Although the advent of Polaroid photography, Digital photography and other advancements have decreased the usage of darkrooms over time but a true photographer would still enjoy working in a dark room developing his/her photos by their own hands. The concept of Darkrooms is as old as late 19th century and many still consider it to be a prestigious aspect of photography and a form of art. The darkroom has taught them about how light works on photographs and creates wonders!
A Darkroom is basically a separate portion or place that can be created anywhere. It is kept dark in a special way to work with light sensitive materials and equipment.
The developer usually works in what is called a safelight in the darkroom. Safelight, which is usually red, does not expose the paper but allows the developer to see enough to work without any inconveniences. The temperature in a dark room is usually maintained between 70 to 75 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Darkroom Equipment
A dark room would be nothing but a room with no light without equipment, instruments and tools. A well-established darkroom contains aprons, tongs, towels, chemicals, photography papers, hangers, reels, tanks, sinks, graduates, easels, enlargers, safelights and timers etc. Moreover, film drying equipment includes film drying cabinets, clips, alcohol etc. Film washers and wash tanks are used for the film washing procedure. The final stage of film development is known as film drying uses equipment such as clothespins, dryers, racks and frames or complete electric print drying cabinets. All this equipment can be acquired from suppliers and from the market within a range of prices, brands and makes.
Setting Up A Darkroom
When setting up a darkroom, the most important thing to take into consideration is the location and design of the darkroom. The darkroom should be set at a place where external light can be avoided to the maximum. Next, the design of the darkroom should be drawn first on grid paper if you’re planning to build a new room. If not, then the current room should be planned. There should be a separate cry area and placement of equipment should also be carefully planned.
A place should be selected for washing. Washing does not necessarily have to be done inside the dark room. Therefore, the water supply can be set up anywhere. But it is recommended for it to be inside the darkroom or at least near the workplace.
Secondly, the darkroom should have a proper drainage system to get rid of the waste in a safe manner.
A reliable Electric supply is of great importance to use an enlarger. Safe and dependable electric extensions, cords and wires can be acquired for this purpose.
Furthermore, arrangements should be made to keep the room temperature and illumination as desired and required.
Storage space should be enough to stack all the supplies, instruments, tools and other equipment.
The darkroom should never be too small or congested. There should be enough space for one to work and move around freely while having at least one or two visitors around. The work counter should also be large enough to carry all immediately required tools while having space for the developer to work.
In addition to this, a lot of chemicals used in a darkroom can be hazardous to health if inhaled for long. Keeping this in mind, proper ventilation is of utmost importance in a darkroom.
Hazards And Controls In A Darkroom
Commonly used photographic chemicals such as Formaldehyde, Hydrogen Sulphide, Acetic acid, Hydroquinone, Sulphur Dioxide and Diethylene Glycol can prove to be severe threats to a person’s health if misused or caught in an accident. Other substances such as reducers, toners and intensifiers can also be very dangerous.
Some precautions and controls to be taken inside a darkroom are as follows:
- The developer should try to minimize the use of highly toxic substances as much as they can.
- Ventilation should be adequate.
- PPE – Personal Protective Equipment should be used inside a darkroom at all times.
- All chemicals should be stored properly in proper containers, preferably in their original containers with correct labels for identification.
- Concentrated acids must be diluted.
- Proper disposal of photo chemicals must be ensured.
- Any spills or leaks must immediately be cleaned.
- Other physical threats such as electricity, temperature, fire and lighting should also be avoided by setting careful arrangements in the darkroom.
In conclusion, a darkroom is a fun place and every photographer’s heaven even in this modern age where Digital Darkrooms are a fast emerging trend. Unlike Darkrooms, a Digital Darkroom is not a room. It is software and one can find lots of information about Digital Darkrooms on internet.
