Classic Darkroom

[GermanB]

I use a spare bathroom to set up my darkroom only for contacts and prints (35mm and 6x6), to develop rolls use a changing bag. I think this year I will set up a permanent darkroom but I have to negotiate with the wife... 🙂

 

[jonasv]

That is a bit much, but are you sure the problem is the enlarger? Your negs could be overexposed and/or overdeveloped, or possibly you are using a contact speed paper or your paper developer could be bad or the wrong dilution. What film and developer, EI, time and temperature are you using, and what paper and developer are you using?

You may also have the wrong bulb in your enlarger. What kind of enlarger is it, and what kind of head does it have?

Yep, it definitely is the enlarger. I have printed the exact same negatives with my own paper and chemicals at other places and exposure times were less than 1/10th of those on my own enlarger. It's a Durst C35, replaced the bulb, didn't fix anything. There is no ND filter. I have both the head for 6x6 and 35mm negatives, both give extremely long times. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with the quality of the prints.

I wouldn't mind as much if it was fine-art photography I'm doing, but unfortunately photojournalism is my thing - time matters!

 

[pesphoto]

I built my darkroom in our basement. We rent, but the landlords are really good about it. When we move I can take it down and bring it with us. So its not totally permanent, but works. I use an Omega B22 enlarger.
Here are a few pics on my website

 

[pesphoto]

Lets try this link again. Not sure why it didnt work first time. er, computers!
oops, just realized i used email hyperlink by mistake the first time.

DARKROOM PICS

 

[David Goldfarb]

Yep, it definitely is the enlarger. I have printed the exact same negatives with my own paper and chemicals at other places and exposure times were less than 1/10th of those on my own enlarger. It's a Durst C35, replaced the bulb, didn't fix anything. There is no ND filter. I have both the head for 6x6 and 35mm negatives, both give extremely long times. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with the quality of the prints.

I wouldn't mind as much if it was fine-art photography I'm doing, but unfortunately photojournalism is my thing - time matters!

That is really strange. Obviously lots of people use the Durst C35 and don't have unreasonably long exposures, and Durst makes pretty good enlargers. Are you sure you've got the correct bulb?

 

[jonasv]

Hrm, thanks for that! I will try another bulb... not sure what a dichloric lamp is though, but I'll see if I can find a bulb that fits and is a bit stronger. I didn't think it was possible to just put a stronger bulb in an enlarger - I thought they were specifically designed for one bulb's light output.
Thanks!

 

[amateriat]

My situation is "all dressed up and no place to go"...I have just about all the necessary ingredients for a wet darkroom (revolving around an Omega B22 with 50mm f/w.8 EL-Nikkor), but not even a semi-okay spece to set it up in. I've been thinking about a shot-glass-sized system based on one of the better small Durst enlargers and limiting my output to 8x10 and smaller.

But, truth be told, I've got my digital scanning and printing setup pretty much down cold, and this is where the action has been for some years now with me - not because I've willingly eschewed the wet darkroom as much as my conviction that if I can't have much more than a half-assed wet-printing setup (and only set up part-time at that!), I'd be better off just sticking to the wet part for handling the film and doing the digital dance for the rest (and working damned hard to get that part as right as funds will allow...happily, I'm getting mroe than credible results now). The one area where I won't compromise is with my cameras - virtually all the dSLRs I've actually shot with have eventually brought out quite hostile feelings from me (which usually takes some work!), and that alone has been reason enough to stick with film.


- Barrett

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Take my enlarger, please...

Take my enlarger, please...

Nice compact dichroic enlarger - FREE!
Pickup only in Oceanside Long Island NY
Send PM if interested.

 

[visiondr]

I built my darkroom in our basement. We rent, but the landlords are really good about it. When we move I can take it down and bring it with us. So its not totally permanent, but works. I use an Omega B22 enlarger.
Here are a few pics on my website

Paul,

The shots of your darkroom show a nice, compact set up. Do you have a water supply? Can one establish a dark room for enlarging only without water and drain? I can develop film at our basement utility sink. But there's no practical way to set up a wet darkroom in my house.

 

[Doug]

Can one establish a dark room for enlarging only without water and drain? I can develop film at our basement utility sink. But there's no practical way to set up a wet darkroom in my house.

One can make do... My first darkroom was a walk-in closet, across the hall from the bath. The inner end of the closet was my "dry side", and closer to the door along one side was a support for three trays. I mixed chemicals in the bath and brought the trays into the closet. Then, after securing all light-sensitive materials, I opened the closet door and carried my print(s) from the fixer tray across the hall to the washing tray in the tub. Maybe you can arrange something similar...

 

[jk251]

I develop the film in my bathroom, six rolls of 135 films a time. Then send films to professional studio for printing if necessary.

 

[Haigh]

Darkroom

Darkroom

I have half a laundry a home which does as a darkroom. I also have a mid level scanner which is OK for posting on the web. If I want prints it's definitely darkroom.

Gary Haigh