A visible darkroom?

[bojanfurst]

A question.

There is a possibility I might have some darkroom space in a facility that provides studio space to crafts people. The catch is that people visiting/shopping at that facility should be able to see you working 🙂 The facility is a series of ten spaces with no front wall to each space, so you can see people at work. That obviously would not work in my case.

What I am thinking is that I would close that front opening and build a window with a pane of red glass. Would that work? I am thinking that people would still be able to see you working inside and the red glass would filter the light making it safe to work with photo paper. Does that sound feasible?

 

[Wburgess]

If you use a normal pane of glass and adhere a layer of strong red filter acetate, I can see that working.

I use this for a window at home and it works perfectly well.

 

[Pablito]

This sort of "artist on display" space is often the product of well meaning but clueless developers who think they are supporting the arts but just as often do the arts a big disfavor by encouraging the portrayal of artists as exotic creatures to be exhibited like animals in a zoo.

Opportunities like this can work out for crafts people if they promote sales, or even if they can sell right out of the space. But putting working artists in a vitrine can also have detrimental effects. Personally, I would never work in such a space.

 

[bojanfurst]

Pablito, I tend to agree, but beggars can't be choosers 😉 The space is actually run by the tenants and it is in a neat location and very, very nice. Yes, there is a certain zoo-like element to it, but there are positive sides to it as well. The place is meant for craftspeople broadly defined and analog photography, at least the kind I practice, is a craft. Given that the space is very affordable, I am willing to give it a try.

Wburgess, that is a great suggestion and possibly a cheaper solution! Thanks.

 

[MartinP]

Unless they are extremely orthochromatic, most materials would be fogged by a window filter. Additionally, the relative levels of illumination inside and outside the room would mean that all a passer-by would see is their own reflection.

How about streaming a "nightshot" equipped video-camera (it need not be a new one), with a few infra-red LED's illuminating the darkroom? You could put a monitor-screen outside for when you are working in the dark, otherwise open a light-tight blind so that people could look inside if you were not present/working.

 

[Scrambler]

How about streaming a "nightshot" equipped video-camera (it need not be a new one), with a few infra-red LED's illuminating the darkroom? You could put a monitor-screen outside for when you are working in the dark, otherwise open a light-tight blind so that people could look inside if you were not present/working.

I agree completely. One way to do this might be to have a window with a removable panel which includes the monitor. This way the view is at the same place whether darkened or not. A removable panel will be easier and cheaper to make light tight than a blind.

 

[Steve M.]

Yep, the only way it would work would be w/ a video feed. Watching someone shake a little black can developing film will be of limited appeal, but for sure the printing part would be entertaining. There's one of those places nearby and I agree, it has a trapped, in-a-zoo feel to it. At least the crafts people can hob nob w/ the hob nobs whilst working away. You would be stuck in there like something out of the Twilight Zone. What about your ventilation of the chemical smells, along w/ the chemicals themselves at the site and their safe disposal? OSHA and the building owner's insurance company might be very interested in your work, unfortunately.

 

[bojanfurst]

Hmm... Video feed... That slightly complicates things, but not impossible. There is ventilation and hazardous waste disposal plan. You should smell the vile stuff stained glass folks use. Fixer has a positively aromatic smell in comparison 😉

 

[sdotkling]

The video feed is a great idea. I'd position the camera over the developing tray. That would be really cool for people to look at magic happening.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Even a 15 watt bulb behind a Wratten OC filter can fog paper if left out long enough or if the bulb is too close. There is no way that you could filter a big window enough to cut the illumination from outside light to just a few lumens, equivalent to the 15w bulb and still allow outsiders to see in.

This kind of space may be better for alternative process printing like cyanotype where a lot of blue light is necessary and filtering out that part of the spectrum is easier plus the insensitivity of cyanotype makes it easier to allow more light in to actually see the process.

You could also think about the space itself and do something crazy like turn it into a projecting pinhole camera if you happen to have a decent view.

Phil Forrest

 

[aizan]

The video feed is a great idea. I'd position the camera over the developing tray. That would be really cool for people to look at magic happening.

love this idea. but why stop at one? you could make a grid of screens with with multiple feeds. go nuts!

 

[rbiemer]

Even a 15 watt bulb behind a Wratten OC filter can fog paper if left out long enough or if the bulb is too close. There is no way that you could filter a big window enough to cut the illumination from outside light to just a few lumens, equivalent to the 15w bulb and still allow outsiders to see in.

This kind of space may be better for alternative process printing like cyanotype where a lot of blue light is necessary and filtering out that part of the spectrum is easier plus the insensitivity of cyanotype makes it easier to allow more light in to actually see the process.

You could also think about the space itself and do something crazy like turn it into a projecting pinhole camera if you happen to have a decent view.

Phil Forrest

I like your cyanotype idea, Phil. I wonder what(if any) other alt processes would be suitable? Filtering out the UV light so that people walking by could see what you're doing would likely be fairly straight forward.
The big pinhole camera is another appealing idea, maybe full length portraits if the view from your space isn't that interesting?
Rob

 

[bojanfurst]

You folks are the best. Thanks for the suggestions and replays. Also besides cyanotype there is also carbon printing which is a fascinating, if messy, process. A colleague who is thinking of doing this together with me has some experience making carbon prints.

 

[Frank Petronio]

Just wear a GoPro while you work.

 

[Vince Lupo]

Is there any way to construct a type of vestibule surrounding that window? If so, you could put some heavy black curtains at the entry way, then the viewers would also be in a darkened space and reduce the possibility of fogging.

Platinum-Palladium is another process that does not require a 'darkroom' (though the room should be darkened somewhat). Might not necessarily be exciting to watch, as some exposures might be as long as 20 minutes.

 

[mwoenv]

You'd be limited to black & white and could not do color prints as there is no "safelight" that works with color paper.