How Did YOU Learn WET Photography?

[Tin Can]

I learned from a library book when I was 7

T was given a MINOX with a tiny pamphlet for it

I read it and did it, never a mentor

But Father denied me a MINOX Enlarger even is I worked, saved

He called it "Frivolous"!

[Chuck Pere]

I'm the opposite of Tin Can. My father had a darkroom and showed me and my older brother how to use it.

[jnantz]

high school and college classes for 10 years, assisted working professionals for 2-3 years some of which was being a schlep and setterupper, labrat and retouching lackey, and always did project based self learning. we had a darkroom and as soon as I could I used it ..

[Deyoung]

I picked up a 4x5 and started reading whatever I could find and just getting out and making photographs. This was less than 4 years ago. (Aside from a 35mm point and shoot i had back in the 80's)

[nolindan]

I was 8 and my camera was an "Empire Baby." I read A Boy's First Book of Photography, or something of that ilk, taken out from the children's section of the library. I bought a Tri-Chem pack at the drugstore. Filched some bowls from the kitchen and commandeered a closet. I processed the film by holding the ends and passing it back and forth through the bowls. When my Grandmother got fed up with no kitchen bowls (I wasn't very good at cleaning up and putting things back where they belonged) my Mother took me downtown to the camera store and bought me an FR tank. Hell to load, especially as it was well expired film that curled like a SOB so I loaded it under a red Christmas tree light. Unfortunately the Boy's First Book didn't make the distinction between ortho and pan film, it just said film could be processed under a red light. Discovered the adult section on photography, read more books, ruined more film, eventually things improved.

Funny what early memories stick - pretty much all of my early ramblings through photography are quite clear in my memory. When I "grew up" (my parents would have put that phrase in quotes and I think they would have been right) I was all set to go to RIT. At the last minute I got cold feet and instead went to Case for an EE degree. Much easier to find a job.

[Corran]

Read basic tutorials online
Bought basic equipment
Followed standard manufacturer recommendations
Evaluated results, adjusted, read as much as I could about any issues I had
Eventually found local professor and asked for evaluation and help
Further refined
PRACTICED

[jp]

I learned from other high school students, outside of any classes.. The school newspaper had a small darkroom at school which was normally locked for safety and I didn't have a key but was allowed to "let my self in" just the same with a knife/screwdriver/plastic card. My grandparents had some old dusty time life books I think AA was known for with regard to good practices for developing, printing, etc...

Before long, I bought a darkroom setup from a widow of a local photographer for home use. I'm still using the same enlarger and trays.

[Vaughn]

I used the employee darkroom at the Grand Canyon National Park in 1977 where I was pumping gasoline for the summer -- it was part of their rec facilities. Followed the instructions of the packaging for making prints (I had my 120 film developed at a photo shop in Flagstaff). Returning to college, I started taking photo classes.

First print below -- 8x10 RC print that was displayed by my parents for several decades. Another copy kept in a book still looks fine.
Self-portrait on the rim...Rolleiflex w/ self-time, using Verichrome

[Tin Can]

So you were the guy pumping my gas

No insult intended

as I pumped a lot of gas
the job became 2 hours a day, EVERY day as I counted ALL money

mostly all cash

I never was robbed or KILLED

but some did

I used the employee darkroom at the Grand Canyon National Park in 1977 where I was pumping gasoline for the summer -- it was part of their rec facilities. Followed the instructions of the packaging for making prints (I had my 120 film developed at a photo shop in Flagstaff). Returning to college, I started taking photo classes.

First print below -- 8x10 RC print that was displayed by my parents for several decades. Another copy kept in a book still looks fine.
Self-portrait on the rim...Rolleiflex w/ self-time, using Verichrome

[Vaughn]

Never worried about that. I opened the station at 6am, so arrived at 5:30. I was living behind the Bright Angel Lodge and walked along the rim to the gas station, in snow at first, with the sun rising above the far end of the Canyon. Got off of work early enough to take hikes into the Canyon and such. Pumped a lot of gas, answered more questions about the park than the Visitor Center, helped a lot of folks with stuck chokes, listened to a lot of complaints about the price (about 60 cents/gallon) and generally had a great time.