Tuesday 28 September 2010

the light in the darkness...

A few words about further stage of acquiring an image - printing...
Or it’s rather about my little struggle to get it right ;)
I was usually renting darkroom in Gallery of Photography . Well arranged and quite comfortable until it’s getting too crowdy...
Then in my head appears an idea of creating such a magic space in my place. Darkroom with unlimited access ;)


Slowly all equipment starts to arrive. First was obviously enlarger - fantastic LPL C6700 in great condition, then the remaining bits and pieces. After a few weeks I was ready to fly ;)
Just a quick visit in the best photography shop in Dublin - John Gunn Camera Shop and after a very nice conversation with John (as usually) i left it with big bags full of chemicals and papers.
That’s the end of nice part for a while. First few hours were totally wasted - flat images and very strange way of producing them, extremely different that the ones i knew from gallery...
Something was wrong with “spotless” (at the beginning) LPL.
I checked color switches, lamp and other bits and pieces.I made little cleaning. Got even fantastic Rodenstock Rodagon 80mm f4 (Thanks David!)... all seams to be fine.
Another try and another few hours wasted...unfortunately.
I decided to buy filters and try it as B&W enlarger. At the same time i bought a couple of bulbs...just in case.
And that was it!!!


....Bulb mounted in enlarger was obviously veeery old. I was misled by its look.
My darkroom finally works perfectly as it should. It became truly magic capsule where the time is not important anymore.

4 comments: