Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/17

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Subject: [Leica] Re:Fear and loathing in the Dark?
From: "Bill Lawlor" <wvl@marinternet.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 22:35:36 -0700
References: <200010180319.UAA13043@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>

> The chemical darkroom has become so familiar to many of us that it's easy
to
> forget what can go wrong ... chemical contamination, aged chemicals,
fogged
> paper, bad enlarger alignment, dust storms, a train rolling past outside
the
> building vibrating the *&@% out of everything, sneezing in the wrong
> direction, losing count when the timer quits...

Not to mention hives from metol sensitivity, suffocation, the place burning
down because the plumbing interacted with the wiring, selenium poisoning,
newton rings, and ABOVE ALL the fact that you finally managed to get all the
burning dodging and bleaching right on one print doesn't guarantee for a
moment you'll get it right on the next... and even when you meticulously
annotate all your moves, you still can't replicate the damn thing.
- - --
............................................................................
.........................................................


I work in my home darkroom at least ten hours per week. I have been doing
that for the better part of 45 years. I did stints in commercial labs when I
was young and foolish. I have had a bulb burn out a few times, and dust can
be a problem with my condenser Valoy enlarger (but, it never needs
alignment). I print color RA-4 and b&w. The biggest problem is being
artistically challenged, but, Photoshop won't change that.  Am I being told
that these years have been ones of pain, suffering, angst, and toxic
modification of my DNA? I 'm still pretty sure I love it!

Bill Lawlor