Position:Home>Visual Arts> What chemicals/equip do i need to start a darkroom?

Me again :)

Doumbek is right, to develop the prints you just need trays to hold the chemicals!.!.!.the fixer and developer!. You don't even really have to use a stop bath, you can juse use plain water!. But you also need an enlarger, and unfortunately that will probably be the most expensive thing!. You can find them on eBay for fairly cheap though if you look!. I got mine for $40!.

I just set up a homemade darkroom in the garage!. I don't even have a sink or running water in there!. I just use a tray of water to hold the pictures until I'm finished and have a chance to rinse them again in the sink in the house, and then let them dry!.

Basically, the way it works is that once you develop your film, you'll have negatives that you will use to make prints!. You put the negative on a tray on the enlarger, that's called the "negative carrier!." The enlarger will project the image onto the photo paper!. Photo paper is light sensitive, just like film!. So you switch on the lamp on the enlarger, and expose the paper for several seconds!. Usually between 10-20 seconds!. Then you develop the paper, like film!. You put it in a tray with the developer chemical for about 1 minute, then put it in a tray with a stop bath (you can use water)!. Then next step is to put it in the tray with the fixer for about 4 minutes, which will make the image permanent!. Rinse the paper, and you have just developed a picture!

Some pictures will need more of an exposure than others, depending on the negative!. You can make a picture lighter or darker depending on how long you expose it!. A picture exposed on the enlarger for 15 seconds will be darker than one exposed for 10 seconds!.

When you have more practice taking and developing pictures, you'll be able to get an idea of how long to expose the paper just by looking at your negatives!. When you took the picture in your camera, if the picture was underexposed, the negative will look "thin!." The negative will have faint details and light will easily pass through it!. So when you develop that picture on the enlarger, you will have to adjust the time so that the picture doesn't look too dark!. If you overexposed the picture in your camera, the negative will be "dense" meaning it looks a lot darker!. If it was really overexposed, it will look black!. It's harder for light to pass through dense negatives, so you will have to use a longer exposure on your enlarger so that the picture doesn't look too light!.

So, you can actually adjust the brightness of a picture by changing the amount of time you expose the paper on the enlarger!.

By the way, you will need a different developer for film and paper!. You CAN use film developer for paper, but it takes longer and the contrast isn't as sharp!. You can use the same kind of fixer though!.

So just set up a room so that you can block out as much light as possible!. Photo paper isn't sensitive to red light, so you can use a red light or what's called a "safe light!." It doesn't have to be completely dark!. also, paper isn't as sensitive as film, so I've found that the room doesn't have to be completely dark either!. Try to block out as much white light as you can, but if a little seeps in, it's not the end of the world!. I've had enough light leak in my darkroom from outside where after a while I could actually just barely see my hands with no red lamp!.!.!.but it didn't affect my pictures at all!. They turned out fine!.

So here's what you need:

Enlarger
Photo paper
maybe 4 plastic trays to hold the pictures
Paper developer
Fixer

Get the enlarger on eBay!. You can get the trays and chemicals at a good camera shop, online, or you might even be able to get them on eBay!.

Good luck and have fun! I love developing my own pictures, it's awesome!

As far as cost!.!.!.yeah, at first it might cost a lot to get set up!. But you can do it for less than $200!. If you really get a good deal on an enlarger, you can actually do it for less than $100!. You might be able to get an enlarger for $40 or $50 on eBay!. Figure about $25 total for the chemicals when you first get started!. (Film developer, Paper developer, and Fixer)!. You can get a "student pack" which includes a pack of photo paper and 2 rolls of black and white film for about $24!. A new developing tank and reel might cost about $25!.

So $40 for the enlarger
$25 for chemicals
$25 for the tank and reel
$24 for photo paper
and maybe $15 for the trays for developing pictures

So let's just round that up to maybe $150 total!. Some stuff you will have to buy more of, like film and photo paper and chemicals, depending on how many pictures you develop!. And of course, obviously you won't develop ALL your pictures, just the ones you like best!. Look at your negatives and see which pictures you're most interested in!. But the other stuff, like the trays and enlarger are just a one time investment!.

EDIT: I did NOT take any classes!. I learned this myself!. You do have to do research, but you can learn to do it yourself!. Just take your time and follow the steps!. I did research online and asked plenty of questions, but then I just tried it myself and learned on my own!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Photography store or web site!.

You will need a minimum of:

- developer
- stop bath (diluted Acetic acid)
- fixer (stops developing process)

You will need developer, stop bath, and fixer for BOTH film and prints, they are different chemistries!. They will be diluted with water; get distilled water for this purpose!. Don't use tap water, the PH may throw off your calculations!.

- Film developing reels and tins - in complete darkness, you will learn to thread the film in the reel and put it in the tin!. Then you can remove the cap and pour chemistry in and out!.

- three trays for developing prints

- running water to soak prints in after dev!., stop bath, fix

- way of hanging them to dry, simple clothesline and clothespins will do (plastic, not metal or wood)

- tongs - bamboo ones with rubber tips work well and are color coded, one each for dev!., stop bath, fixer!.

- thermometers - one for developer, one for fixer!. Chemicals must develop films and prints at precise times and temperatures!. Don't use the same one for developer and fixer!. The way acetic acid and fixer stops developing is it's the exact opposite PH of developer, and this will contaminate one or the other!.

- Enlarger - to slide the films into and project the images onto the prints

- red light bulbs - prints are not sensitive to red light spectrum so you can see what you're doing when making prints!.

FILM MUST BE HANDLED IN TOTAL DARKNESS UNTIL FIXED, so make sure your darkroom can be sent into complete darkness with red lights off, no light leaks!

This is for B/W only, color prints are a bit more complex!.

Additionally, it's good to have Hypo clearing agent on hand for both film and prints!. After the rinse, drop it in the hypo solution for 60 seconds, this will prevent water spots from forming on the films and prevent the prints from discoloring over time!.

Costs!? Hmm, go shopping and compare, it used to be you could set up a darkroom for under $200, with the largest investment in the enlarger!. Probably more realistic to guess under $300, at BEST!. Shop around!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Processing photos in a darkroom is nothing like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!.!.!. you don't need chemicals and equipment, you need proper training! I highly advise you to take a class in darkroom printing!.!.!. there is a lot you need to know, not just the process but the safety involved as well!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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dektol, indicator stop bath, rapid fixer, (all made by kodak)!. all chemicals soon to be obsolete (so i've been told)!. you can find all of them online at adorama!.com for under 100!.00!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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