Darkroom (1 Viewer)

[La La]

jraz what film are you using?

Yeah, seriously, and are you using a colour filter as well?

yeah and do you up the contrast in photoshop or are they au naturelle?

yeah and YEAH and YEAH!!!!

well?

im particularly interested in what sarah asked, have been meaning to ask you myself. do you juggle with light meter readings or do all that nice contrast on de compuker?

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Re: Random Photos

Here, do all your photos look that good or are they just the cream? Can you post some shit photos you've taken?

Also, these are from Lisbon right? I'm going there end of May for a weekend. Is it good?

I generally dont bother printing the shit ones; them and the other post are the best out of 4 1/2 rolls of film, so 20 something shots out of 120+ isnt that high a hit rate. knowing how to print em properly rescues a lot of mediocre shots.

lisbon is a nice spot, lots to see, friendly enough locals and decent grub. Not overly toruisty, but id say in may ther'll be a fair few. its hilly as fuck, so hilly that the police ride arround on scrambler bikes. Nightlife wise seemed to be centered arround small bars rather than clubs, big venues. didnt see too much by way of mayhem, but was there with the girlfriend so it was a tame enough trip.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Re: Random Photos

in answer to all the questions, this goes for the last set of images, but also most of the b/w stuff ive put up in the last year.

I tend to use fuji films(across 100, neopan 400 and 1600), the lisbon ones were all fuji neopan 400, which is a nice versatile film, processed in either ilfosol or kodak hc110.

I some times use a red filter (darkens sky), but not for the lisbon ones.

I used to scan my negs and then photoshop them. Since I got considerably more adept at printing I now make the prints in a darkroom and then scan them. I do feck all adjustments to them in photoshop, aside from adjusting the brightness and contrast slightly. the end result is pretty much as printed, with maybe a little less tonal range.

In the darkroom I do a some blocking and burning to all prints, and use a variation of the split grading method (graded filters are how you control the contrast in the darkroom). basically by printings certain areas of the print at certain grades I get a good tonal varition and definite hard blacks/whites without it looking too contrasty or flat and grey. sounds complicated, but it easy once you get into it.

there, all my secrets revealed!!

 

[Goff]

Re: Random Photos

I've recently discovered that no matter how good I get in the darkroom, I still hate it. Such labour for something that you have greater control over on a 'puter.

And it's dark.

And that red light drives me mad after a while.

I do enjoy the "in your hands", feeling like a photographer part, in fairness, but overall, it's too much effort.

I'd still go with the scanning them in and fixing them in photoshop bit meself. Do you have access to a proper neg scanner? Have you ever tried developing an x-ray? That's fun. Your gaff sent a load of old paper over to our place. Some interesting results. And one of the girls brought in an x-ray of herself. Gas crack.

At least I think it was her crack.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Re: Random Photos

I've recently discovered that no matter how good I get in the darkroom, I still hate it. Such labour for something that you have greater control over on a 'puter.

And it's dark.

And that red light drives me mad after a while.

I do enjoy the "in your hands", feeling like a photographer part, in fairness, but overall, it's too much effort.

I'd still go with the scanning them in and fixing them in photoshop bit meself. Do you have access to a proper neg scanner? Have you ever tried developing an x-ray? That's fun. Your gaff sent a load of old paper over to our place. Some interesting results. And one of the girls brought in an x-ray of herself. Gas crack.

At least I think it was her crack.

the neg scanner I used to use was a bit crap, good for somethings, but not great. Could have access to it in the course, but for b/w i prefer to print them myself.

we still use x-ray film in work. have a big machine for processing it.

 

[Goff]

Re: Random Photos

the neg scanner I used to use was a bit crap, good for somethings, but not great. Could have access to it in the course, but for b/w i prefer to print them myself.

we still use x-ray film in work. have a big machine for processing it.

Cool. If I call over, can you do an x-ray of my head?

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Re: Random Photos

Cool. If I call over, can you do an x-ray of my head?

no, not unless your head is phosphorescent (and completely flat).

 

[La La]

Re: Random Photos

I've recently discovered that no matter how good I get in the darkroom, I still hate it. Such labour for something that you have greater control over on a 'puter.

i am only venturing into a darkroom for the first time tonight, but i kinda like that it's a more intimate way of producing photos as opposed to sticking in a USB cable. meh i dunno, may have changed my mind after this evening!

 

[Goff]

Re: Random Photos

i am only venturing into a darkroom for the first time tonight, but i kinda like that it's a more intimate way of producing photos as opposed to sticking in a USB cable. meh i dunno, may have changed my mind after this evening!

It's intimate alright.

Just a bit nineteenth century.

And it IS fun.

Just not as much fun as a puter, if you ask me.

 

[La La]

just thought I would start a darkroom discussion thread so people can share tips, advice, etc. it may see no action but then again - it may.

 

[La La]

Re: Random Photos

It's intimate alright.

Just a bit nineteenth century.

And it IS fun.

Just not as much fun as a puter, if you ask me.

well. im back from the darkroom. it was fun! it is a little laborious though. but you get a nice little rush when you develop your negs properly and mess around with contact prints. SO MUCH to learn though. will have forgotten it all by next week, i would imagine. fun though

 

[Goff]

Photoshop, LaLa. Photoshop.



I think I have a doc around somewhere about developing. I'll have a look. It might come in handy.

 

[Space]

Photoshop, LaLa. Photoshop.



I think I have a doc around somewhere about developing. I'll have a look. It might come in handy.

Ah no it's probably worth while learning how to do the stuff manually, should give a better understanding of the whole process.

 

[magicbastarder]

i tried it years ago in my folks house.
the only place i could do it was the attic, which was unheated. so my chemicals quickly dropped to about 10 degrees. still good fun.

 

[hugh]

This seems like a good place to list darkrooms that can be rented. Both of these are in Dublin ...

The Light Exchange
Gallery of Photography

 

[Goff]

Ah no it's probably worth while learning how to do the stuff manually, should give a better understanding of the whole process.

I'm not sure that's a valid argument anymore. Two completely different mediums. Just because the end result is an image doesn't make them the same. The only reason you'd want to do darkroom in that regard is to learn why certain tools, like the dodge and burn tool, are so named. But you can just be told that one does one thing and the other the other.

There are things you can do with a computer you would never be able to do in a darkroom. And with much better quality. It's not a coincidence that every image we see these days is processed on a 'puter.

Still, it is fun. And well worth it just for the feeling of having done something that you created yourself, with your bare hands.

Just don't get the two mixed up is all.

On a lighter note, I found those notes about developing. If anyone wants them, PM me.

 

[magicbastarder]

people will still generally regard wet darkroom work as more of a craft than digital darkroom work; a lot to do with the latter being accessible to anyone with an internet connection. wet darkroom work is usually only attempted by someone who has at least a decent interest and a modicum of education or experience with photography.

 

[Space]

people will still generally regard wet darkroom work as more of a craft than digital darkroom work; a lot to do with the latter being accessible to anyone with an internet connection. wet darkroom work is usually only attempted by someone who has at least a decent interest and a modicum of education or experience with photography.

I think that's slipping into the realms of elitism. Anyways this thread is about wet darkroom tips and shit, not which is better.

 

[La La]

guyse i just had the best darkroom session. and my first print turned out deadly. it may be labour intensive, and all that lights on/off may grate a little, but it's such a cool process. im gonan try and scan in my print tomorrow

 

[Goff]

Cool. Scan it in and post it here. I'll fix it up in photoshop later.

Be mad interested in seeing the results. Did you use filters, etc?

I've a couple of shit pinholes on me flickr I did recently and made from the prints. Must have a root.