Who still uses a darkroom?

[matiasgd]

I do, an uses when I have a film batch of 10 to 20 rolls of B&W film ( app. 8 times a year)

[wls.shanghai]

I do -
and I like it

B&W prints up to 40x50 cm - Baryt and PE (mostly ILFORD paper)
for me it's a great pleasure -

Live out my creativity


Regards
wls

[huubl]

I did B&W wet printing up to about 15 years ago. Used a Durst M600 for the 6x6s from the Roleicord and 35mm from my other cameras.

Since about three years ago I'm gradually returning to film from DSLR shooting mainly. The acquisition of a couple of nice RFs was a major cause to that.

Yesterday I got a Leica Focomat V35 from the lab at work and today I worked in the attick all day to convert a small bathroom to become my next dark room. I hope to be in business again next week or so.

BTW, anybody knows how to open and clean the dust out of the V35's focotar 40mm f/2.8?

[aauckland]

I produce a high percentage of digital images, (from my DSLR's), but for my real passion I return to the darkroom.
The tactile feel, and look, of B&W Fibre prints, produced by the wet process, is uniquely beautiful.
I have a permanent darkkroom setup, with 3 enlargers:
Omega C760XL, (Diocroic Head)
Agfa Varioscope 6.5x9, (Condenser Head.)
Durst M805, 6x9. (Diocroic Head.)
All have their individual uses, although I probably prefer my Agfa.

My "Wet" workflow, includes initial negative scanning, and producing my prefered "Print Look", digitally. Since with Photoshop, I can produce, (quick and dirty), results, that I then use as a reference in my "Wet" darkroom.
....I find this "Digital" step invaluable, for assessment and evaluation, prior to moving into the "wet" process.

[recrag]

After years of digital picture taking and inkjet printing, I got my M3 out of its hiding place and bought a roll of Tri-X. I am fortunate to live half a block from The Looking Glass Photo store in Berkeley where there is a well equipped and maintained darkroom. You can't really compare digital printing with chemical photo printing. They are two different worlds. Light transforming emulsion into image is magic. There is no magic in Photoshop. And as in doing anything with your hands, the time spent and the process you use is a gift you give yourself.

[xjr]

Have complete darkroom permanently set up for my B&W work and use it regularly.
Don't bother with digital cameras but I DO SCAN all my slides and B&W films for my records and replacing albums with books.

[cbretteville]

Use it to develop b/w negs, from there on its a digital workflow. Its kind of sad as I like spending time printing. Two upsides: it is a lot kinder on relationship with the Mrs. and I'm better at it than I was in a whet darkroom.

- Carl

[Don'tknowmuch]

I currently scan and print, but have got plans to get wet again as I think the prints are much nicer. Paper that one prints onto makes a lot of difference.
I wanted to ask, though, about dust... I always have to work on a scanned image to get rid of dust, but never noticed it in the past...
Do you/we think I'm working in a dustier environment (quite possible) or does one notice it more when looking at scanned images?
Jim.

[Michael Hiles]

Originally Posted by Don'tknowmuch

Do you/we think I'm working in a dustier environment (quite possible) or does one notice it more when looking at scanned images?
Jim.

Interesting.

I would like to hear how people eliminate or minimize dust on negatives (and subsequently prints) when printing in the classic darkroom. What do you do? How well does it work?

[aauckland]

Air blower brushes, cotton clothes, and an insane level of paranoia.
It can be slightly easier if you use glassless negative carriers, (but I don't on Medium format.)

[abrewer]

ME!

Well, actually I share it...but I still love it

Do enlarging and prints, too!

[ajthornbury]

I used to many years ago, but with then having a young family my photographic activity declined, now with the advent of Digital my interest has been re awakened. But without a wet, and hot dark room.

[fotohuis]

I still have a darkroom: From 35mm to 6x7cm with Split Grade (TM) system. Furrther I am also doing color RA-4 with a Thermaphot 252.
Scanning: Via my flatbed Epson V500 from prints or from film for the internet.

I like working in my darkroom. Everything is calm and not so hectic with all that computer stuff.
35mm: Leica and Canon. 6x4,5: Mamiya 645 pro and 6x6: Yashica Mat 124-G.

What I like most is the Leica M7 and the Yashica TLR. Both great cameras.

Best regards,

Robert

[mongrelnomad]

Just started again after a 12 year hiatus.

Was surprised how much easier developing film was than I remembered - that feeling when you empty out the fixer and take a look that first time is just such a rush.

Not sure about wet-printing though. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but while I can do my own developing while watching Wire reruns, I have to rent a darkroom and the whole process is too time-cosuming to do regularly. That said, though, with a scanner, I'll only wet-print the absolute best shots...

Oh, and 120 B+W? Gorgeous...

[boilerdoc]

Absolutely! I do digital if I can't get a good B&W from a neg. But for the most part it's TMY-2, Leica lenses and M7, and a Focomat enlarger. Not only am I doing straight B&W prints but I'm expanding into Lith prints as well as Palladium. And don't forget solarizing. It's all DR work and it is the craft and art of photography. Hands on and from the heart....
Steve

[kenneth]

I still like to hang around red light areas and would not thank you for a scanner in fact a friend offered me his old Nikon scanner but I turned down his kind offer

[kleinfel@alaska.net]

I sure do.

Black and white, traditional silver film, makes better prints than digital. My digital prints for some reason look as though they're torn out of magazines, less force.

It's different for color. There's so much more I can do, and so much more longevity, with Photoshop etc. that that's all I use to print. But a lot of photos are scanned in negatives.

And it's different for a black and white negative that was extremely difficult to print. Once I get a good 8 x 10, I scan in the print and work from that, toning the printout to minimize the clipped from magazine look.

[drums1977]

I've started film development again after many years. I don't have a darkroom though... Just a dark bag and a bathroom sink! I'm loving its come back for the moment. But I don't do prints, just stick my negs in my V700.

About dust: When I used to send rolls to the shop for development I had to spend a LONG time removing dust marks in PS. Now with the good old home process the negaives turn out to be much cleaner, specially if the final wash is done with distilled water. By the way, I always dry-wipe the scanner surfaces before scanning and use Tetenal Graphic Arts Cleaner for very dirty negatives.

[Riccis]

Me, me, me...

While I don't care about developing film, this is all done by my lab, I do get to spend a lot of time in the darkroom. Actually, all my high end clients get fine art monographs that are 100% printed in fiber in the darkroom.

Cheers,

[orni100]

Hello,

I do both - 70% scanning and printing though. I don´t care about small size photos out of the darkroom. If wet development, than bigger 20x30 cm. Just cannot enjoy smaller sized pictures.

Besides a full equipment at home, I have the luck to know some people, who like the darkroom too and we meet up once a month in a schoolbuilding in our darkroom to work together.

Regards

Dieter