Lets See Your Darkroom

[Robert Hall]

Just did an update of the darkroom. We just finished our Fall class, it was a lot of fun.

http://www.roberthall.com/Darkroom/index.html

Let me know what you think.

R

[atlcruiser]

Robert...pretty darn impressive.

[Fred L]

w.o.w

[Brian K]

Well, there are some very nice darkrooms on show in this thread and mine at work is pretty nice too.....but can yours go on tour???

I was speaking briefly at the Queensland Centre for Photography about my Wet Plate work and the logistical nightmare it can be getting all the gear loaded and on location. After it all ended, I was approached by the president of the 'Masters Apprentices' who said he might have something I could use. Ends up he's had this caravan sitting in a yard doing nothing for a few years. I visited it that weekend and for the measly sum of $500 towed it home that day. It was a 'bit worse for wear' with some serious leaks and some wet and moldy 1970's decor that couldn't be saved.
I've spent the last 5 months working furiously getting it ready to travel, re-wiring, installing new a ceiling, building benches etc etc. It's designed for wet-plate but I threw a 5x4 enlarger in there just for fun :-) It has air-conditioning (for the hot Aussie summers), water and power as well as a 4000W generator on board.

Time to 'hit the road' and finish some work that's been waiting for a while...

Wow, I'm impressed. Really well done.

[DanK]

After seeing the last couple darkrooms - I was afraid to post mine - those are some very nice spaces...

Here's a couple shots of mine -

Chemicals, toning, washing, and film developing in the first w/ 7foot sink, 20x24 vertical washer and a 16x20 stainless washer.... film loading, dry plate, and dry storage opposite side...

Printing in the second (blue room) with 8 foot sink and circular washer... (the safelight on the wall is only for lith printing inspection - main safelights are ceiling mount @ 10ft)

Enlargers - 2 Beseler 45's - one Zone VI cold light, and other Dichro are opposite side of blue room...

Other is my little mounting area - (presses, and shelves for gear on opposite side)

Cheers,
Dan

[Ed Kelsey]

Here's mine.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

... It's designed for wet-plate but I threw a 5x4 enlarger in there just for fun :-) It has air-conditioning (for the hot Aussie summers), water and power as well as a 4000W generator on board.

It looks amazing, but there is something wonderfully ironic about having such a high-tech (well, in a mid-20th century sense) darkroom for as low-tech an endeavor as wet-plate.

[Renato Tonelli]

Here's mine.

It's really dark in there, isn't it?

[Scott Walker]

Made a bit of a change due to size considerations. converted the Beseler 45VXL back to 4x5 and will be using it in my darkroom at the office for 4x5 & 6x7 along with the Durst for 8x10.
The 45MXT got the 810 kit installed and is living happily in my home darkroom
Still waiting for the cabinet doors and shelves to show up

[jp]

Looking through the last few pages of these... Nice places.

Austin's seems to be the only US darkroom with GFCI outlets plainly visible.

Others use power strips that I can't tell if they are plugged into GFCI or not, or image detail isn't quite good enough to make a determination on many.

Robert's I can't quite see the details, but based on some non-decora wallplates and apparent that power taps are in use that provide 6 outlets from 2, and those screw into non-GFCI outlets. Those could be potentially daisychained from an actual GFCI outlet and would provide safety as well.

The awesome trailer darkroom appears to have normal outlets, but for an off-grid application, the risk of electric shock via grounding is very low anyways.

Bathrooms and garages require GCFI, so I'd suspect it'd be wise in darkrooms too.

Hate to see someone get zapped by accidentally spilled liquid or 50 year old wires getting crispy in their enlarger head, or a gralab accidentally getting knocked into the sink. Think how cheaply your gear would end up on craigslist when your wife or estate decided to clean out after that.