Back in the darkroom--again!

[John Kasaian]

I seldom develop film as soon as I get home--it is kind of like the lottery I guess---maybe my photograph will be a 'winner' and as long as I postphone the inevitable there is still a chance, a dream to hold onto. Well, this time I've held off on developing a huge stack of holders that has accumulated since my darkroom was out of commission for several months and I'm just getting back into using it, Most of my negatives are well recorded but some are just identified by location "Santa Cruz Boardwalk--Night" stuff like that, and some film holders I've neglected to record anything at all other than the film used. This evenings developing session dealt with them. Actually only two film holders, each with only one sheet of film exposed.

So I souped them.

The first negative was quite nice--a redwood tree I'm guessing from either Mariposa Grove or Nelder---it is a nice dense negative with lots of detail though nothing inspirational as far as composition goes. Maybe after I print it I'll like it better--who knows? I vaguely remember the morning I shot it---I'm pretty sure I used the 240 G-Claron. Other than that I'm at a loss. The second negative however, was entirely fogged. I must have forgotten to close the shutter after focusing, I'm guessing. So my photography rewards me with little mysteries like that!
Why two holders with only one exposed sheet on each?
That is something I'm not likely to do, especially since both holders came from the same stack.

Where exactly was that redwood tree?
In Yosemite or the SNF?

What exactly did happen to that fogged sheet?
Did I neglect to close the shutter after focusing? Or did I stumble into a silver halide eating vortex?

That is something delightful for me, an amature (if I were getting paid, that would be a different matter!) It is a wonder that I get any image at all and even going through a stack of my own negatives or prints really makes me smile. A lot. The whole process is both an adventure (out in the field, being surrounded by natives wanting, nay demanding that the 'dorff must be a Hasselblad) an exercise in patience (as piles of film holders "age," waiting for a time when I'm sufficuently motivated to soup film) a detective story (when and where did I take that?) and a sense of wonderment (there actually is an image! )

I was wondering what darkroom thoughts any of you might have had on a November night?

[domenico Foschi]

Well, John, one of my recent experiences in the darkroom involves not a thought but sheer panic.
I had just put 8 sheets in my soaking tray when my bladder alarmingly gave me signals that I was in the wrong room of the house.
It was a terrible experience....

[Randy H]

Well, John, one of my recent experiences in the darkroom involves not a thought but sheer panic.
I had just put 8 sheets in my soaking tray when my bladder alarmingly gave me signals that I was in the wrong room of the house. It was a terrible experience....

Yeah, and that ain't indicator stop bath either
Course, I guess it would depend on what you had to drink first...

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Well, John, one of my recent experiences in the darkroom involves not a thought but sheer panic.
I had just put 8 sheets in my soaking tray when my bladder alarmingly gave me signals that I was in the wrong room of the house.
It was a terrible experience....

You haven't done any real darkroom work 'til you've had to pee in the sink. A classmate of mine told me that over 40 years ago.

[Michael Graves]

You haven't done any real darkroom work 'til you've had to pee in the sink. A classmate of mine told me that over 40 years ago.

If I ever visit you.....


Remind me not to borrow your darkroom.

[Robert A. Zeichner]

If I ever visit you.....


Remind me not to borrow your darkroom.

Actually, I have a bathroom ajoining the dark room, so the place is quite civilized, I assure you.

[Nigel Smith]

John, I cleaned out my darkroom this afternoon and did some contact sheets of films I'd taken on a recent 3mth holiday. I didn't take many, just the 5 rolls of B&W as it was 'touring' holiday and I didn't have much time for photography as such (took 1000's of digisnaps). It's probably a year since I last did any printing. Anyway, my sons (8 & 5) decided they would come in and 'help' so one was controlling the enlarger timer and both taking turns to move prints from tray to tray. They managed to drop the tongs and prints either into the chemicals or missed the trays but gee, we had fun. We went and watched a movie and then after tea, I crept back in to knock out a couple more!

[Turner Reich]

Went to the darkroom with three 8x10 holders, one holder for each of three lenses I was testing, Opened the first, opened the second, but no film in it, opened the third and it was fine. I spent the entire session trying to figure out what happened to the second film holder. I am sure I loaded it, guess not. Warm darkroom, cold weather.