Army surplus tent and pitch it in the back yard. Tell your wife it's all hers.....

 

[Ytlas]

I used to really like darkroom work, but for the last 5 years I've had such a bad case of "burnout" that I only print about once a year. I just scan my negatives these days to see if they're worth keeping.

 

[Kobin]

My darkroom is the 1m x 2.4m (39" x 8') storage room off my carport. I have a partition between the dry and wet area, and a plywood sink. It surfices, but I actually had more room in the bathroom the wife kicked me out of. I could do so much more (ain't that always the truth?!) with more room (expand into alt printing, eg), but I love the time I spend in my little space.

My only fear is that nosey neighbors will wonder why I come in and out of that dark little room wearing blue gloves and carrying bottles and report me to the 5-O as a meth chemist.

K.

 

[Kobin]

PS:

When I installed the air conditioner in the darkrrom, I did it under the watchful eyes of the town cops. That was within a week of me heating some glycol in the carport to mix up some developer, so I'm not just a little paranoid.

K.

 

[Ian Leake]

My darkroom has been closed down while I'm selling my house, and my enlarger is in store. It's been seriously traumatic not being able to print! I can't wait to get it up and running again...

 

[Edwardv]

I love it because I am in a world of my own. Its quiet and dark.

 

[rpsawin]

I am just in the process of building out my first darkroom. I was a monthly renter in a darkroom but it closed. I miss the d.r. time and can't wait to get mine finished. It is so wonderful to immerse myself in the work.I love it!

Bob

 

[Q17]

I have a love/hate relationship with my darkroom. I love printing, the darkness, the soothing quality of being in there...

But I sure could use some more space! It's only a 25 sq ft closet. I don't really have a wet/dark side thing going... after exposing a print, I turn 90 degrees and develop.

=michelle=

 

[haryanto]

a part of my life, glad to read there's still many people love it

 

[Black Dog]

As Paul Caponigro said, it's a "dimly lit space of hope and discovery"Plus as it's right out in the sticks (boondoocks for those reading this across the pond) I can play Sabbath, Zep, Nirvana etc as loud as I want and not annoy anyoneWell I will when it's finished some time in november and I CAN'T WAIT after not having regular access to one for the last 4 years or so. Time for some marathon printing sessions which would tax even Jack Bauer's stamina..................

 

[Kino]

Its wonderful, but I can't seem to get it all working at once; I'm too ambitious with equipment, formats and processes...

When I do work, I love it, but I often dread going there because so much is unfinished...

 

[Mike Wilde]

A place of solitute

The kids (aged 3 and 6) are pyjammied, teeth-brushed, storied, pee tried and asleep in bed. My wife is reading, watching some reality show that I can't stand, off at rehearsal or on stage performing a play. The dishwasher is running and the laundry in the dryer. Lunches are in the fridge packed for tomorrow, and some start on dinner for the next day is at least starting to thaw. The lawn is less than 6" high. Hopefully it isn't past 9pm.

As you can see, life is busy at the moment I may have had my wits about me that morning or just after work if I want to tackle some colour work, and I have set the chems on to warm, and yanked what I will need from the freezer.

I turn on the radio to the classical radio station. I dilute out what ever chems I need, and set the appropriate safe light filters in place, and get to work creating images, or, more mundanely, getting caught up on processing films, contact printing, mounting good slide images, or matting and mounting prints.

When the radio station changes programs, I know it is midnight. If I am printing FB, I start the final wash. I empty the dish washer, fold the laundry, set the kitchen table for the next mornings breakfast, shave, etc. while the prints wash. Put the prints into the blotters, and to bed around 1am.

The alarm goes off at 6:30am. My wife might have to shake me if I am still out at 7am. Eat breakfast, drop kids at school and day care, back to the office. I don't try this too many nights in a row, or veryone , me inculded gets cranky.

I do usually pull a few really good sessions when my wife is in a play though. It is the weekend, she is out late, we both sleep in, and both spend time wearing the kids out during the day. She heads off to the theatre, dad has a short after dinner nap, puts the kids to bed, and dives into another darkroom session. Usually happens 3-4 weekneds a year. It is the closest I get to back when I was sinlge many years ago, and would get into darkroom work for marathon weekend long printing sessions

 

[DBP]

Only problem is that it doubles as a laundry room, and as I cannot use my bedrooms at present (long, unpleasant, story) all my clothes are where the trays would be.

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear All,

I am so lucky......I have about 10 working darkrooms, all well designed, very roomy, with stools, separate enlargers for miniature, roll and sheet, perfectly lit, some with processors so I don't even have to get my hands wet, a film processor outside so I don't have to put 120 film on spirals ( my pet hate )...and do you know what..hardly any time to go in them and also....none are as nice as my Grandfathers darkroom where I stood behind him and watched him print, and where I made my first print in June 1968 ....oh so long ago.....

Simon : ILFORD Photo / HARMAN tcehnology Limited

 

[RobLewis]

I have just recently spent my first wonderful hours in a darkroom- which also serves as the laundry room in our basement. It was exciting, like my first love... I was shaking like a teenager on a first date.
we slipped into something more comfortable, closed the curtains, mixed up some Dektol, stop bath and fixer. We turned down the lights, focused the image, and put on the Red Light.
We splashed in the chems, lovingly...
and laid in the water until it was time to rinse.
We did it a few more times.
Is it love? You bet.

 

[Robert Hall]

Dear All,

I am so lucky...and do you know what..hardly any time to go in them

Simon : ILFORD Photo / HARMAN tcehnology Limited

That amounts to being allergic to chocolate! OMG!

 

[ScottH]

Mike,

Sounds like my routine, kids 5 and 7. I rarely stay up too late though 11:30 or so. I live very close to work, and 2-3 days a week I come home to a silent house for a 50 minute printing session. More often than not, it's just the amount of time needed to pick out the next neg, perhaps get a test and proof print done, or get myself organized for the time I can devote an hour or 2 (if printing on FB). A real easy neg on RC, and I can get that done in the 50 min.

I ran out of fixer over the holiday weekend (resupply arrived today) and it drove me nuts. No DR or dev. film.