I just spent 2+ hours in my bathroom turned darkroom.
I took my time, exposed about 15 sheets of paper.
Wow!!!!!!!!
OK, I forgot to stop the lens down, damn that 1s exposure, then I figured it out. I have to dilute the developer more, man, when the image started setting in, it was there in a hurry. And am I going to have issues. I grabbed a cheap set of contrast filters while my Ilford ones are in the mail from Freestyle. The filter tray in the Omega C-700 takes 75mm filters, that isn't 3 inches. Not to be denied, after a moment of deciding if I should let my blood pressure boil over or........ out came the exacto knife, that 2.5 filter sure looks like a 75mm filter now. I hope the Ilford filters fit.
OK, all that and I only printed 2 negatives. I chose a couple contrasty negs, should have gone for something easier, but that first one, 10 tries later, well I kept getting better. The second negative I guessed the exposure pretty good right off the bat. The second print came out best from this one. I got cute on the third, and the 4th Sammy, yes the boy came in and printed with me
, well he was getting tired.
Ok, I got my feet wet and I have some ideas of what to improve on.
I am pretty happy right now.
I took my time, exposed about 15 sheets of paper.
Wow!!!!!!!!
OK, I forgot to stop the lens down, damn that 1s exposure, then I figured it out. I have to dilute the developer more, man, when the image started setting in, it was there in a hurry. And am I going to have issues. I grabbed a cheap set of contrast filters while my Ilford ones are in the mail from Freestyle. The filter tray in the Omega C-700 takes 75mm filters, that isn't 3 inches. Not to be denied, after a moment of deciding if I should let my blood pressure boil over or........ out came the exacto knife, that 2.5 filter sure looks like a 75mm filter now. I hope the Ilford filters fit.
OK, all that and I only printed 2 negatives. I chose a couple contrasty negs, should have gone for something easier, but that first one, 10 tries later, well I kept getting better. The second negative I guessed the exposure pretty good right off the bat. The second print came out best from this one. I got cute on the third, and the 4th Sammy, yes the boy came in and printed with me
, well he was getting tired.Ok, I got my feet wet and I have some ideas of what to improve on.
I am pretty happy right now.
dcsang
Canadian & Not A Dentist
"I love the smell of stop bath in the bathroom; smells like.............victory"
Dave
Dave
f8&go
Established
Congratulations & best wishes !
You're a different photographer now.
You're a different photographer now.
cbass
Nutmegger
Very cool. Have fun!
Joerg
Dilettant
Congrats!!!
Ciao
Joerg
Ciao
Joerg
Ash
Selflessly Self-involved
Nice one
Did you remember to do test strips?
It's the one thing I avoid cos I consider it a waste of paper (and it's hassle). Course, then I waste 10 sheets of 10x8 and realised one test strip could have saved maybe 8 sheets!!
Good luck with it though, I don't think I can work unless I have a colour enlarger with the filtering built in. It's just SOOOOooo much easier!!
Did you remember to do test strips?
It's the one thing I avoid cos I consider it a waste of paper (and it's hassle). Course, then I waste 10 sheets of 10x8 and realised one test strip could have saved maybe 8 sheets!!
Good luck with it though, I don't think I can work unless I have a colour enlarger with the filtering built in. It's just SOOOOooo much easier!!
T
tedwhite
Guest
Congrats. You'll get it sorted out soon enough. Yes, always focus wide open, then stop down three stops before making the exposure (on average).
Screw test strips. Way too much time cutting and fiddling. Train your eye to read the projected negative. After a time you'll look at it and say, 12 seconds with a 3 filter. OK, so maybe you're off a couple of seconds. For me, time is money, and paper's cheap. Making test strips is, in my opinion, time wasted.
ONe of my partners in the studio/co-op makes test exposures with 8X10 paper. When he gets an image worth enlarging he makes 16X20's. "If you're goint to enlarge, why screw around?" he says.
And once the eye is up to speed you waste less and less paper.
Good luck, and 8X10 Fomapan paper's cheap at Freestyle.
Ted
Screw test strips. Way too much time cutting and fiddling. Train your eye to read the projected negative. After a time you'll look at it and say, 12 seconds with a 3 filter. OK, so maybe you're off a couple of seconds. For me, time is money, and paper's cheap. Making test strips is, in my opinion, time wasted.
ONe of my partners in the studio/co-op makes test exposures with 8X10 paper. When he gets an image worth enlarging he makes 16X20's. "If you're goint to enlarge, why screw around?" he says.
And once the eye is up to speed you waste less and less paper.
Good luck, and 8X10 Fomapan paper's cheap at Freestyle.
Ted
arbib
Well-known
I remember when..
I remember when..
I was 15 and my dad built a darkroom with a utility sink, in our garage. It had a Dry side and Wet side. He also bought me my first 35mm, A Voiglander Prominent II with a 50mm F1.5 Nocton. (wish I still had it). Anyway
He bought a used Omaga B8 Enlarger (A tank) with a 50mm lens. and all the stuff to make prints.
It took a few weekends to get the Film developing down, and LONGER for printing. But What fun and expierance I had. I waisted Soooo Much Film taking worthless subjects, just to get in the Darkroom and try again. . But I can feel your exitement.
Glad you are enjoying it. It IS peaceful in there, isn't it. Ahhhhh....
PS. Use test strip for your fisrt Exposure. With 8x10 paper in the frame holder, . Use an 8x10 cardboard to uncover about 1 or 2 inch strip at a time. Set the timer for say 45s and an F/stop of F/8 and every 5s move the cardboard. Uncover a 1-2 inch strip first and expose more every 5s. The first strip will be the longest exposure of course. try to get 5-7 strips on the 8x10.
One day I will have a darkroom again, I swear
I remember when..
I was 15 and my dad built a darkroom with a utility sink, in our garage. It had a Dry side and Wet side. He also bought me my first 35mm, A Voiglander Prominent II with a 50mm F1.5 Nocton. (wish I still had it). Anyway
He bought a used Omaga B8 Enlarger (A tank) with a 50mm lens. and all the stuff to make prints.
It took a few weekends to get the Film developing down, and LONGER for printing. But What fun and expierance I had. I waisted Soooo Much Film taking worthless subjects, just to get in the Darkroom and try again. . But I can feel your exitement.
Glad you are enjoying it. It IS peaceful in there, isn't it. Ahhhhh....
PS. Use test strip for your fisrt Exposure. With 8x10 paper in the frame holder, . Use an 8x10 cardboard to uncover about 1 or 2 inch strip at a time. Set the timer for say 45s and an F/stop of F/8 and every 5s move the cardboard. Uncover a 1-2 inch strip first and expose more every 5s. The first strip will be the longest exposure of course. try to get 5-7 strips on the 8x10.
One day I will have a darkroom again, I swear
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Trius
Waiting on Maitani
Yeeeee haaaaa!!! I am so freakin' jealous! Our basement looks, at the moment, like the aftermath of a full assault from a determined enemy. Even emptied of junk, it would take some serious work to set up a Beseler 45MX enlarger, sink, etc. Damn, I need a new house.
Dfin
Well-known
I miss my acid fixer man.
Bryce
Well-known
Rover-
Good to have a little company in the darkroom category here. Help me keep the B+W suppliers in business! Enjoy, marvel at the quality of the prints you can get the old fashioned way. Chuckle when people ask how you got your inkjet to do THAT.
I'm bullish on test strips, though I often use the eyeball technique for a series of similar negs. I use the split filter technique, exposing various amounts with one filter in one direction, then the other with the other. This way I establish exposure and contrast in the same test.
Just make sure the red light isn't visible from outside your house; people get the wrong idea...
Good to have a little company in the darkroom category here. Help me keep the B+W suppliers in business! Enjoy, marvel at the quality of the prints you can get the old fashioned way. Chuckle when people ask how you got your inkjet to do THAT.
I'm bullish on test strips, though I often use the eyeball technique for a series of similar negs. I use the split filter technique, exposing various amounts with one filter in one direction, then the other with the other. This way I establish exposure and contrast in the same test.
Just make sure the red light isn't visible from outside your house; people get the wrong idea...
FrankS
Registered User
Congrats, Rover! NOW you are a complete photographer.
Instead of test strips what I do is tear a piece of 8x10 paper into 16ths (4 tears in half) to make little pieces. I place a little peice on an important part of the image after setting the aperture and exposure time by guess/experience. Exposure settings are modified in response to how the "test piece" turns out.
Way to go, buddy!
Instead of test strips what I do is tear a piece of 8x10 paper into 16ths (4 tears in half) to make little pieces. I place a little peice on an important part of the image after setting the aperture and exposure time by guess/experience. Exposure settings are modified in response to how the "test piece" turns out.
Way to go, buddy!
raid
Dad Photographer
Good stuff Man. I wish I had the will and energy to do what you have done. [translated into English:my wife says NO].
Raid
Raid
FrankS
Registered User
That's understandable, Raid. You're the one with a 34 year old wife. If I want to stay up late and work in the darkroom, my wife is happy.
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xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
You will spending a lot of time in that bathroom/darkroom now.
erikhaugsby
killer of threads
So, you gave up on the trusty 23C you were looking at?
Don't worry, though, the addiction will soon turn into an obsession and you won't need to worry about spending "too much" time in the darkroom.
Don't worry, though, the addiction will soon turn into an obsession and you won't need to worry about spending "too much" time in the darkroom.
Now tonight..............
Yes, I know it is addictive. I printed when I was in high school, it was great. My father even called me in sick a couple days and let me stay home in the darkroom all day, that was cool of him.
The master bath is the one I used. I have odorless chemicals in the mail to me, but I mixed up fix and stop that I had. The wife wasn't too big on the stink, I don't think she is prepared to get used to it.
Test strips, yeah, I will use them when I can, but all of my exposures were under 10 seconds, way to short to be messing with a test strip. Again, I have to mix the developer a bit more diluted, to slow that down too.
I will spend today hacking the rest of the filters I bought cheap so they will fit in the filter draw. These negs needed less contrast than I projected.
Everyone who is thinking about it, do it. The enlarger, timer, easel and safe light may be an investment, but on ebay you can get great prices. The Omega enlarger I bought made it to my house new in the box, still in the original packing, never used for $60ish. Pick up the pieces for cheap as they come up then get in the bathroom and do it.
Yes, I know it is addictive. I printed when I was in high school, it was great. My father even called me in sick a couple days and let me stay home in the darkroom all day, that was cool of him.
The master bath is the one I used. I have odorless chemicals in the mail to me, but I mixed up fix and stop that I had. The wife wasn't too big on the stink, I don't think she is prepared to get used to it.
Test strips, yeah, I will use them when I can, but all of my exposures were under 10 seconds, way to short to be messing with a test strip. Again, I have to mix the developer a bit more diluted, to slow that down too.
I will spend today hacking the rest of the filters I bought cheap so they will fit in the filter draw. These negs needed less contrast than I projected.
Everyone who is thinking about it, do it. The enlarger, timer, easel and safe light may be an investment, but on ebay you can get great prices. The Omega enlarger I bought made it to my house new in the box, still in the original packing, never used for $60ish. Pick up the pieces for cheap as they come up then get in the bathroom and do it.
Bryce
Well-known
Rover-
Printing times under 10 seconds are very difficult to work with if you're going to burn or dodge. I found a good 2 stop ND filter in the used bin at the local used photo dealer and found a way to get it in the works. Now I can print at F/8 for best sharpness and still get manageable printing times. I place it on the lensboard above the lens before I slide it into place. Maybe this would work for your enlarger also?
Frank-
You TEAR your test strips? Don't you feel somehow dirty doing that? I bought a paper cutter from an office supply store and love it, even for test strips.
Printing times under 10 seconds are very difficult to work with if you're going to burn or dodge. I found a good 2 stop ND filter in the used bin at the local used photo dealer and found a way to get it in the works. Now I can print at F/8 for best sharpness and still get manageable printing times. I place it on the lensboard above the lens before I slide it into place. Maybe this would work for your enlarger also?
Frank-
You TEAR your test strips? Don't you feel somehow dirty doing that? I bought a paper cutter from an office supply store and love it, even for test strips.