Photo Forum / Film Photography / Darkroom / February 2005
Setting up a darkroom?
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OneActor1@aol.com - 20 Feb 2005 08:41 GMT I'd sort of like to set up my own darkroom to develop my negatives and then print them. My two main questions are:
1. Is there any way to darken an extra bedroom enough to use it as a darkroom?
2. Where is the best place to get an inexpensive enlarger and how much should I expect to spend?
Louie Powell - 20 Feb 2005 13:51 GMT > I'd sort of like to set up my own darkroom to develop my negatives and > then print them. My two main questions are: > > 1. Is there any way to darken an extra bedroom enough to use it as a > darkroom? Doors can be sealed using ordinary household weatherstipping. The greatest challenge will be along the bottom. Look for a rubber or felt strip that that be applied along the bottom and that drags on the floor to provide a light seal. If the opening at the bottom of the closed door is too large, you can purchase (or fabricate) a thin wood threshold to fit under the door.
Windows are a bit more complicated. If you are looking for a permanent or semi-permanent solution, a sheet of plywood attached to the molding using screws is pretty effective. For a temporary solution, look for blackout drapes. These are made of heavy, lined black fabric. You will need to find some means to seal around the edges, and this may take some creativity.
> 2. Where is the best place to get an inexpensive enlarger and how much > should I expect to spend? > > Start looking in your local area. Enlargers are large and can be heavy, and you want to avoid shipping if possible. Check with any photo clubs in the area, and also with professional labs. Many people are giving up conventional darkroom work in favor of digital, and there are lots of enlargers coming on the market.
A relatively good 4x5 enlarger (Omega, Beselar, etc) will run US$200-500. Smaller enlargers (35mm and roll film) will be less.
Gregory Blank - 20 Feb 2005 14:27 GMT > I'd sort of like to set up my own darkroom to develop my negatives and > then print them. My two main questions are: > > 1. Is there any way to darken an extra bedroom enough to use it as a > darkroom? Lots of ways,.....weather stripping for the door and or a hanging black curtain in front on the door.
Velcro lined black fabric or tape on blackout materials for the windows.
> 2. Where is the best place to get an inexpensive enlarger and how much > should I expect to spend? Ebay. The price depends on the need you have. If just for 35mm maybe a few hundred probably no more than three "used" for a clean perfect working order enlarger with a lens and negative carrier.
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"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918
Mike King - 20 Feb 2005 18:30 GMT Lots of ways to darken rooms, and one of the Westons (Brett?) lived in Hawaii and printed only at night so he could leave his darkroom open to the ocean breezes (must be rough!).
Enlargers? I've had people GIVE me enlargers (2-Elwoods) when I expressed an interest, bought one locally at a flea market for $20 last year (a nice clean B-600 Omega, kept the borderless easel and gave the enlarger to a friend) bought a D-3 Omega with lenses (rough) for $100 and see them go for less than that all the time at Camera shows and swap meets. Don't know where you are but check the back of Shutterbug and find a show near you (one coming up in March in Omaha, NE--near me).
Dealers at shows are dumping enlargers in favor of smaller items that are easier to transport from show to show so hang in there. I've found enlargers in the trash at newspapers and schools, too, since they have gone 100% digital (I love digital, it's really driven down the price of my favorite toys!).
Last year I was also given a Polaroid MP-3, MP-4, Besseler 16 roller transport, Kodak Royal print processor, Imagemaker film processor and a big Ilford RC dryer plus a ton of miscellaneous stuff. Oh and a Minolta Dimage 35mm film scanner, the guy scanned all his negs and now shoots only digital and used digital is too cheap to bother with so he gave me his scanner, too.
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> I'd sort of like to set up my own darkroom to develop my negatives and > then print them. My two main questions are: [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > 2. Where is the best place to get an inexpensive enlarger and how much > should I expect to spend? OneActor1@aol.com - 20 Feb 2005 22:56 GMT Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm gonna start visiting some of the local swap meets to see if there are any 35mm enlargers around and I'll check Shutterbug for upcoming shows. I live in the Los Angeles Area (Agoura Hills) if anyone knows about an upcoming event.
darkroommike - 26 Feb 2005 14:46 GMT Don't be too fast to "settle" on just a 35mm enlarger, a lot of guys then get the medium format bug and have to start over in the enlarger dept.
> Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm gonna start visiting some of the > local swap meets to see if there are any 35mm enlargers around and I'll > check Shutterbug for upcoming shows. I live in the Los Angeles Area > (Agoura Hills) if anyone knows about an upcoming event. Gregory Blank - 27 Feb 2005 13:05 GMT > Don't be too fast to "settle" on just a 35mm enlarger, a lot of guys then > get the medium format bug and have to start over in the enlarger dept. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > check Shutterbug for upcoming shows. I live in the Los Angeles Area > > (Agoura Hills) if anyone knows about an upcoming event. By all means buy a ten x ten then you'll only have to up grade if you start shooting 11x14 ;-)
 Signature LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918
dan.c.quinn@att.net - 20 Feb 2005 23:44 GMT I think you'd be better off, all around, by using a kitchen or bathroom space.
I took one sink of a two sink counter out and use the space for an enlarger. The washer and dryer came out and now I've a five foot width for processing, compounding, etc.
Process single tray, one-shot or reuse, and you'll have plenty of room in a small space. Dan
John - 21 Feb 2005 05:17 GMT >1. Is there any way to darken an extra bedroom enough to use it as a >darkroom? Tape aluminum foil over the windows.
>2. Where is the best place to get an inexpensive enlarger and how much >should I expect to spend? $50 ~ $150 on Ebay for a basic enlarger and lens.
Regards,
John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.puresilver.org Please remove the "_" when replying via email
theyankeesnapper@aol.com - 21 Feb 2005 18:10 GMT Rather than turn your bedroom upside down, you may want to consider turning a closet into a permanent home for your enlarger. This (so called)closet can even be a corner of your bedroom draped with foam backed drapes. Then get yourself a Jobo and developpe everything with the lights on in your kitchen. After your session is over, drain and store your Jobo on the floor of the closet.
I did this for years when I lived in an apartment.
Regards.
Bob McCarthy theyankeesnapper@aol.com
John - 22 Feb 2005 01:37 GMT >Rather than turn your bedroom upside down, you may want to consider >turning a closet into a permanent home for your enlarger. This (so [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Bob McCarthy I would add that the Nova "processors" also work well in cramped quarters.
Regards,
John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.puresilver.org Please remove the "_" when replying via email
Lauren Childs - 25 Feb 2005 09:16 GMT > Rather than turn your bedroom upside down, you may want to consider > turning a closet into a permanent home for your enlarger. This (so [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Bob McCarthy > theyankeesnapper@aol.com Make sure that you paint your closet or room that you may turn in to a darkroom BLACK! Also try to invest in red lights so that you are able to see whilst working in your darkroom. Posted by Lauren Childs
OneActor1@aol.com - 25 Feb 2005 11:19 GMT I was going to put in safe lights. Is the black paint neccesary?
dan.c.quinn@att.net - 25 Feb 2005 23:58 GMT > I was going to put in safe lights. > Is the black paint neccesary? I got around to doing a little wireing. I placed three bulb sockets under the cupoards over what used to be the washer dryer area. Works very well. A twist and they are on or off. Or I take one out, screw a white in and I'm ready for weighing, paper work, etc. Their color is yellow orange. They are safe with graded papers. My darkroom is quite light. Graded papers allow for brighter lighting. Do not paint anything, not for starters. You do wish to be soon up and running? As for light leaks, don't go out of your way looking for them. If your light sensitive materials are not bothered by them or do not 'see' them, you're OK. Dan
Lloyd Erlick - 26 Feb 2005 15:24 GMT OneActor1@aol.com wrote:
>> I was going to put in safe lights. >> Is the black paint neccesary? feb2605 from Lloyd Erlick,
There is no need to paint the darkroom black. That would be very unpleasant, and unnecessary.
For a start, don't do any painting at all. Just put in appropriate safelights.
If you'd like the area around the enlarger darker, because they often leak light, or because you often magnify enough that the head is high enough to spill light around the easel area, start by pinning or taping black paper or card around the enlarger area. Empty bags from photo paper are good, just cut them open into flat sheets.
In reality, the color of paint on the darkroom walls is irrelevant. If the room is really dark, in the sense that no light enters, then you are in control of all the light in the room. As long as you permit either no light (e.g. during exposures) or safelight only, then it makes no difference what color is on the walls.
regards, --le
 Signature ________________________________ Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto. voice: 416-686-0326 email: portrait@heylloyd.com net: www.heylloyd.com ________________________________
Nicholas O. Lindan - 26 Feb 2005 01:56 GMT <OneActor1@aol.com> wrote
> Is the black paint neccesary [for a closet darkroom]? It depends on the size of the closet. Walls and ceiling close to the enlarger are preferably painted black because stray light from the enlarger can otherwise fog the paper. This is only critical when exposure times are long due to dense negatives or large prints. A white darkroom was what confounded Adams when tried to make 4x6 foot prints with the same contrast as his 11x14s.
 Signature Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics. To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/
Ken Hart - 26 Feb 2005 03:26 GMT > I was going to put in safe lights. Is the black paint neccesary? It depends... Around the enlarger, it can be a good idea to paint the walls black, especially if the enlarger has any light leaks. IMHO, I think it's easier to focus with the black walls "soaking" up any reflections. Away from the enlarger, I like to have light/white walls, so the safelight(s) are more effective. Ken Hart
Louie Powell - 25 Feb 2005 12:18 GMT >> Bob McCarthy >> theyankeesnapper@aol.com [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > to see whilst working in your darkroom. > Posted by Lauren Childs I disagree with Lauren.
A darkroom is dark because there are no light sources in it, and because the design of the doors and windows prevents light from entering through those ports.
You definitely want a safelight - most likely amber (Kodak OC). Red is OK, but amber provides more safe light to work with.
You don't want to paint your darkroom black - you want it white. With white walls, the fairly faint amber light from the safelight will be reflected around the room to provide general illumination. The only exception to this is that it may be helpful to paint the wall immediately behind the enlarger using black paint. Enlargers typically will have small light leaks - lots of them and difficult to remediate. A black wall behind the enlarger will prevent this light from being reflected around the darkroom.
It might be worth your time to visit a few darkrooms before you make any final decisions about how you will set up yours.
darkroommike - 26 Feb 2005 14:57 GMT Painting a darkroom black is nonsense. All paint is black in the absence of light (and if you rent try explaining black paint to the landlord!). If your enlarger is leaking a lot of light (and some do) you can make a small light shield just around the enlarger on three sides (maybe even black foamcore and hinges so it can be taken down when not needed). Paint the walls yellow or gold or red, colors that reflect light in the good part of the spectrum and absorb blue light (the color with the most potential to fog paper). Black paint also absorbs light that would otherwise be reflected from your safelights and makes the room too dark in the corners.
If you can't get your darkroom really light tight, load and unload your film processing tank in a film changing bag. (Get a big one!) In a pinch I've even used a winter coat. Did that at work one time when we hadn't installed the light tight loading box on the end of the new processor (everyone at the newspaper though I was a genius and it's great to teach old new dogs a few tricks since I was the "other guy" in the news department (aka the advertising department photographer).
BTW a lot of red lights are not very safe, invest in a safelight.
Mike
> Make sure that you paint your closet or room that you may turn in to a > darkroom BLACK! Also try to invest in red lights so that you are able > to see whilst working in your darkroom. > Posted by Lauren Childs jjs - 26 Feb 2005 17:11 GMT > Make sure that you paint your closet or room that you may turn in to a > darkroom BLACK! Also try to invest in red lights so that you are able > to see whilst working in your darkroom. That is so wrong I have to believe it's a joke.
Pieter Litchfield - 26 Feb 2005 18:57 GMT A couple of thoughts about other posts to this thread.
(1) don't bother with dark paint. I would keep the area immediately around the enlarger dark colored and non-reflective. This could be as temporary as some sheets of cardboard with black felt glued on. I would avoid highly reflective (foil based) wallpapers, but color isn't important to darkness. My darkroom is painted a pleasing medium gray (18%?). I used to print in an interior bathroom which was white. No problems.
(2) I second the post to consider an enlarger that can handle medium format. I updated my very old Omega B-22 with a cold light head. It can handle 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 as well as 35mm. I also modified a 35mm negative carrier to Horizon 202 panoramic proportions (24 x 54mm). However, you might want to consider a color head - even if you are doing only B&W, a color head may be used to dial in the correct color filtration for variable contrast B&W papers instead of using variable contrast filters under the lens like I do with my Omega B-22. More convenient and (I'm sure) better optically. You can find lots of used enlargers on e-bay, but study the literature (websites) and pick a make and model that will do the job for you before shopping.
(3) check with the paper manufacturer (try their website) for the proper designation of safelight to use with their material. I use 3 lights along my workbench mounted at ceiling height (about 4 ft from the work surface/trays). They give me plenty of light and no fogging.
(4) There are good books on darkroom design, even temprary darkroom solutions. Try the local library for answers.
> I'd sort of like to set up my own darkroom to develop my negatives and > then print them. My two main questions are: [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > 2. Where is the best place to get an inexpensive enlarger and how much > should I expect to spend?
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