Do You Currently Operate a Darkroom?

[mikemgb]

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I just came across this post, I have a darkroom in a guest bathroom, I just spent the afternoon printing some photos from a recent trip to NYC with my M2. 

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[Pyrogallol]

Looks like a picture of Tower Bridge as well?

[cobbu2]

I home develop all my B&W films from 35mm to 8x10. I also do a little E-6 with the Arista kit. I stopped enlarging, having donated all that equipment to the local community college for their photography classes.

I scan the film, however I occasionally contact print my large format 5x7 and 8x10 negs.

[verwackelt]

i wish i would have the space for a darkroom. I worked as a photolab technican from 1986 to 1992 and we went digital then…
I was happy to get out of the dark and bad fumes in these days. I felt like a miner that got a white collar job.
But today i would like to have a darkroom again. Sometimes i develop films in a peterson tank in my bathroom. But i do no printing today…

[chacker]

Since roughly three years I have a darkroom readily available for black and white as well color printing. Although "darkroom" is a bit misleading... it's a small room in the cellar with pretty limited space. With the Durst Laborator 1000 I do enlarge 35mm - 4x5 negatives mostly to a size 24cm x 30cm. Sometimes smaller, sometimes a bit bigger.
  

[fotohuis]

I am working in the darkroom since 1967. I have my own darkroom since 1993 in my house which is from 1991. I continued with my fathers Meopta Opemus 2 from 1967 till 1999. Then I have bought a Dunco II 67 120 pro CVC (with Rodenstock optics 50-60WA-80mm) and in 2004 with a Split Grade (Heiland). I also have a Thermaphot ACP 252 (25cm wide, 2 bath). I am doing B&W and color RA-4 (FEM -Kunze color analyser). A small Nova I have it too. Further an Osram Duka 10 for the color light. A Jobo refurbished CPA-2 with elevator and a TAS film processor. Before the split grade I had a densitometer too.

Enlargement from 13x18cm till 40x50cm directly on the four band Dunco easel. A Versamask system I also have, sometimes handy. I also make some special receipts my self (e.g. Pyrocat HDC, Beutler, Windisch W665).

My darkroom is not so big but many things you can put in the height for more efficiency.

[4r36]

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After buying an old Leitz Focomat v35, getting it repaired, getting it broken anew during transportation, getting it repaired again, last weekend I finally made my very first print! 

 

My darkroom is simply my room with anti-light curtains placed on the window (I live in a student hall).

 

 

It was fun!

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[bobtodrick]

Gotta admit, though I have a couple of film cameras I just don’t have a desire to spend time in a darkroom…digital for me all the way 😂

But…we have a full darkroom. My 19 year old son shoots everything from 35mm to 4x5.

His enlarger is a Beseler 45 MXT with a Zone VI cold light head.

[Pyrogallol]

1 hour ago, bobtodrick said:

Gotta admit, though I have a couple of film cameras I just don’t have a desire to spend time in a darkroom…digital for me all the way 😂

But…we have a full darkroom. My 19 year old son shoots everything from 35mm to 4x5.

His enlarger is a Beseler 45 MXT with a Zone VI cold light head.

Good for him. We need more young film photographers.

[fotografr]

I spent 25 years processing my film and making prints in a nice darkroom that I built in the basement of my home. Like Jeff and some others, I've given that up now and converted to inkjet printing from digital files. I'm now past the point of going back to a darkroom.

For those who still operate darkrooms, you might appreciate this little video a friend sent me today--particularly if you're a Q2M user.

 

[105012]

Yes, I do operate one at home. I will shortly (in the next month or so) move it into a larger, better space, also at home. I have plenty of time-saving devices in my darkroom kit, so it’s all a fairly quick and material efficient process, and gives the joy and satisfaction that I personally don’t find in the digital process.

[Andrew Wittner]

I develop and print in a small custom built darkroom using a Focomat llc and an Agfa Varioscop 60. I print only on b&w FB papers (no RC) up to 20x24”. I typically shoot FP4, HP5 and TMY in a Leica lllg (I also shoot Rollei TLR occasionally) usually with a 50/2.8 Elmar. I have invented, and I use, an enlarging app called enLARGE, which is available on the Apple AppStore, which allows me to make a large perfect enlargement after first making a tiny test print, and this saves me heaps of money on photo paper.

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I also own a Leica M Typ240 digital which I generally use only for shooting stills and videos for my YouTube channel, excellent for that. Digital photography seems too easy for me, too ‘press button’, and for me the ultimate result is a nice oversized black & white A4 FB print on my wall, you just can’t beat the print quality and permanence. Black & White darkroom work is the ‘slow lane’ of photography but it’s where the craft and quality lie. 

[Einst_Stein]

Though I am retired and have much more time, my darkroom activity is now downsized to film dev only. I do both colored and B&W. When develop colored film, I need more precise temp control. I have a portable thermal meter controlled heater a tank in. Bathe tub for carrying dev drums. 

B&W, now I do only HC110 since running out of Rodinal and PMK.All still available but HC110 is my most favorited .

Color, I do only ECN-2, no more C41 nor E6. ECN-2 is a little annoying since temperature varies from step to step, unlike c41 or E6, but Kodak Vision 3 looks more pleasing to me…and film price is even cheaper than B&W. I make my own ECN-2 kit from components, price is also less than half of Rollei c41 kit. 

[newtoleica]

I have a darkroom that I had built in what was the ‘family bathroom’. It combines darkroom (with blackouts) utility, WC and sauna (doubles as a film dryer) 

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[Borna]

On 1/10/2023 at 9:25 PM, fotografr said:

I spent 25 years processing my film and making prints in a nice darkroom that I built in the basement of my home. Like Jeff and some others, I've given that up now and converted to inkjet printing from digital files. I'm now past the point of going back to a darkroom.

For those who still operate darkrooms, you might appreciate this little video a friend sent me today--particularly if you're a Q2M user.

 

Why did you do this to me?! I have been looking at this printing process for hours now! So amazing, I had no idea such technique existed. I was thinking to go into analogue but man there is some valid points towards digital printing in this video.  

[rgeorge911]

I had a home darkroom, including color capability, at home as a kid.  Now, >40 years later, I have a wonderful b&w setup with Focomat IIC, Omega D, digital timers, everything I could possibly want, including space for it where I work.  A dear friend gave me his father’s setup.  His Dad was a famous photographer and the crate just had everything and more.

I’ve been using it for about five years now and have really loved the flow experience I get there.  Time just flies there and that’s kind of the issue.  
 

I find myself using the enlargers less as my scanning has improved.  And the digitial M10 Monochrom is just so capable.

 

That said, I did a 4x5 only weekend this winter to shoot the snow.  Twelve exposures, one keeper, very pleased.  But so far, I’ve only printed it with inkjet.

 

 

 

[105012]

Our new backyard shed is finally complete... and complete with my new darkroom! Absolutely loving making prints again, wow how much I have forgotten, but it is coming back quickly 😀 

[George Collier]

I have always had a darkroom since 1958, and still do. I use Mostly M4's, Trix and FP4, Rodinal for everything. I gave up printing a couple of years ago, after doing a considerable amount of scanning on an Epson V850 Pro scanner, and finding a printer in town who prints on Hahnemuhle paper with a 12 color Canon press. After initial profile research and discussion with a Hahnemuhle tech, comparisons to my best prints on Ilford Fiber MGWT paper were as good in every way, and editing in PShop is far more discretionary than burning and dodging in the darkroom (even split filter printing with the Aristo V5400 light). It was not an easy decision to make.

I say more about this on the About page of my web site - https://www.georgeacollier.com/

So, I shoot film, process myself, and scan. I still feel funny about it, like being retired.

[verwackelt]

Phantastic work on your website!

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Hallo,

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[George Collier]

If you mean me, thanks, vewackelt