Barry Idmess Darkroom Equipment

Darkroom Sinks

Working in the darkroom is a hallmark of being a photographer, as well as a great way to grab a little personal time to really focus on your craft. Having a locked door can provide you with some quiet uninterrupted time as well as help prevent film or images from being ruined from accidental light exposure. Unfortunately, few people have access to a local darkroom, so the best alternative for developing your own prints is to create a darkroom at home.

The Perfect Place for Your Darkroom

Sheds, garages, and extra rooms are all fine places for a darkroom. Just remember before choosing a location that you'll need access to running water and that the chemicals are hazardous and smelly. Additionally, since the room you choose will have to be completely sealed of light, it's a good idea to choose a room with no windows that you don't mind removing from normal life - once you make a room a darkroom it's not going to serve as anything else. That's why sheds or basements are common darkroom locations because they can be used just for that purpose and have running water and electricity. You can also set up a darkoom in an unused bathroom however this might be a bit cramped.

Your Darkroom Supplies

Most darkroom supplies are rather basic and won't cost you much to get started. Excluding whatever it takes to lightproof the room you use, you can get by with the following:

• 3 Trays big enough for 8x10 paper
• 3 Sets of tongs
• Chemicals (see below)
• Enlarger and timer (see below)
• Easel
• Darkroom light

The only expensive things you need are the enlarger, which you fortunately only need to purchase once, and the chemicals, which will need to be refreshed now and again. You can get an enlarger for around $200 and a basic timer for about $150, and they should last the life of your darkroom.

The chemicals are a bit more complicated. You can get most chemicals in either powder or liquid form. With powders you have to be careful as they can become airborne and do require mixing however they are easier to store. Liquids on the other hand, are easier to work with but are more expensive than powders and take up more storage space.

At the very least, you'll need to invest in some sort of developer, fixer, and stop bath. It's a good idea to buy small quantities, or if using a powder only mix small amounts at a time, as the chemicals will go bad over time. You'll also want to keep the chemicals in the dark in plastic bottles as glass can easily break when you're working in the dark. A darkroom light will help you see while working with your paper but please know that a darkroom light can still ruin undeveloped film so only develop your film in complete darkness.

The Darkroom Setup

Once you have the chemicals sorted and all of your supplies in order, you're good to go. The best darkroom layout will have a dry side and a wet side - do your cutting and enlarging on a workbench or table, then have another bench or table with your developer, stop bath, and fixer laid out and ready to go. It's also a good idea to have a sink at the end of this table for the final rinse - if you have extra cash they make special "always running, always full" sinks that are absolutely stellar for this purpose. You may also want to consider adding a lock to the door to prevent accidental door openings while your working. However if you lock the door, just make sure that you can easily open it from inside in case of an emergency.

Once you have all of the supplies you need, you can really set up your darkroom in any place that's protected from light. Just find a setup that works for you and before long, you'll be developing and printing your images and will be proud to tell your friends you did it all from the comfort of your own darkroom!

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. If you're looking for a great selection of picture frames and the best customer service then visit YourPictureFrames.com. Shop online and see their super huge inventory of frames in all sizes and styles or call customer service at 1-800-780-0699.

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Darkroom (Paperback) $33.51 In the aftermath of her mother`s suicide, one young woman recognizes the malleability of her reality. From her adolescence in the flat, hot Floridian landscape to a tectonic Missouri adulthood, a girl shaped by grief is compelled to create and manipulate her image of the world. As her dreams become indistinguishable from daily life, she begins to question memory, identity, and the function of love. Employing photography as its central metaphor, Darkroom tackles the tangled relationship between memory and mourning by exploring an artist`s impossible attempt to re-create the object of loss.

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Darkroom (Hardcover) $128.93 Description not available.

Darkroom Cookbook $35.66 No Synopsis Available