First time in the Darkroom

[brofkand]

As promised by my other post (Printing Guide in this forum), here are the results:



The other two pics I printed yesterday are in my flickr feed (link in sig).

How did I do?

[Haiku]

You did just great for the first time. In fact, you've done very well even for someone who has spent some serious time in the darkroom.

IMO: 9/10ths of any photograph is the composition. (this really shows up in B+W) The ones you've posted are good compositions.

Thanks for posting you work.

[brofkand]

I don't like the Hardware picture (it was the last shot just so I could use the last exposure on the roll). It doesn't really have any compelling features.

The Franks shot was overexposed (I need to dodge the sign). The Cafe shot was my last one, and it came out actually pretty good.

I may just set up the darkroom again tonight and try these again.

Thanks for your input!

[burningdarkness]

What paper are you printing on?

[brofkand]

Arista Premium

[burningdarkness]

I do love the composition. Might I suggest trying to print with a higher contrast filter, though? What did you use for this print (Filter No., brand, and if you remember, the exposure time and aperture on the enlarger).

[brofkand]

I didn't use a filter. They are coming tomorrow.

The problem with exposure is I used the stock solution of dektol (I didn't think about dilution), so I only developed for 40 seconds. I used f/8 and a 2 second exposure, again because if I overdeveloped I would get an all black print. (I didn't know about using a stock solution until after I left the darkroom).

This time will be better. Live and learn, and then get Luvs.

[burningdarkness]

Do us a favor and post the print after you use a filter to print it. What brand of filters do you have coming?

[brofkand]

Do us a favor and post the print after you use a filter to print it. What brand of filters do you have coming?

They are Varycon filters, and I will be sure to post a scan. I went with Varycon because they are half the price of the Ilfords, so I figured I'd try them. I'm sure they will be better than no filter. Better than an Ilford filter? Probably not, but probably just as good or very close to just as good.

[adamjaskie]

The enlargers we had at school were color enlargers and so had adjustable filters that swung into the light before diffusion. We had tables up next to them with what amounts of which filter corresponded to what contrast filter.

Sooooo convenient.

[Haiku]

The enlargers we had at school were color enlargers and so had adjustable filters that swung into the light before diffusion. We had tables up next to them with what amounts of which filter corresponded to what contrast filter.

Sooooo convenient.

Take a look at the information sheets that come with your paper.

There will be filter correspondence tables on those sheets. They will have Kodak, Saunders and at least one other enlarger listed. Your enlarger, whatever make it is, will correspond to one of the the ones listed even if it's a different manufacturer.

If you use the combined filtering table, the one that gives you a paper "grade" using both magenta and yellow, you'll find that may well be the very best one to use. With combined filtering, you only have to get the time figured out once, and the filter grades will change contrast without you having to redo your test prints.

If you use just one filter to get the contrast, you'll have to redo your test print for each contrast grade. I've found that combined filtration works wonders in terms of time savings and convenience.

Have fun, it's just a great hobby.

[adamjaskie]

The teacher recommended Ilford RC multigrade paper, and tacked up the sheet for that paper next to each enlarger, so it was quite convenient.

I miss having access to a darkroom :(

[Haiku]

That's a surprisingly good general use paper. I have and I do use lots of it. No RC paper is as good as fibre based paper but I quite like the Ilford.

There are two sets of correspondence charts that come with the Ilford paper: one set is for single filter printing the other is for combined printing. I'm guessing that the instructor used the combined to permit the students the convenience of speed-matched filtration using the colour heads of the enlargers.

My instructors in the darkroom were way too stunned to figure out to do what yours did. I take this as a sign that your instructor is a good one.

[adamjaskie]

He did mention fiber paper. He said it would be nice in our final portfolios for the class, but that he didn't expect it, and didn't want to make us buy more paper. I've worked with it, and like the results a lot more.

Fiber is nice, but it's a bit harder to work with IME when you have a class of 20 people in and out of a darkroom with six enlarger stations and only two print washers. Great if you have a lot of time in the darkroom, but with lots of people going through it gets pretty crazy near the end of the semester as it is, what with people standing around getting in each others' way while their pictures are washing.

I'd certainly use fiber pretty much exclusively if I had my own darkroom.