That's too bad!

Brenton W. Cooper

Active Member
Okay...I'm a newbe here but what, no one works in the darkroom any longer?

If I'm loading 4x5 sheet film in my lisco holders I have a black dark double zipped bag that is light tight, so I consider that a darkroom.

I sometimes still go into the bathroom at night after I have prepped all the windows with black paper and hand load a couple of stainless steel reels with Ilford pan film and drop them in the double hand tank adding D-76 and process them. Stop Bath and Fixer baths.
And hang them up to dry.

All I need is the negs and then they'll be scanned into the 'puter with the Espon Perfection Scan 4870. So I'm doing something in the darkroom. Wish I had room for the Besseler 23C enlarger that sits in the garage. Guess no one else is, but that's okay. Long-live digital!
 
Some of certainly do!

Darkroom1.jpg


Darkroom2.jpg


Devere 507 with Split Grade Head from Heiland Elektronik, Ilford 2150 for RC and trays etc for FB.

Only B&W and alternative these days. Colour is all digital.
 
Sweet Pete! Really I thought so, I just saw an empty space and wanted to fill it in! Wish I had your set-up...really nice! Would love to soak my hands in Dektol again. When RC paper came out I thought that fad would not last long. Wrongo there too! Good double-weight fiber-based paper is very expensive on this side of the pond! Now I'm confined to special labs, just like Kodachrome that's almost gone! Just finding a good price for new ND filters, the prices are crazy! Especially for anything around 72mm on up!
 
I know what you mean Brenton. I tend to work prints up on RC and then do final prints on FB - not always though, especially if they are going to hang for just a short while. Luckily Ilford are still going strong and, if anything, their business is growing. The Alternative Process community is also pretty active.
 
How about drum dryers, does anyone use them across the waves! I knew a wav once she was real nice to me!
 
My print processors are dry to dry and I have roller dryer for toned RC. But for fibre I use drying racks (under the sink o the right but you can't see them easily) although I do have old dryer / glazer that I've never used. Never used a drum dryer though.
 
That's just nuts Pete - fantastically well prepped space, looks like you have it well dialed in.

I just couldn't do it any more - I love my digital workflow
 
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