Building a Darkroom on a Budget
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- In this video I show you how I put together my budget darkroom in my spare bedroom. I utilized Ikea for all of the furniture I did it for around $300.
Ikea Links:
Chest of Drawers: bit.ly/2qlg99h
Filing Cabinet: bit.ly/1diWfuK
Desk: bit.ly/2e6o03G
Desk Legs: bit.ly/1oBHo8h
Find Me Online:
Website :: www.chrisswartwood.com
Instagram :: @chrisswartwood
Email :: chris@chrisswartwood.com
Gear Used:
Camera: Sony A6000 :: amzn.to/2mdXm9L
Lens: Sony 10-18mm :: amzn.to/2mdXplX
Tripod: Manfrotto :: amzn.to/2lOx69L
Ring Light: Newer Ring Light :: amzn.to/2mUP6iu
Fill Lights: amzn.to/2me3r62
Microphone: amzn.to/2mUK3yF
Lapel Mic: amzn.to/2me6Y4c
Audio Recorder: Zoom H4n :: amzn.to/2mUMFN4
Video Monitor: Aputure VS2 :: amzn.to/2mNCCIZ
The gear links above and any Amazon links I post are Amazon affiliate links and it helps with the time and costs associated with producing this show. Any views or opinions are my own and come from a place of honesty and sincerity. I hope you enjoy the videos and my channel and leave me your notes or feedback in a comment below. Thanks for watching!
-chris
great job man, you're living the dream and we can tell by your smile. :)
I built my darkroom last week and did my first print last week, too. Next step is color printing. Glad to see others doing it, too.
I used regular foil over my window then board. Reflected all the heat. I had a house for several years that had a dedicated darkroom with filtered, temp controlled water. I really miss that darkroom!
I might pull the board down and put some foil up. Great idea!
I've always wanted to go into a darkroom and dip the photos.
Looks awesome. That is one thing I'm lacking is the darkroom, one of these days. I know what you mean about having a patient spouse. Lucky, my wife will wait for me to "get the shot".
What did you do as far as ventilation?
Jose Carrasquillo good question
@@nickfanzo His theory is probably have fun die young..those chemicals will catch up with you, needs ventilation!!
Love it! Well done. I’m looking to build my own darkroom.
Light is REALLY sneaky. ;) Looks great. Can't wait to see more prints.
I just moved to a new place and I have a room that I want to turn into a dark room/studio! I didn't know how I was gonna organize it, but this has been super helpful!
Damn Christian Bale rly took a strange turn
Congrats! I'm in college, so I don't have the luxury of making my own darkroom just yet. One day though....
Awesome happy for you, looks like a really good space :) I have just learnt to develop my own film, having a darkroom would be epic, but I think I need to have developed more than 2 rolls before I think about that. Loving your following your journey and insight 😊
I'm really pleased for you :-) may I make a couple of suggestions to help your workflow and lessen your future frustration. Cover the carpet with something that'll not hold the dust...... & loose the fan!
Another question, I hear different things about the necessity of an exhaust fan. I'm only doing B&W developing, and any toning I do will be in my bathroom across the hall from my future darkroom (The bathroom has both a window and exhaust). Have you had any issues, it does not appear that you have an exhaust unless I missed it. I also enjoyed your video showing your shower hookup for washing photos.
You can’t have enough exhaust fans…
hahah that's awesome its great to see the final setup and how its all working well for you.
Gaff tape is the best thing when it comes to blacking out the room when I'm darkening out my room I usually throw and old bit of carpet over the window with the blinds closed then gaff tape it all to the wall hahah looking forward to seeing future prints :D
Vinyl fabric is a good idea, but its nice to have no carpet.
Yeah I know you're on a budget, but dust in a darkroom cost money on ruined prints.
Nice to see someone doing wet photography :)
Dude Im so stoked for you!! Ive been mulling through the options of where I might be able to set up my own darkroom as well, and love seeing the steps you went through to cut out all the pin holes of light you were coming across! I cant wait to see what you shoot and print moving forward! Also, I totally agree that a marriage is put through a refining fire when assembling ikea furniture together 😂😂😂
Another option is darkroom blackout cloth fitted with velcro around the edges and the the opposite velcro fitted on the window frame. Easy to take down and put up if you need the room for other uses.
I was also thinking of setting up a darkroom, but I was told that my school has a darkroom, and what made it funny was that it's behind the door that I used to stare at wondering what was in there.
Don't skimp on enlarging lenses.
Get Schneider Componon S lenses.
NOT Schneider Componar which are poor imo. Nikon 50mm is great too.
Durst Neonon not Neotar.
I can swivel my enlarger head on the column to get bigger enlargements up to 20x16 inches.
I like Condenser enlargers for medium format, and cold cathode for 4x5
How do you deal with liquids in a carpeted room? I have a spare bedroom but was thinking of using the bathroom instead because the spare is carpeted. Only issue is fitting the enlarger and equipment in a small bathroom.
Great video, makes me hopeful one day I’ll have a similar darkroom!
Thank you for sharing. I guess you don't have to black the walls? How does that work? I've been inside a few and they are blacked out walls. I was thinking I had to also. I'm currently homeless (for another week) and had all the equipment given to me for free. I couldn't pass it up. Today I was contemplating ways to black the walls without paint, it's an apartment and I don't want to repaint it when my lease is up. Coooool video.
Good for you! I hope you can get some plumbing in there soon. You need a sink. Also put in an exhaust fan. I don't personally like carpeting on the floor for a darkroom, but you can decide later on that. I like your enlarger, it looks like an Omega 4x5. I like the organization that you have for your supplies from Ikea. Now all you need is more 4x5 film holders, because you are going to be shooting more film.
Thank you so much! Yes, it is an Omega 4x5 enlarger. Since my darkroom is in a spare bedroom I'm gonna have to work it as is. But 8x10 trays are quite easy to move around the house with compared to larger trays...plus it gets me out of the dark cave for a few minutes at a time! Thanks for watching!
People like you and me and many others in the world can relive the real photography ... Analog Photography! good wishes....
felix romero not the real photography, the first one maybe. You don’t say you are not driving a car unless it doesn’t come with a/c and seat belt just because the first cars didn’t have them. Digital photography is still real photography. It gets the job done and it has MANY advantages over analog photography. Don’t get me wrong, I love analog photography and absolutely love shooting my Hassie around. I also develop and scan my film. But it all comes down to preference. No need to be minimizing the value of different ways to do the same thing. Cheers!
Good luck with your new darkroom from the Netherlands. Well..new, just now saw your video but anyway: good luck! you might with that window also convert your room into a real pinhole camera. :-)
what about ventilation. The chemicals are toxic. It's certainly not good in the long run without ventilation. After all, you spend hours in this unventilated room.
Liking your videos....subscribed. Loved your darkroom video - I have all the kit but no darkroom and no space; no spare room. But I'm going to try and find a way somehow. It's been ten years since I did my own printing...time to dust off the enlarger I think!
WHen you said budget i assumed u would say how much it cost.
I am trying to build a darkroom in my garage but my photo teacher says it’ll be an issue not having running water in there, but I feel like there has to be an easy solution to that?
white foam core is cheap and lightweight for blocking windows
I too have a spare bedroom I want to turn into a darkroom but I'm told you HAVE to have running water by many people, how do you get around that? My spare bedroom is directly across from our guest bathroom.
I use 4 trays, dev, stop, fix, water bath. After dev and stop, I go from the fix to the water bath and then to an empty tray to take out of the darkroom for observation. When I have a final print I do my toning, hypo clear and final wash. I only use 300ml of liquid in each tray (this saves chemicals and prevents sloshing). I can get around 12-15 prints before I need to change the chemicals. When I am done with my printing session, I pour the dev, stop and fix into a 1L container and take that to the bathroom to pour out. My print washer is in my shower (i have a vid online for it) and when my final wash is complete I squeegee and place the prints on screens to dry. I made the screens from fiberglass screen from Home Depot stapled to 1"x2" pieces of wood. I then remove the water tube from the print washer to use as a hose to clean my trays. I place the tongs into the 1L container and fill with some washer and stir and whip them around, or as the great Bob Ross would say, "Beat the devil out of 'em". I pour out the water, dry the trays, disconnect the washer and stack everything together and place back on the shelf. I spray the worktop down with a water and vinegar mixture and fill out a print log with all relevant data for the next printing session. Finally, I put cotton gloves on and remove the negative from the carrier and place it back in it's sleeve. I haven't spilled a drop (knock on wood). In the darkroom, I always try to mindful, take my time and be deliberate with my movements. Keep in mind I only print 8x10 and after printing this size for the last year or so I have no future plans to try and print larger than that. Give it a shot! Follow me on IG and send some shots of your setup when you're done!
Thank you for all the information, I sure will!
Put in a bucket of water to put pictures in and when your ready take to the sink and wash.
Why is the video so lacking in colour btw? It kinda looks like it was shot in s log and not graded lol
I want to do a darkroom but I want to know about chemicals to develop. I know is different from negatives? Or do you use the same? Do you diluted in water? Very cool darkroom. How about ventilation ?
The developer for paper is different than film. For paper I use either Ilford multigrade or kodak poly t. I dilute them 1:9. The stop and fixer are the same! The only time I really worry about ventilation is when I'm toning so I do those steps outside.
Is that mountain peak the same as the one Ansel Adams photographed
Hi Chris. Happy to see some comments you made to viewers on other videos recently. I’m looking forward to your first video of 2018! I have a question about Toning; how do you deal with the smell in your darkroom? Thanks!
Hi Marcus! Thank you for noticing! Yes, i took some time away and am excited to get the new year rolling. As far as toning, I use a odor free sepia (don't tell Borut Peterlin) and when I selenium tone I do it outside on the patio.
Looks like a photo I hopefully snagged from a couple weeks ago out at RMNP, on the way to Dream Lake. Waiting to get the film scans back to confirm.
I hope you got it too! Such a nice hike! I'm actually headed to the park this morning! Wish me luck!
What is the name of the enlarger that you use
Beseler 45 VXL
Oh my gosh dude!! You deserve more subscriber and likes than what you have right now!! Your contents are amazing, love your works!
Oh man! Thank you for saying that! As long as you, and the other folks here continue to watch the videos and shower me with compliments then why do i need more subs?! haha. Seriously though, it means a lot to me that you like the videos and even more that you took the time to tell me. -chris
$300 just for the IKEA cabinets... Plus enlarger, paper and chemicals, trays, safelights, the fan, and the boards and curtains of the window and door... Sounds neat
What did you use for safe lights? awesome bro, i only have a really weak red bulb and its annoying aF
I just use a few of these: bit.ly/2DAmOD2 * a friendly tip. Don't over 'safe light' your space. It will cause fogging and make you pull your hair out trying to figure it out. You can do a safelight test by placing a coin or something on your paper for a few minutes and develop the paper just to be safe. Doing that test finally solved the mystery paper fogging which in turn improved my printing contrast and exposure times.
It would be a dream to build a personal darkroom. Fell in love with film in college, but there’s no darkrooms near me where I live. If you don’t mind me asking, if you had to give a ball park range of initial costs to get started. How much would you estimate?
Is ventilation a concern?
Marvellous..
Thanks for the mention.. (Future Helmut)
Anyways yes great. Looking forward to see how how it pans out..
The print looked great on fiber paper.
"FOCUS on DEVELOPING your darkroom technique". (Old photography joke).
If the darkroom has a wooden floor, (not concrete), don't walk around during an enlarger exposure. The enlarger head may move a tiny bit. It's usually possible to secure the top of the enlarger column to the wall for added stability.
If it gets hot in there, a small extraction fan in the ceiling venting up into the loft can help.
If light is a problem, do darkroom work during the long winter nights, when you can't be out shooting.
To test safelight, leave a coin on a piece of paper under safelight for an hour. Develop the paper, if you can see a white circle your safelight is too bright.
For ultimate tonal quality switch off the safe light during enlarger exposure.
Don't forget to spend time out in the sunshine and don't turn into a vampire.
Again, Well done and good luck dude.
I think you're the only young RUclipsr doing this from scratch.
Much better than an old timer like me droning on about "back in the day".
Have a good trip.
The only thing I'd say to others is that if considering a darkroom, do it sooner rather than later. As film photography is becoming more popular and people realise how easy it is to set up, used darkroom equipment prices will creep up.
Jon, I could easily blame all of this on you!!! But instead i'll say what I really think and say 'thank you'. I have been wanting to do this for awhile (as we have discussed) but I appreciate the nudge forward. There will be a print in your future for sure. I will test the safe light brightness this week and see what it looks like. I think i'll wire the safelights into the timer this week just to be sure. Talk again soon and thanks again!
Yeah it's good to wire the safelight's in so's they go out when you hit the timer expose button.
I get blamed for everything anyway so no worries. :)
One other thing I forgot to mention.
Behind the enlarger you have a white wall. It's better to put a large matt black board there because you can get reflection off the wall onto the print during exposure. This can cause slight fogging of the highlights. Just a piece of matt black painted cardboard, width of the baseboard and height of column will do fine.
Just noticed it's in the corner, might be an idea to put black boards on both walls.
Or if you can deal with it just paint the walls close to the enlarger matt black.
Keep all other walls light coloured.
One more
(i'm worse than your Mom).
If you can afford it buy the book.
"WAY BEYOND MONOCHROME"
what about water?
Ayyyyy I live in Northern Colorado too
Looking good. Though you might want to get one of those long thin rubber door mats that you often see in offices and the like to put on the floor just in front and partly under the work surface where the trays are. Trust me you WILL spill something eventualy and it will save staining the carpet.Cheers.
My wife suggested this too, so by law I must give her credit. But yes, spilling is inevitable. Also trying to think of cheap backsplash option. Any thoughts? Thank for watching! -chris
Check out a gardening store for rolls of thick polythene sheet. You could attach it to the wall like the flap on the bottom of the door and have it come all the way across to underneath the worktop.
Oh, and yeah, wife always wins lol.
Sorry if you mentioned this and I missed it but are you doing anything about ventilation or are you not that worried about it? I've heard all sorts of different opinions and ideas on ventilation but I'm curious as to what you or anyone else's opinions/ideas are.
I have a small fan in there and I come out every 1-2 hours to transfer prints to the water bath. The chemicals are pretty chill. When I tone however, I do that outside on the patio.
You should have ventilation, or a window open that is covered
I just started building my own darkroom! And this is really helpful. I discovered your Chanel just now and since it’s kind of small Chanel I hope you keep going at this, really inspirational.
Do you have a ventilation system? Si it necessary ?
Maria Bueno you do need something for ventilation
How did you learn to print your own shots ? And any tips for someone who hasn’t even started to learn to work a camera yet ? Lol
Ft Collins? My grandma and her mom live up there! Great grandpa had a darkroom, sadly grandma gave all the equipment away, if only she knew I was going to be into analog photography.
Is there a chance you might ruin your carpet with the developing chemicals? Just wondering
Nice darkroom 👍
great job! looking to do the same but my room has no windows. I have been picking up bits here and there. just need a enlarger now.
Thank you! You are lucky to not have windows in your darkroom! I hope you find an enlarger soon! Luckily, prices aren't too bad these days! Thanks for watching! -chris
GRAIN TV got your channel through Nick Exposed. glad he recommended it.
Chris...tell me about your enlarger! It looks like a nice one. - Joe
thank you so much!!! i love yalls energy, building our own darkroom here in co too!
can't wait to have my darkroom again very inspiring video!
man i literally just made a similar set up on the weekend
Now that is what I want to hear!!!! Congrats man! I hope (and expect) that you are as excited as I am! -chris
You really do look a lot like Bon Scott (with short hair).
I want your marmot hat - 1974 birth year - very groovy
Love this!!
What board is it? I cant find it. Yuca? Hyuka? Yoca? Hueca board? How do u spell it.
Eucaboard
you are the cutest
marty mcfly..is that you?!
Congratulations on your darkroom Chris... and good luck working there. The board in the window is cooler, if you paint it white - or glue alufoil, on the side facing out. You might even pin a curtain in there, so the window looks Ok from outside. To control spilling, Keep the trays on normal trays. Painters use rolls of "blanket on plastic" as cover on the floor...use it on the table and floor. Greetings from Denmark...Jakob
And he didn't say what budget...
Description
@@miko8732 oh, thank you... Didn't notice
looking hot ! both ways
Well done Sir
congrats, I'm happy for you :)
egg tray does the work of eliminating the light
Great!!!!
Was interested in the ikea drawers. The link just takes me to one of your other ytube video?
www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40196241/
GRAIN TV Thank you.
Congrats!
Bravo!
Congrats on the new darkroom, looks awesome!
Your video is so desaturated it reminded me of the beginning of Disney's Up and it gave me immediate depression. thanks.
What is the name of the board the purchased for the windows?
It is just press board or particle board. Very thin, like 1/4".
I love the idea you sealed the door. Great darkroom.
Thank you so much! I am having a lot of fun with it!
You must like to hear yourself talk and talk..show us the equipment and how to use it.
Do you even grade your footage?
When you're ready to go big, get yourself a Jobo 3063 Drum, and you'll be able to process up to 20x24. That's how I develop my Ultra LargeFormats 11x14, 14x17 & 20x24 for contact printing, or enlarged 4x5 negatives.
After printing and working in the darkroom a little, I have come to the conclusion that I really enjoy 8x10 printing. It is manageable. I really have been enjoying the juxtaposition of a large landscape scene printed small. I have printed large (very large) in the past and I found that people were grabbed by the grandness of the image and presentation but didn't really LOOK at the image. When I started printing small, it was almost like a quiet invitation of the print to come in close and really look into it. I offset the smaller print size by matting in a 16x20 to help add some weight and substance to the overall presentation. So far, I really love the look and have no plans to change them.