do you ever feel this way

[thegf]

...after spending a couple of hours in the darkroom, and making only one photo you're happy with (despite burning through a nice stack of paper):

why did i get into this? maybe i should just go with digital. at least there is a ctrl-Z.

 

[tj01]

If I get only a single print that I'm happy all around, despite burning through a stack of 10 , I'm happy.

 

[t.s.k.]

Is your printing session examining 1 or 2 rolls or are you trying to perfect 1 or 2 frames? Big difference !

 

[thegf]

i worked on two frames today.

both of which are actually overexposed and dark as night. fark.

 

[ChrisN]

Depends on what the issue is. If I'm just not getting the print exposure and look that I want, either I'm just having a bad day and need to give it a break, or I've got a poor negative. Or perhaps it's just that my photos are uninspiring and lack creativity - that's a totally different issue! 🙂

 

[nikon_sam]

Nope...

Nope...

& Nope...

If a neg is giving you that much trouble you need to take a hard look at it and figure out where you or it went wrong...
Either it was in the exposure or development...learn what happened and you won't be wasting your time...you must always be learning or you are wasting your time...

 

[thegf]

i tried doing test prints (expose in three second increments) - but it turns out i selected the wrong exposure time. argh.

i don't think its the negatives, because i've scanned some of them, and they appear fine.

 

[tomalophicon]

Keep on truckin'.

 

[thegf]

Well, I assume you are using filters?...if not you should use them, as you can usually get the right contrast with the appropriate filter prior to burning

hahahahahaha. you think i'm at the stage of burning! hilarious!

i am only at the point of printing a photo that's not complete sheet.

i have a colour head on my enlarger, so eventually i will get to filters. for now its just plain jane exposure.

 

[ChrisN]

i tried doing test prints (expose in three second increments) - but it turns out i selected the wrong exposure time. argh.

i don't think its the negatives, because i've scanned some of them, and they appear fine.

I know I keep harping on this, but it is the single most important lesson I've learned that has allowed me to produce negatives that print easily: Barry Thornton - making contact with curtains.

 

[ChrisN]

hahahahahaha. you think i'm at the stage of burning! hilarious!

i am only at the point of printing a photo that's not complete sheet.

i have a colour head on my enlarger, so eventually i will get to filters. for now its just plain jane exposure.

If you are using multigrade paper you really need to use filtration to control the contrast grade of the paper.

If you are using graded paper, stick with grade 2 to start with and expose and process your negs to give a reasonable "average" contast print.

It might be worthwhile for you to review the basics - have a look at the articles on the Ilford website: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/applications/page.asp?n=27

What enlarger head do you have? And what paper are you using?

 

[Ljós]

Well, to some extent I can understand/share the feeling. Actually I am always thrilled about the prints, but sometimes I despair about not being able to catch up: developing my films myself I manage without backlog, but contact sheets and prints: not really. So sometimes I ask myself: why am I doing this to myself? 🙂 But that notion does not last long. Film and negatives, and darkroom prints are wonderful and I would not want to miss it.

Greetings, Ljós

 

[thegf]

i think my problem is definitely overexposure and then underdevelopment. in order to avoid my entire picture going black, i've taken to pulling it out as soon as the picture shows. this is probably a bad practice.

i'm using ilford multigrade paper. something tells me i should probably read a lot of that site (i've already looked at some of it) before trying to print again.

thanks.

 

[btgc]

Printing is like driving - more you do, better you are. I'm just not printing that much so I know how you feel like. But having prints after several hours is very satisfying! I've decided I'll first print in minilab, hang prints to stay connected with them and then print my favourite in darkroom, several versions.

Obviously, if one doesn't have fluid printing skills, it's hard to get over limit when darkroom printing replaces commercial printing. Either work hard and get over hill or find your own use for darkroom work, like printing of selected frames, or else.

 

[FrankS]

If it were easy, it wouldn't be as satisfying. The challenge makes it rewarding. Seriously, if one could just push a button and a perfect print popped out, I wouldn't be as interested.

 

[benlees]

Just keep at it. One thing I learned when starting to print is that proper exposure and development of the negatives is crucial. It's the contrasty ones that really are hard to get the details you might want. It's fun and frustrating to figure out- makes it worth it giving it a try.

 

[shadowfox]

Allow me give you another perspective.

Years later, when you flip through the stack of good prints you've made. You'd be amazed that you still remember what happened when you print *each* of them; both the pain and the sense of accomplishments. And that will spur you on to make more prints.

I did this just over the weekend, so I should know 🙂

Be patient, some skills are worth developing.

On the flip side, I've never look at one of my digital files and remembered what the heck I did to get that look, let alone any feelings of accomplishments; thanks to ctrl-Z 😛

 

[thegf]

thanks for all the advice everyone. i totally just needed to take a step back.

to ease me into the film world, i may buy myself a cheap scanner. that way, i can at least see part of the fruits of my labour.

any suggestions? the less i spend the better; i'd be willing to drop a few hundred.