Contact sheets without a darkroom

[Charly]

I use a hybrid workflow, scanning with a film scanner. This is a slow process if I were to scan every neg.

I want to produce chemical contact sheets from my 35mm negs in order to select what to scan. The problem is that I have no dark room equipment. Is it possible to contact print using a standard household lamp of some sort or would I be better off getting a cheapie flatbed for such a task?

Thanks for your help

charly

 

[EmilGil]

As long as you have a dark room, all you need is a light bulb and a piece of window glass to put on top of the negatives. No need to complicate things!

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

In London you are fortunate. A photo lab can make you contacts or double-size contacts while you go for a sandwich.

 

[giellaleafapmu]

I use a hybrid workflow, scanning with a film scanner. This is a slow process if I were to scan every neg.

I want to produce chemical contact sheets from my 35mm negs in order to select what to scan. The problem is that I have no dark room equipment. Is it possible to contact print using a standard household lamp of some sort or would I be better off getting a cheapie flatbed for such a task?

Thanks for your help

charly

Not only for tests you can contact print large negative and get beautiful prints with a bare bulb, I think Weston used this technique to produce some of his works. I use the same way for all my pinhole work (I just feel it is nice to use as little technology as possible sometimes) and it works fine.

GLF

 

[Ronald M]

Light bulb works.

So does my Epson scanner. 4 strips 6 frames each. In the prescan box check thumbnails and I get 24 small pics all separated. In photoshop, go to file -automate- contact sheet. It puts them all on one page. This takes 20 min depending on resolution used.

If I scan with enough resolution, I can blow up the sheet to see the individual pics in sufficient detail to make a 4x6 screen image. Then i pick the best for a final scan on the Minolta 5400.

 

[polaski]

I do believe I read somewhere that Ansel Adams used a light bulb on the ceiling for contact prints.