Home Page

Introduction

• Pricing for the Darkroom

Photo-Chemistry

Image Composition

The Room

Design & Construction

• Design

• Wall Materials

• Wall Color

• Electrical

• lighting

• Door

• Temporarily light proofing a window or door

• Counter Space

• Sinks

• Faucets

• Ventilation

• Floor Covering

Equipment

• Enlargers

  • Condenser Enlarger

  • Diffusion Enlarger

  • Color Head Enlarger

• Filters

• Safe Lights

• Film Processing tank

• Thermometers

• Print Trays

• Timers

• Print Washing Tray

• Print Tongs

• Contact Sheet Maker

• Focusing Aid

• Compressed Air

• Easel

• Radio

• Gadgets

Safety & Cleanliness

• Children

• Toxicity

• Darkroom Location

• Cleanup

• Ventilate

• Wash Your Hands

• Clothing

• Food

• Chemical Disposal

Ventilation

• Light Tight

• Location

• Air Tight?

• Installation Considerations

• Air Filtration

• Fan Capacity & Control

• Formula

Chemicals - Film

• Film Developer

  • Dilution Rate

  • Capacity

• Stop Bath

  • Dilution Rate

  • Capacity

• Fixer

  • Dilution Rate

  • Capacity

• Hypo Clearing Agent

  • Dilution Rate

  • Capacity

• "Wetting Agent"

• Chemical "Life Span"

• Chemical Disposal

Chemicals - Print

• Print Developer

  • Dilution Rate

  • Capacity

• Stop Bath

  • Dilution Rate

  • Capacity

• Fixer

  • Dilution Rate

  • Capacity

• "Hypo Chek"

• "PermaWash" or "Hypo Clearing Agent"

  • Dilution Rate

• Silver Recovery

• Chemical "Life Span"

• Chemical Disposal

Film Development

• Duration Of Development

• Load Film

• Measure Chemicals

• Correct Temperature

• Start Development

• Agitation

• End Development

• Stop Bath

• Fixer - (also called Hypo)

• Water Rinse - (If using the optional, Hypo Clearing Agent)

• Perma Wash Or Hypo Clearing Agent

• Water Wash

• Wetting Agent

• Dry The Film

Film Data Tables

Making The Print

• Prepare Solutions

• Compose Image And Focus

• Lights

• Set The Enlargers Lens Aperture

• Set The Timer

• Set The Filter Pack

• Lights

• Cut Test Strips

• Place A Test Strip Onto The Easel

• Make Test Exposures

• Process The Test

• Dry The Print

• Evaluate The Print, and Correct the Exposure

• Evaluate The Print Again, and Correct The Contrast

• The Final Print

Paper Types

• Resin Coated

• Fiber Based

• Grades

• Finishes

• Applications

• Storage

Paper Data Tables

• Processing steps and wash times with PermaWash or Hypo Clearing Agent

  • Resin Coated paper

  • Fiber Based paper

• Wash time if NOT using PermaWash or Hypo Clearing Agent

  • Resin Coated Paper

  • Single Weight Fiber Based Paper

  • Double Weight Fiber Based Paper

"Push" & "Pull" Processing

• What is push - pull processing?

  • Push Processing

  • Pull Processing

• When would this be useful?

  • Case #1

  • Case #2

• How do I do it?

  • Case #1

  • Case #2

• What are the effects?

• How many stops is it?

• How do I process the film?

• What about using this technique with color film?

"Burning" & "Dodging"

• Introduction

  • Example #1

  • Example #2

• "Burning"

• Steps for "Burning"

• "Dodging"

• Steps for "Dodging"

Filters

• Filter factors: - Aperture Adjustment

• Filter Factors: - Shutter Speed Adjustment

• Miscellaneous Filters

  • UltraViolet (Skylight) Filter

  • Polarizing Filter

  • Cross Screen Filter

Retouching

• What You Can Expect To Achieve

• Materials

  • Artists Brush

  • Retouching Dyes

  • Mixing Pallet

• Technique

Print Toning

• Toning - (Optional)

• Processing steps and wash times with PermaWash or Hypo Clearing Agent

  • Resin Coated Paper

  • Fiber Based Paper

• Wash time (Before Toning) if NOT using PermaWash or Hypo Clearing Agent

  • Resin Coated Paper

  • Single Weight Fiber Based Paper

  • Double Weight Fiber Based Paper

• Archival Processing

• Hand Coloring - (Optional)

Alternative Techniques

• Reticulation

• Solarization

• Double Exposure

• Black and White Prints From Color Negatives

• Printing Black & White Negatives Using a Color Head Enlarger

PDF Documents Of My Site

• Individual Instructional Pages

  • Film Processing Chemicals

  • Paper Processing Chemicals

  • Film Development

  • Print Making

  • "Burning" & "Dodging"

  • Film Development Tables

  • Paper Development Tables

  • "Push" & "Pull" Processing

  • Filters For Black & White and Color Photography

  • Retouching Black & White Prints

  • Toning Black & White Prints

• General Information Pages

  • The Room

  • Design & Construction

  • Equipment

  • Ventilation

  • Safety

Frequently Asked Questions

Pictures Of My Darkroom

Links

Question Or Comment?

Trouble Shooting

• Film

  • Spots on negatives after they have dried

  • One or two specs of what appear to be dust

  • Streaks on negatives after development

  • Negatives are darker than normal or too contrasty (also more grainy)

    • Possible causes

  • Negatives are lighter than normal or too little contrast

    • Possible causes

• Prints

  • Prints have pink streaks or mottling

  • Whites, never seem pure white

    • Your negatives may lack contrast

    • You may be fogging your paper

New

A Comment on Digital

Gallery

About the Author