Building a Vintage darkroom but I'm a noob so it could all go horribly wrong..

[dxqcanada]

Maybe you can get a plastic mat to put over it ??

 

[Mully]

Don't forget ventilation !!!!!

 

[dxqcanada]

Ah, I love the smell of a darkroom ... though ventilation is a good thing.

 

[Schubacabra]

Don't forget ventilation !!!!!

I have a regular bathroom ventilation ceiling fan that I planned on using. Is that enough?

 

[terri]

By and large, yes, that is enough. Unless you plan on camping out in there and not stepping outside every hour or two, you'll be fine.

 

[timor]

I'm using vintage items as much as possible safelight, trays, enlarger etc. I've ordered a couple of these things and will add pictures to this thread as they arrive.

Skip the enlarger and the safe lights, coat your own paper under candle light and contact print!

Lol I said vintage not archaic..

Nothing "archaic" about that, actually the best way to do printing. For digital guys to. However very, very expensive as platinum cost money.

 

[unpopular]

Skip the enlarger and the safe lights, coat your own paper under candle light and contact print!

Lol I said vintage not archaic..

Nothing "archaic" about that, actually the best way to do printing. For digital guys to. However very, very expensive as platinum cost money.

You don't need to use platinum or palladium. There are a tons of other processes. I've seen uranium-, gold-, lead- halide based processes. There are dichromated colloids (and the hundreds of various applications of that technique alone, including Carbon print which is the most archival of all processes). Salted paper, which might be able to adapt to other metallic nitrates. Cyanotype, and it's gazzilion variations. Ferrotype processes. Photo intaglio.

If you have a glass kiln lying around there is gold halide doped glass, for the ultimate in nano-scale resolution!

The nice thing about alternative process is that there is a lot of room for interpretation. It's very easy to adapt old techniques and modify them into something novel - imagine photo electroplating or photo-thermal processes (both which I have ideas for, PM me if interested) or full color photo fresco (which I have been trying to figure out for years).

As for being archaic, you could work under an indirect 30w incandescent bulb, candles are a bit archaic, I suppose....

 

[timor]

Good info.

 

[Schubacabra]

Lol I said vintage not archaic..

Nothing "archaic" about that, actually the best way to do printing. For digital guys to. However very, very expensive as platinum cost money.

You don't need to use platinum or palladium. There are a tons of other processes. I've seen uranium-, gold-, lead- halide based processes. There are dichromated colloids (and the hundreds of various applications of that technique alone, including Carbon print which is the most archival of all processes). Salted paper, which might be able to adapt to other metallic nitrates. Cyanotype, and it's gazzilion variations. Ferrotype processes. Photo intaglio.

If you have a glass kiln lying around there is gold halide doped glass, for the ultimate in nano-scale resolution!

The nice thing about alternative process is that there is a lot of room for interpretation. It's very easy to adapt old techniques and modify them into something novel - imagine photo electroplating or photo-thermal processes (both which I have ideas for, PM me if interested) or full color photo fresco (which I have been trying to figure out for years).

As for being archaic, you could work under an indirect 30w incandescent bulb, candles are a bit archaic, I suppose....

Actually once I get my feet under me (and get a clue to what you just said) I'll probably be really interested in branching out into some wild stuff. One of the reasons I'm using vintage equipment is I'm not terribly interested in the crispest, sharpest image I can produce but the coolest. Photography as art, not just capturing a moment but capturing that moment then making it into something unique. On another note I'm getting bids to have my room tiled so thanks to everyone that got me started down that (expensive I've learned) path. Still waiting for some cool things to come in, more pics coming shortly.

 

[timor]

Actually once I get my feet under me (and get a clue to what you just said) I'll probably be really interested in branching out into some wild stuff. One of the reasons I'm using vintage equipment is I'm not terribly interested in the crispest, sharpest image I can produce but the coolest. Photography as art, not just capturing a moment but capturing that moment then making it into something unique. On another note I'm getting bids to have my room tiled so thanks to everyone that got me started down that (expensive I've learned) path. Still waiting for some cool things to come, more pics coming shortly.

That's the spirit !:thumbup:

 

[unpopular]

Nothing "archaic" about that, actually the best way to do printing. For digital guys to. However very, very expensive as platinum cost money.

You don't need to use platinum or palladium. There are a tons of other processes. I've seen uranium-, gold-, lead- halide based processes. There are dichromated colloids (and the hundreds of various applications of that technique alone, including Carbon print which is the most archival of all processes). Salted paper, which might be able to adapt to other metallic nitrates. Cyanotype, and it's gazzilion variations. Ferrotype processes. Photo intaglio.

If you have a glass kiln lying around there is gold halide doped glass, for the ultimate in nano-scale resolution!

The nice thing about alternative process is that there is a lot of room for interpretation. It's very easy to adapt old techniques and modify them into something novel - imagine photo electroplating or photo-thermal processes (both which I have ideas for, PM me if interested) or full color photo fresco (which I have been trying to figure out for years).

As for being archaic, you could work under an indirect 30w incandescent bulb, candles are a bit archaic, I suppose....

Actually once I get my feet under me (and get a clue to what you just said) I'll probably be really interested in branching out into some wild stuff. One of the reasons I'm using vintage equipment is I'm not terribly interested in the crispest, sharpest image I can produce but the coolest. Photography as art, not just capturing a moment but capturing that moment then making it into something unique. On another note I'm getting bids to have my room tiled so thanks to everyone that got me started down that (expensive I've learned) path. Still waiting for some cool things to come in, more pics coming shortly.

Having an enlarger is very useful for when you want to start branching out. It makes much more sense with alt process to make internegatives than shoot directly onto large format and make contact prints. Just something to store away in your noggin, when you do move into making internegatives, get one of those ionic air cleaners for dust management.