Darkroom Experiences

R

richiedcruz

Guest
I had an interesting experience today at my local rental darkroom. I had six developed rolls laying around, enough to be in the way, but not enough to warrant setting up my temporary home darkroom. So I decided to run down to my local photo shop and run up some contact sheets.

I signed up, got some lenses, proof printer etc and headed for the darkroom. There was already someone there, blasting classical music so loud that you could hear it all the way in the front of the store.

I went in and said hello to him, but he did not say anything back. In fact, I would say that the look he gave me reminded me of the way that my best friend looks at his ex-wife.

Things did not improve as I got my coat off and started setting out my darkroom supplies. He actually started to mutter unkind things under his breath. When I pulled out my negative sheets, he snorted, and I could have sworn he was actually going to laugh.

I cannot say that I was very relaxed, when I was trying to choose an enlarger to use. He sighed every time I approached a machine and checked to see if they were plugged in. One that was had a busted timer turned on, when I tried to dial in a time.

Of course, he had some prints in the developing tray and, of course, there was more unkind muttering. I got the machine turned off and found another to use. There was more sarcastic snorting, as I got the enlarging lenses cleaned and dusted.

I finished getting everything set up and started to run up contact sheets. At one point I dropped a flashlight that I had used to check out the various enlargers (making sure that I was keeping its light rays away from the developing tray). It turned on from the fall. He started to swear, still under his breath. Then he told me to: "watch it with that light."

I turned around to say that I was sorry. But he did not bother looking at me, while I was saying it and did not reply in any way. I kept on with running up contact sheets.

Then he started to pace. And I mean pace. I almost swore that he was running laps around the darkroom. And he kept up his muttering.

Finally, I finished with the enlarger and waited for him to finish with the trays. I turned around and noticed that all his prints in all the trays, even the ones in the print washer were turned around so I could not see what was on them. Which is not the way that they were, when I walked in. And, no, they were not x-rated, just tourist pictures from what I took to be a trip to New York.

Anyway, he finished up with the trays, doing his best to keep his back to me the entire time, and making sure that I did not see his vacation photos. I almost started to laugh right there, but he seemed so wound up that I thought there would be no telling how he would have taken it.

I got my contact sheets souped and dried and went up front to pay for my darkroom time. The people behind the counter almost burst out laughing, when they saw me. Then they started talking amongst themselves about the guy who had just left. They referred to him as the "fussy one."

I have used this darkroom for a long time, sometimes it gets pretty crowded in there. But I have always found that most people I share the darkroom with find it a good excuse for some camera or film talk (Wow. You only shoot Tri-x:) ). This is the first time that anything like this has ever happened to me.

I was just curious to see if anyone has any rental/school darkroom horror stories to share.

Richie
 
Sounds about right. I talk to myself in my darkroom esp if doing long developing lith prints. I generally revert to normal when I leave though.
 
About as rude as people who talk in movie theaters or use cell phones in restaurants.

Then there are the idiots who dial phones and drive at the same time.

Don`t get me started, it`s a new day.
 
At college; I really did get annoyed sometimes, the darkroom got busy every moment I was in there, and by busy I mean ANNOYING.

I'm used to having a laugh, sprinkling wash water from my fingertips on friends (yes I've had dev/fix in return!!) and having the awful music played and laughed about it. I think when someone put on a recording of a really awful comedian I was wound up a bit because I couldn't concentrate and had people laughing at the wrong moments.

I really don't mind sharing a darkroom with others, and if its me and one other person I'll try once or twice for conversation.

The one thing that wound me RIGHT up was on the busy days. Course, it was during lesson time, I already had experience in darkrooms and the kids coming in (16/17) were novices reading from the notes they'd written in class. No idea what the technical aspects were and certain nacks you need. So they'd try and put a print on top of a 10x8 in the developing tray, which is SO stupid when you think about it. So you need to stand over the developing trays while the print develops until they understand the 'wait your turn' shoulder. ((damn I sound like Mr Fussy don't I??))

Well that's not the worst. The enlargers were 35mm but had a glass neg carrier for 6x6 or 6x9. And people would pull out the neg carrier with the enlarger still on. That's like lighting a bonfire in there! The whole room would light up with harsh shadows and it was the same few people every time. Course, others don't realise it fogs prints so only the more experienced people were getting angry. Yes, I shouted, No, it made no difference.

That sort of thing winds me up. I think I ended up having a word with the photography teacher so she could announce to the class of first years that you should NEVER do that.

Aside from those little niggly things, usually when I've used darkrooms it's been fine. Sounds like you drew the short straw with your timing :)
 
I've seen plenty of people like that, working (almost living) in my college's photo center. Photography is complex and difficult, and as some people start to master it, they start to feel elitist. I notice this all the time, whether I'm printing alongside them in the darkroom or hanging out in photo forums. :) I think the elitism tends to go away for most people with experience but... here's a comparison between a few people who print during the day when I'm on duty.

I have this one patron who requests, by serial number, the same 50mm f/2.8 Nikkor every time he comes in. He's been photographing for 55 years. His stuff is dynamite, they look like commercial portraits done of his family and friends. I have no problem tracking down this lens every time he asks for it, because while he's never told me, I know he has poor eyesight and that the f/2.8 helps him focus. It's the brightest one in the cabinet.

I have another patron, and older guy, who came up to the window the other day and started asking what kind of chemistry we use. This is how the conversation went. For context, last week he was complaining that we didn't have water baths for developing b&w. We have a filtered, tempered water supply accurate to 1/10th a degree fahrenheit! If you need a water bath, get a big beaker! Anyway, last week he complained about our print chems.

"What kind of chemicals are you using in the darkroom?"

Sprint.

"What's sprint?"

It's a middle-of-the-road phenidone/hydroquinone developer, a lot like ilford PQ. Turns chloro-bromide papers a little green, usually goes away with selenium toning. What are you printing on?

"RC. But I can't wrap my head around these chemicals. They just don't look like I want. Can I bring in my own?"

Sure, if you want to keep bottles of chemicals in your student locker. What's wrong with the developer?

"I just can't wrap my head around it. I haven't printed in 10 years, it just doesn't look right. Let me put it to you this way: I'm a microphen kind of guy."

---

Wait. Wait, what? What's that supposed to mean? Microphen is a film developer.

Profile of a third patron. This guy just moved to the area, shoots 8x10, got super excited about our facility when he toured, actually appreciated the fact that we've got matching sets of Rodenstock / Schneider / Nikkor lenses. He learned to print under Alan Ross. He comes in and tests film for the hell of it, a really friendly and interesting fellow. He's a guy who can probably scientifically measure the bromide levels in our developer based on his density step-wedges.

Does he care about what print developer we're using?

Nope! Just as long as we keep it fresh and have a jug of selenium ready-to-go so that he can take the green cast out of his prints.

And while I'm ranting, do you know what drives me nuts? When people start hyper-agitating their prints with the tongs, whipping the developer into a bubbly froth.

"You know," I often say to these users gently, "the developer will last much longer if you don't stir oxygen into it. If you want to agitate your prints, try rocking the tray, like this..."

Lastly, for what it's worth, I develop, stop, and fix with my prints face-down to prevent the natural fiber curl from lifting the print out of the chemistry. I don't care if people think I'm being secretive, I just don't want spots of uneven development. I don't bother doing this for test strips, but large prints on fiber are too expensive to risk.
 
Ah!! I wondered why anyone would stick a print upside down!!

Whenever I used the college's darkroom and had to set up/replenish the chemicals, I ALWAYS did at least half as much MORE than they do by default so that the print is fully submerged even with a curl. then again I dip my fingers in to push the film down if it floats.

Now I understand the upside-down print thing. Only problem is I used to develop by inspection, so I needed the print facing up.
 
Another good reason to keep your prints upside-down is to avoid safelight fogging. We've got the darkroom set up with nice sodium-vapor OC lights now, but last year we had some red neon that apparently emitted on the UV spectrum. Fifteen minutes and there was visible fog on the paper. We canned that light, but when there's 13 people in the darkroom, there's a lot of extraneous light bouncing around. Also, keeping your prints upside-down provides you extra protection from your friend's iPod backlight, or from people who put the negative carrier in while the focus light is on. :)
 
Good advice!

That safelight I bought cheap is pretty good actually. I've not seen a single bit of fogging from using it. Not bad for a fiver, although if I went pro I'd hope to spend £100 on the safelight to have the best level of 'safety'
 
Thank God I am not the only one who has had weird days in the darkroom.

One thing that confused me about this guy having his prints face down is that they were all face up, when I walked in. If he was worried about having them fogged why did he have them up in the first place.

Oh, and he was using Ilford RC MG IV;)

Richie
 
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