My first prints!

[silverscape]

Just to keep this on topic, I'll mention that I took these pictures with my

Argus C3 and Minolta SR-1.   :)<p>

 

I did it! I finally made my first prints! So I did everything competely

the "old school" way...developed the black and white film myself, and made

prints with an enlarger. The only thing I scanned in any of this was the

prints so I could upload the pictures here.<p>

 

Let me first say that I did everything wrong. For the first few prints, I

used expired paper that a friend had given me about a month ago when I said I

was getting interested in traditional photography. It's REALLY old Oriental

Seagull F2 paper. I didn't see a date on it anywhere, but it had a FedCo

price tag on the package, and FedCo has been out of business since 1999. He

gave me a bunch of other paper, one package with a 1979 date! So who knows

how old this one is. It wouldn't surprise me if the paper is older than me.

I had also bought a new package of Ilford RC pearl paper, but I didn't want to

mess with that until I experimented with the old paper first. Anyway, so I

used expired photo paper for the first few prints. Also, I didn't have any

Dektol...so I used D76. I read that you can't use D76 for prints...but I

don't like being told that I "can't" do something and so of course I had to

try it anyway! I figured that I had nothing to lose, and I would be happy if

any image showed up.<p>

 

I didn't make any test prints, just set the enlarger at f8 and exposed the

paper for 20 seconds. I put the paper in the developer for about 1:30

minutes, then a tray of water, then the fixer for 3 minutes. Then of course I

rinse the paper well. I couldn't believe it when I actually had a picture on

the paper! I did notice though that the paper curled a lot when it dried.

Maybe because it was old, or it was an older type of paper that is harder to

dry. So I went ahead and used a few sheets of the Ilford paper.<p>

 

And this is what I got. Please keep in mind, this is the first time I have

ever made prints, and I know I really did a lot wrong. But I was still so

excited that I got anything! And I actually do like the way they came out,

but I know I can do better (especially if I used the right chemicals!)<p>

 

The actual prints do look better than the scans. The scanner tends to lighten

images, but I didn't want to edit them too much.<p>

 

<img

src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/gatewaycityca/Mill_in_Redlands_CA_Ap

ril_10_2008.jpg"><p>

 

<img

src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/gatewaycityca/Coffee_shop_near_Big_B

ear_March_16_.jpg"><p>

 

<img

src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/gatewaycityca/Chris_March_25_2008.jp

g">

 

(yup, that last picture is me. I couldn't resist).<p>

 

It's neat how black and white pictures seem to freeze time. The picture of

the cafe looks like it could have been taken 20 or 30 years ago, but I just

took it last month.

[silverscape]

...By the way, is it just me, or is a darkroom a little spooky? There is just something about sitting in a room either in pitch dark or in the eerie dim glow of a red light at 1am. I seriously need to put a radio in there. :) My "darkroom" is a storage room in the garage, and you start to hear stuff out there that late at night when it's that quiet.

[peterlyons]

Chris, good for you getting into a darkroom at all! I'm 38 and have loved photography for

25 years and didn't get into one until two years ago!

 

And seriously, it was SO humbling. I could look at that innocent little negative under my

loupe, and see all its potential, but never could get all the detail I wanted from it.

 

You've got some great subjects here (yourself included). I'd love to see more contrast.

(I've been a contrast junkie lately.) Maybe dial in some red filter and see what you get?

[User_503771]

I think that for your first "outing" in the darkroom, you've done phenomenally well! Just wait until you get some Dektol! By the way, Ilford's developer is good too, and the liquid won't clog your lungs with the dust -- use a particle mask when you mix powders! Take this seriously, and you'll live longer and healthier.

 

Yeah, a radio might help. But then, once you get into the darkroom work, you might find yourself ignoring the stuff going on outside.

 

Maybe you can lightproof the room a little better so you can work during the day? But then again, if you can leave the door open working at night, this is a true advantage against the fumes.

 

Keep up the great work!

[chuck_foreman1]

Cgris,

 

Congratulations! I had some luck with old paper back when I first started. Curl isto be expected with fibre based paper. Also you need to really wash fibre based paper a long time. I like that you don't take "it can't be done" too seriously. D76 and paper...why not?!?

I used a root cellar at my friends house and late at night I usually had an FM radio tuned to one of the many NPR or Pacifica (free) radio stationsthat broadcasted in the Balt/Wash corridor. It is eerie and pleasantly lonesome. Thanks again for the inspiration! I'm back to souping my own films, but I have no room for an enlarger or darkroom.

Gee,I really need a better scanner!!

Keep up the good work! Tried out those flashbulbs? Post your next batch of prints.

[tony_lockerbie]

Good work Chris, it's great to see someone new starting out in the darkroom. I've been doing this for thirty five years and the magic never goes!

 

The curling issue is down to the paper being a fibre base (not plastic coated) and it does that. It will settle in a while, although being old will make it worse.

 

The new Ilford paper will dry flat for you. Of course you can use D76 with paper but the problem is that the D76 is a lot less active than a dedicated paper developer such as Dektol. What this means in the darkroom is longer exposures, less contrast and longer dev. times.

 

Grab some Dektol (or Bromophen or MC developer) and try the new paper and you be amazed at the difference.

 

Tony

[Troll]

Congratulations.

[gene m]

I'm always scared in my darkroom. I keep my eyes closed so I won't see the monsters there.<p>

 

Good work, Chris.

[golden]

very nice prints chris, keep up the good work

[john carter]

Nice going Chris, you are hooked now.

[craig_supplee]

Congratulations! Those are excellent results. No turning back now.

[patrick j dempsey]

By all counts... get yourself a liquid developer. I suspect the lack of contrast is just improper chemicals mated with umm... no test strip! Even expired paper will get better results if you do test strips. The radio is a good idea... I have a friend who always used to listen to Coast to Coast with Art Bell when he printed... talk about CREEPY. Nothing like listening to alien abduction stories while getting high on chemicals.

[rustys pics]

"..By the way, is it just me, or is a darkroom a little spooky?"

Yes! There are a myriad of spook movies set in darkrooms. Most have red safelights even though most photographers switched to amber years ago. There is something great about working in the darkroom-people certainly leave you alone!

[rogerwb]

Good work Chris.

 

If your radio has a dial light, cover it up !

 

I use a cd player with headphones so I can go to any zone I want to, at any hour.

[rogerwb]

RE: Spooky darkooms

 

When I was a 16 yr old in high school, my best friend landed a part time job in the darkoom of the local newpaper in the city 12 miles away. He got the night shift on one of the weekend nights every week and I often got to go in with him and hang out. A million fantasies can run through your head at that age, being in the photo office of the big city paper at three in the morning, anticipating the ringing of the phone to announce a fire, accident, shooting, or whatever.

 

These fantasies were often fueled by the staff photographer, also on duty for the night, who used to tell us stories of the "old days".

[luis triguez]

Well done Chris. Carry on that way!

[silverscape]

Thanks for the replies, guys!<p>

 

And Patrick, I listen to the Coast to Coast AM show sometimes too! I have a collection of old vacuum tube radios, and there is nothing like hearing Art Bell at midnight on an old AM radio. I just like the way the tubes glow on those old radios, although I guess that would be a no-no in a darkroom.<p>

 

I put some heavy books on the other paper for a couple of days and I did manage to get some of them flatened out. So here's another picture, from the old Seagull F2 paper...<p>

 

<img src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/gatewaycityca/40th_Street.jpg"><p>

 

It's funny...I actually took that picture on a somewhat busy street. There's one area that's still kind of rurual, I think it's on a county "island," one of those areas that still hasn't been incorporated into the city. You have these pockets that haven't been incorporated into the city, but are completely surrounded by the city. So you just go down the street and see empty fields, neighborhoods with no sidewalks and with chickens and goats. There's an old ranch house probably from the 1920s at least, but right down the street from a busy intersection. If you go down one of the side streets, you end up in a rural area and it feels like you're going back in time.

[rogerwb]

I can't wait to see what you do with fresh paper and proper developer.

[jady]

Buy more old paper cheap. Use the wrong developer. Your photos are excellent. There is no wrong way to do photography right. Fantastic! I really like your work.

[silverscape]

Thanks! I do kind of like the look to the pictures. I thought they have sort of an "antiqued" look to them, if that makes sense. (Although the scanner isn't quite getting it right, the real prints don't look as light or faded). I think I might put a piece of black construction paper over the back or something when I scan the pictures, maybe the light is reflecting through the white back of the scanner and making the prints look too light.

 

But I don't think I'm going to use old fiber based photo paper anymore. It curls too much and it's hard to get it to dry flat. It also seems to wrinkle easily. I think I like the look of D76 for a certain antique effect, but I want to try using the right paper developer next time.

[rustys pics]

That last print of the tree is your best so far. That looks like one very old Oak Tree. And I must admit to being the 3rd person on this list who listens to Coast to Coast AM late at night. George Noury has done a great job picking up Art Bell's mantle.

Get us a shot of your old radio with your old camera! Try a night shot on a tripod with those beautiful dials all lit up.

 

If you get some dark red gelatin filters, you can put them over the dials and it will be darkroom safe. I had a friend in college who put a red gel on a little black and white 12" TV set and used it in his darkroom.

[JDMvW]

I think you've got the right attitude for this. Keep it fun. I haven't been in a darkroom for years, and I sort of miss it.

[minhnguyen9113]

Chris, Your venture in film and the darkroom made me decide learning to process the film myself. Thanks for the post, Minh

[david_m]

Pretty good for a first attempt. I always found the trick with printing was making a good test strip first. And of course, fresh paper and chemicals. When I started, I had a not so good Omegar enlarging lens. When I switched to a good El-Nikkor lens, the results were like night and day. I'd get the best enlarging lens you can afford. They are so cheap now.

[franklin_h1]

Old cameras, film, darkrooms... it just doesn't get any better than this does it?. Nice job