Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Here's another suggestion for the newby bathroom darkroom workers. The first time I set up in the bathroom, I was getting horribly flat prints. No contrast al all. After much consternaton, it dawned on me that my enlarger was surrounded by mirrors,white tile and off-white paint. I bought some 16x20 mat boards with a flat black side, and set one behind the enlarger and one on either side during the exposure, black side towards the enlarger. My body with a black apron would cover the front side. Voila! Contrast! There really was a reason why we used to paint darkrooms black! Tom Schofield > Doug Herr wrote: > > > > On Wed, 10 January 2001, Martin Howard wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I finally, no FINALLY, got my bathroom darkroom working last night. > > > > > <SNIP> > > > > > > I owe Tom A a lot -- more than I'll ever be able to pay back -- in terms of > > > time and knowledge he has so graciously shared, but also in terms of > > > equipment which he has been so generous to lend or give to me. > > > > > > > A phrase I've heard and like very much is "Pay me forward", meaning "return the favor by passing your knowledge along to the next eager student". I've been unable to pay back the generosity of many along the way, so the best I can do is pay them forward. > > > > > Anyway, the hours flew past, and at about 1am, delirious and exhausted from > > > running back and forth between closet (expose), bathroom (dev, stop, fix, > > > pre-wash) and kicthen (final wash) I went to bed with a smile on my face. > > > > > > > Ain't it sweet? > > > > > I know that many of you on this list have been so very generous with your > > > knowledge over the years. As a small token, I offer you a scan of my first > > > print. In many ways, you're all its fathers and mothers. I was but the > > > midwife ;) > > > > > > http://www.ida.liu.se/~marho/photo/other/sfchess.html > > > > > > > I've gone full-throttle into digital printing but the magic of the darkroom can't be beat. :) :) :) > > > > Doug Herr > > Birdman of Sacramento > > http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/telyt > > ___________________________________________________ > > The ALL NEW CS2000 from CompuServe > > Better! Faster! More Powerful! > > 250 FREE hours! Sign-on Now! > > http://www.compuserve.com/trycsrv/cs2000/webmail/