Darkroom Photography - Getting Started Guide

These days, developing film and making prints in a darkroom seems a little outdated. Why spend time in a dark, smelly room working to get the perfect print when you can upload them and photoshop them to perfection? There is no doubt that digital is more convenient and flexible than film, but sometimes it's fun to spend a little time working in the dark. If you’ve never ventured into the darkroom before, this is your guide to getting started.
We’ll skip developing your film and getting supplies for now and just talk about the actual process.

Making Prints with an Enlarger

An enlarger is exactly what it sounds like – a machine that makes your tiny squares of film into large, printed  photographs. It does this by projecting light through your film and onto the surface of your photo paper, exposing the light sensitive chemicals buried inside.

In order to create a print, you will have to line up the frame with your enlarger's light source, then project it onto a blank mat and make sure it's properly focused by adjusting the knob on the side. Make sure you can clearly see the grain of your image otherwise get a magnifying glass to check. You need to play with the exposure timing to make sure the image turns out okay, then you should be just fine.

The Chemicals

Once you’ve decided on the correct timing and exposed a full photograph, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Darkroom chemicals have a distinct odor and will ruin any article of clothing they touch, so make sure to wear an apron to keep yourself relatively clean.  The chemical process can be broken down into four steps:

1.     Developer – Soak your paper, which will still be completely white, in the developer. This chemical will activate the photo paper and allow your image to come through on the paper. If you’re unhappy with the contrast or exposure levels, head back to the enlarger and adjust your timing. Once you have a print you like and it's done developing, move it to the stop bath for a soak.

2.     Stop Bath – The stop bath will prevent your image from developing any further by neutralizing the chemicals found in the developer. If you have ever been in a dark room, the stop bath is the distinct smell you probably remember. If you want to make sure your print is done sitting in the stop bath, rub your fingers on the paper to see if it will squeak. If it squeaks, then you know the chemicals have been properly stopped. This should only take a few minutes.

3.    Fixer – While the stop bath will stop the effects of the developer chemicals, your paper will still be sensitive to light exposure. Fixer is the final chemical in the process and once your photograph has been soaked with this chemical the paper can be exposed to light without ruining the image. You don’t need to soak your images in fixer for too long, but 5-10 minutes depending on the chemicals and paper is usually a safe bet.

4.    Rinse – Naturally you’ll want to rinse your photos of all the harsh chemicals you’ve soaked in them. Most dark rooms have a sink and a rinsing tub with a continuous flow of water so you can leave your print there as long as it takes to remove all of the chemicals. This is a good time to print some other shots from your roll!

Once you’ve enlarged, developed, stopped, fixed, and rinsed your images, set them out to dry in a safe place and come get them the next day. Remember to rinse them well – one of the main reasons photographs turn brown over time is chemical left on the print. Pick up your dry prints and put them in a heavy book or photo press to straighten them out. After that, your prints are ready to frame.

The dark room can seem a little intimidating at first but once you understand the process it's a lot of fun. It's a wonderful creative outlet and gives you a lot more control over your final images then having someone else print them. Just remember to ask around before turning on the lights!