I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Rover,

Could I just recommend that you consider time in stops, in the same way as you work with the aperture ? It is very much more practical to have tests made with time doubling (or multiplied by 1,5 for half-stops) per test in order to have time/aperture equivalence, whether the paper is exposed in strips or you use the "smaller bits of paper in critical areas" approach. After you have got used to your setup, consider your printing time to be in adjusted in tenths of a stop, as that is when you can clearly see a difference (on Ilford MG anyway).

Personally, I find that the biggest aid to exposure is a contact sheet, which I always expose in a standard way - the appearance can then be the "very similar" at 10x8 size and, with a bit of practice and adjustment relative to the standard you see on your contacts, you can then get close to your final result by using just a few bits of paper in critical areas to decide on dodging or burning as Franck (?) suggested.

There are also odourless stop and fix available these days ;)

Have fun !
 
Last edited:
I have a Jobo test printer thingy that is a godsend. It's a sheet of 8x10 mylar with stripes that gradualy go darker. You expose 10 seconds with the mylar on the paper, and develop. The "lighter" (transparent) patch is 10 second, the darker patch will be 2 seconds.. Since the pattern is repeated 4 times on the 8x10 you can also mask and try 4 different contrast grade on just one 8x10!

I picked that test printer in a "job lot" of darkroom crap on eBay, with a grain focussing thing and various other gizmos.
 
Congratulations Ralph that is just great! I'm in the process of acquiring the bits and pieces too and I have the enlarger (from Texas) and I have enough room in the basement (plus running hot & cold water & sink) for at least a temporary set-up. If it works I may do some construction down there. I had a complete darkroom when I lived in Dublin and loved it so I do understand your enthusiasm. Keep up the good work! :D
 
You know, the chemical smell shouldn't matter, because when you pack all your trays up and wipe down the counter it should be gone completely.

I wanted to say though, regarding fast exposure times - I developed and scanned my negatives for the longest time, and everything was great. But when I started printing in the bathroom I found out that virtually all my negatives were thin, printing normally at grade 3 or 4. Oops. So this might be a good chance to figure out what your perfect grade 2 negative looks like. :)

Congrats, btw. It's not easy to get a functional darkroom going but it opens up a whole new world of computer-free pleasure!

(Edit: Oh, I have to throw in my two cents on the trimmer thing -- what you need is a rotatrim. A test strip just isn't a test strip if it's not precisely 2x8"! How can one conclude anything useful from a test strip with ragged edges!? Rotatrim, the choice of the discerning enthusiast.)
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the club, Rover. I'm jealous now because my enlarger just stopped working. Burn test strips, they save paper in the long run. I tear 10x8 paper into 3 strips with a steel ruler on the workbench. There are all kinds of test printing gizmos but really they don't do any more than a piece of scrap mount card. After a while you'll get close on grade and exposure as soon as you project the negative.
 
Most of my test pieces are about 1 to 2 inches in area, 4-sided, but each side is a different length due to the random nature of free-hand tearing. I find this works best for me. With 2 or at most 3 pieces, I can get the exposure right on. I think the unique shapes of the pieces is vital to their success. YMMV ;)
 
Congratulations, Ralph! I'm green with envy too... but I know now who to turn to if I need advice about this particular matter.

Right now, this semester, in addition to adding a new lens, I started developing my film (need to do it more often!) and learning German. Printing will have to wait, but not for long. I think Oscar is also dabbling in this area.

Boy, are we some adventuresome bunch! :) Well done, Ralph!
 
congrats ralph!
i still remember my first print showing as an image in the developer tray.

but i don't miss the darkroom, the scanner and photoshop and then off to the lab is fine for me now.

and i don't feel incomplete by any means...

joe
 
Joe: Ralph, myself, and others who use enlargers, are complete traditional photographers. You are a film/digital hybred photographer. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
 
FrankS said:
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.
Click to expand...


Frank:I take then that your wife's age is not 34. :angel:
Raid
 
What great response to the traditional side of our art.

My day got a little off this morning, I was planning on processing a couple rolls, but ended up shooting instead. Pretty cool to be able to do a little bit of it all from film to negative to print.
 
Another bonus is even when you're not printing you can holler "darkroom!" when your wife or one of the kids opens the basement door, and they go away.
 
O.K. I was mostly kidding about the rotary trimmer. It's a great thing to have in the darkroom, I can cut paper with it, nice and square, without losing any digits. Even in very dim light!
I guess I can accept that some people tear their test strips... I usually make mine when I'm going to print square images or something. I just cut the excess before printing.
I won't mention the brand name of my trimmer out of respect for those who suffer GAS at the first sign of the Jones's getting ahead or whatever.
 
Buze's JOBO test-printer in number 30, above, sounds for all the world like the extinction-type light meter the EARLY (1940's) Argus A-2 cameras came equipped with. Primitive, rudimentary, but you were within a stop or two everytime.

DeeCee3
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom