Designing your own darkroom work environment is great fun.  Let
*her* do it!  She is the one who knows what type of enlarger she
likes, what kind of chemical trays she likes, etc. etc. etc.  If
you go out and select whatever is recommended here, you'll very
likely come up with a very nice setup...  but unless you ask
*her* what she wants, it won't be the *right* setup for her.

You might get loads of ideas here, and make up a couple of lists
of possible items...  and then pop the idea on her and ask her
which ones to go for.

Start out with an enlarger (with timer, lens, negative carriers), a couple
trays, a paper developer and fixer, and a safelight.  

That will get you started.  Then you will figure out what else you need.
Not everybody needs a fully decked out darkroom.  I'm a minimalist and I
do fine.  I did however eventually get myself a small dry-mount press...

Here ya go !

http://cgi.ebay.com/OMEGA-B-22-ENLARGER-ACCES_W0QQitemZ320051651971QQihZ011QQcat
egoryZ29985QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Just add a safelight and she's ready for B-&-W developing and
printing. If she would like color then consider :

http://cgi.ebay.com/OMEGA-PRO-LAB-B66-ENLARGER-B-W-AND-COLOR-Nice-LOOK_W0QQitemZ
260053950712QQihZ016QQcategoryZ29985QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Personally I'd steer her away from color. It works but it's not nearly
as much fun as B-&-W. Another considering is space. If you're tight on
space or just want something you don't have to setup/teardown much and
she's using RC papers anyway, then look at the Nova "processors".
They're really just dip-'n'dunk tanks. Unfortunately I see that both
Calumet and B-&-H no longer carry them. They are available direct at :

http://www.novadarkroom.com/mjb_pop/index.html

==
    John S. Douglas
    Photographer & Webmaster
    Legacy-photo.com - Xs750.net

I've just blocked off most of the light and waited for nightime. You need
more room than a bathroom.

Ray

Check out The Darkroom Handbook by Micheal Langford.

TTFN

Torchiest a ?crit :

I too suggest you ask *her* what she wants.

A good book on darkroom building:
"The New Darkroom Handbook, Second Edition" by Joe DeMaio, Roberta
Worth, Dennis Curtin - Focal Press (ISBN: 0240802608)
http://minilien.com/?vODY3ekCcY

There are various examples of setups in small places (toilets,
bathrooms, etc ...) and many tips to make such darkrooms operational
despite the limited space.

Claudio Bonavolta
http://www.bonavolta.ch

1. Digital photos do NOT need a darkroom or an enlarger. They are not
made on film, but in memory, and the lens and camera determine the
'quality and enlargement' capability of the image.

2. FILM, such as 35mm, is NOT digital, and does need to be developed,
and then the prints need to be created, via an enlarger, in a
darkroom.

To develop the film, the chemicals, a light proof transfer bag and a
film tank for the film itself. I have one for roll film and another
for sheet film up to 4*5" in size in storage.

To develop prints, trays and the correct chemicals, AND a very good
timer, OR, for colour prints, the correct 'rolling' tank into which
chemicals are poured, the tank rotated to develop the image, then the
chemical is poured out and replaced by the next chemical, etc.

If using variable contrast print paper, the correct filters to use
with the enlarger to get the various contrasts you want out of the
paper.

The print paper and the correct chemicals for that print paper.

A fine electronic scale accurate to .01 of a gram if you are going to
mix your own chemicals, or need to, as the mixes disappear from the
market.

To expose paper in the enlarger, the enlarger, the correct size lens
for the enlarger and the size prints you want to make, and a good
timer that the enlarger gets plugged into. I recommend Greylab, and
have one of those as well.

Also needed is at least one good thermometer, as temperature control
is vital for colour, and nice to use for black and white. Most
solutions work best at specific temperatures.

I've had a full darkroom with a durst 606 enlarger, greylab timer,
variable contrast filters, tanks, etc. packed away for years... Too
hard to set it up and take it down...

FWIW

RsH
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