Darkroom in 3ftx5ft?

[Mark Andes]

Ok, the wife will not relinquish a bathroom. I am eyeing the 3 foot by 5 foot closet in the garage. Can I get a darkroom built in that small space?
Water and sink available nearby.
Please give me your recommendations.

[windpointphoto]

Yes. When you say water and sink nearby I'm assuming that part isn't light tight. I used the walk in closet in an apartment for years. You only need dark for the enlarging and you can even cover that up if you have to. I would enlarge and use print drums in the bathroom. Or if the sink can be made dark use a tray ladder. Saves alot of space. If you're developing roll film you can use a changing bag and film drums to process. Sheet film can be done with the tray ladder also or use print drums. Just think of going vertical instead of horizontal whenever possible. Keep it simple, lean and mean. It'll work.

[Ralph Barker]

As Leonard suggests, with imagination and creativity it's amazing what can be done with limited space.

When you say a bathroom, however, I assume you have more than one. An alternative would be to use one of the bathrooms as a temporary darkroom. I once used a bathroom that had only a toilet and a sink against one wall, and enough room for the door to swing in. The enlarger was on a 24"x30" pre-made cabinet that I put on casters. Angle brackets screwed to the side of the roll-in cabinet allowed a piece of 3/4" plywood to go between the cabinet and the top of the toilet - enough room for three 11x14 trays. It only took about 5 minutes to set up each time, and was easily restored to conventional functionality after a session, keeping the Mrs. happy.

[Michael Kadillak]

IMHO, the best scenario given the situation you describe would be to tray develop the film and contact print the negs as it would take the least amount of space (bare bulb and contact printing frame) while simultaneously being the least expensive. 8x10 would be optimal, but 5x7 and even 4x5 would also be great. Trying to get an enlarger in there along with the necessary and the accessories in such a small area would be taxing to say the least. I admire your persistance and wish you the best in your objectives. Even a small darkroom is better than no darkroom at all!

Cheers!

[Andre Noble]

That's not a very large volume for air, for you.

You'll need a light tight ventilation, or else expect narrowing vision and subsequent ligthheadedness frequently due to lackof O2 and CO2 build up inside that little closet.

I think it's a sad marriage that doesn't allow a man to have a decent darkroom.

[Darin Cozine]

Dont feel so bad, I have the same issue with my wife.

3x5 will be tight, but do-able. Set up your enlarger on one end of the room and stack your print trays underneath it on shelves. Take each print out of the room for washing/drying.

[Frank Petronio]

There was a darkroom book from back in the day that showed various NYC apartment darkrooms in closets, bathrooms, and worse. anything is possible! They used to sell tray "stackers" but you could easily build them - think vertical, not horizontal.

Hmm, I'd build an "L" shape, and probably settle on 11x14 prints as my max - so I could keep my enlarger base reasonable size. I'd build a divider of some kind to isolate the "dry" enlarger from the sloppy chemistry... you could put drying racks and storage under the enlarger

Andre's comment about ventilation is a good one... The good news is you won't need the most powerful system for such a small space.

As long as you limit your max print size, I don't see any reason to compromise or make lesser quality prints because of space constraints.

Get even with your wife - buy an 8x10 Ebony and make contact prints!

[John Cook]

I have two suggestions:

First, use an English architect. The last place I stayed in London had a bathroom so tiny, I had to step into the bathtub to swing the door closed. In the kitchen was a combination stove, oven, sink and bar fridge, all in one 36" stainless unit. They are masters at working with small spaces.

Second, someone in NYC has designed and sells a tiny stainless darkroom turn-key setup for small spaces. It looks something like a 1950's stainless soda fountain. Sink, enlarger, the whole thing in a small stainless cube.

Sorry, I can't remember his name. But if you can locate his site, you might be able to benefit from some of his ideas.

[ronald moravec]

Everybody is just looking at footprint dimension. LF enlargers are tall. You will have to build a small platform to hold the easel and work using the top of the column, not the bottom.

You can get a tray ladder and enlarger in 3x5 feet, but you need a space to stand too.

I`m very luckey my wife is understanding. Course you could always do digital. When you add those costs and compare, she might relent.

[Brian Ellis]

M first darkroom was about that size. It was an outdoor panty adjacent to the kitchen. It had no running water. Running water isn't a necessity in a darkroom, just mix the chemicals in the bathroom, carry the trays by hand to the darkroom, let your prints soak in a large container of water in the darkroom and periodically take them to the bathroom for final wash. Actually if you did everything requiring running water in the kitchen instead of the bathroom your wife might change her mind rather quickly.

[Calamity Jane]

"It was an outdoor panty" BAW HAW HA HA! Sorry Brian but I couldn't resist.

With such a small space I am VERY concerned about ventilation! You will need forced air to stay alive and healthy in that space and that means a FAN either forcing air into or out of your space. Also, in such a small space, the fumes from you chemicals can get pretty serious without good air movement. Once you have forced air movement, now temperature control can become an issue unless you are getting you air supply from an area that's temperature controlled.

[neil poulsen]

For good ventillation, you need two light tight air flows, one in and one out. Otherwise, your ventillation won't be that good.

[Gem Singer]

Hi Mark,

My first darkroom, in 1946, was about 3x5 feet in size. I built it in a basement storage closet. A laundry tub with running water was nearby, right outside the door. If I remember correctly (it's been close to sixty years) my biggest challenge was getting the room to be completely light tight. I was able to fit myself, along with all of my darkroom equipment, into that tiny space. However, at that time, I was using a small 2x3 Federal enlarger and 5x7 trays. Also, I was a scrawny 16 year old kid, weighing about 100 pounds. I doubt that I could fit my present 4x5 enlarger, 16x20 trays, and other necessary equipment into a space that small. And yes, I now weigh twice as much, and I'm not scrawny anymore.

My advice, if you are planning on doing large format processing and printing, find a larger space to build your darkroom. One with running water, ventillation, and a drain. In lieu of that, use Polaroid Type 55 P/N film, scan the negatives, and print them digitally. You won't even need a darkroom for that.

[Mark Andes]

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. I think the ventilation problem will be solved. There is a vent in the space that hooks to the fan from the adjacent bathroom next door. I can also make it light tight. The sink and running water is 3 feet outside the door, so running water and a sink is convenient.

The biggest issue I see is whether I can fit a 4x5 enlarger into the space along with the trays and other goodies I would need.

Yes, I guess I can go digital, but that was not my original plan. However, I will have to determine the heighth and width of the enlarger. If it is tall, then I may have a height problem.

A last note, geting rid of the wife is not an option. She is a great photography fan, owns as many cameras as I do, and has put up with me for all of these years. When I wanted the F4, she never flinched. When I wanted the medium format set up she never asked a question. And when the 4x5 stuff started showing up, she just smiled.

This forum is a great place, keep up the great advice.

[Darin Cozine]

Mark, unless you have one of the big floor-standing enlargers, I dont think it's size will be too much of an issue. I just purchased an old omega D2 4x5 enlarger, and it doesnt take up any more space than my beseler 67.

I have a larger darkroom, but my real issue I've had to deal with is clutter. Paper safes, easels, contact printers, photo wipes, lens brushes, dodge/burn tools, grain focusser, books, etc, etc.

To keep my wife happy my darkroom has also become my dumping ground for all my parts and projects. ...OK, now im inspired to go clean my darkroom.

[Craig Schroeder]

You might consider a slot processor... Very small footprint. I've not used one but was looking into them at one time and found that people who used them had good results and seemed to promote their use to others.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&ci=2665&kw=2665&Q=&O=NavBar

[John Cook]

I just found the website with the compact darkroom. The homepage takes forever to load, but it's worth the wait.

This unit even incorporates a table-top studio as well. Wonder if I could get a french-fry cooker as an option?

http://thzig.freeyellow.com/

[Frank Petronio]

That is just plain beautiful. The sliding trays are brilliant. If Santa brought one, I might even get back into the chemistry...

[George Stewart]

In my last apartment, I had my 8x10 enlarger setup in a closet, with barely enough room to ingress or egress. I was able to make up to 20x24 prints without too much work. Once the print was exposed, I put it into a light tight tube and processed it in the kitchen on a roller-type processor. I think that I could have made 32x40s if I projected on the floor and processed in the bathroom, but I never got a chance to try.

[Bruce Wehman]

You might find it easier to just do your film work in the closet and your printing out in the garage, where a little light leak here and there would not be that significant.

[Conrad Hoffman]

Here's how much you can fit in a small space. I like to experiment with home brew chemistry, so I have far more junk than most people do. I work with 35mm to 4x5. My darkroom is along the short wall of the laundry room, about five feet. I installed a piece of countertop on a 2x4 frame and bracing. There's room for three 8x10 trays between the enlarger and lab scale. Not shown, but to the right, is a temp control valve on the wall above the usual plastic laundry sink. To the left of the enlarger is a voltage stabilizer, timer, and a densitometer on a little wooden magazine stand. The pink towel is covering a Kodak Model E dry mount press with a paper cutter behind it. Both of those sit on a metal cabinet rescued from a defunct copy machine. Paper and supplies are stored in the metal cabinet. Under the counter are a couple timers, the raw chemical supplies, and a bunch of junk that defies categorization. This is strictly a one person operation, and I can't make huge prints, but no essential is lacking. Not sure if one can post a photo here, so go to http://members.rpa.net/~choffman/P1000233a.jpg if it can't/doesn't work.

http://members.rpa.net/~choffman/P1000233a.jpg

[Tracy Storer]

I can't help thinking about mobile homes with the "spare room" that can be extended off to the side when parked. Maybe you're 3x5 when not in use, but could have a dark tent, to increase space when working?
Just a random thought. Good luck.
Tracy

[Mark Andes]

Conrad, you have inspired me. I think I can do this. The only other issue is the cold tempature of the garage itself and the impact on chemicals. Could I use a space heater without any chemical issues?

[Conrad Hoffman]

If the temperature falls too low, some components of liquid chemistry will crystallize out. I often get a bit of this with Dektol in the winter, even though the room stays above 60F. Best to keep the chemistry in a warmer place and bring it to the darkroom when needed. For personal comfort, an electric "milkhouse" heater is good, as it heats the air. That will keep the chemistry at some reasonable temperature. Radiant (quartz) heaters will make you feel warm, but don't do much to raise the air temperature. I've had much worse spaces to work in, and solved the temperature problem by shooting more photos in the winter, and saving printing until spring!

[Darin Cozine]

I have a room heater in my darkroom. Works good, but most of the room heaters just have warm/hot controls. It would be nice to find one with an actual temperature control. Then you could set the room temp to a few degrees above the ideal temp for the chemistry. (evaporation keeps the water slightly below the room temp.)

The real problem is in the summer. The garage is not cooled by the air conditioner, so it gets roasting hot in my darkroom. I have to make sure to keep film, paper, and negs in the house.

[neil poulsen]

To Darin:

Consider getting a ceramic heater. They're about 6"x6"x6", so they're compact. Mine has auto-temp control where it goes on and off, depending on the temperature, and a manual mode where there's just a straight temperature setting. My darkroom is about 6'x8', and I have to keep this heater down to medium so as not to make the room too hot.