RE: Darkening a Darkroom
For alt processes there is really no need to darken the room into a darkroom. I routinely work with a 40W bulb in a bathroom, no windows though. I will turn the lghts off after coating, but I keep the door semi open so I can see at any time and allow air circulation.. The 40W bulb generates so little UV light. Remember that all you alt processes are UV sensitve and not much daylight sensitive.
Marek
From: Liam Lawless <lawless@bulldoghome.com>
Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: RE: Darkening a Darkroom
Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:45:41 +0100
>Bill,
>
>If it's solely alt work you intend and you're working with inkjet negs - and
>not doing conventional enlarging - it probably doesn't need to be completely
>dark; you don't need absolute blackness for handling printing-out materials
>and lined curtains should block UV from outside effectively enough. If you
>need to develop camera films, use a changing bag. But minimise unnecessary
>exposure by using a box for drying coated papers. If you have chemicals to
>hand, choose a bright day and run
a test with curtain fabric temporarily
>affixed over the window: coat your paper, dry it in the dark, then allow a
>*reasonable* amount of exposure to the light of your semi-dark laundry room
>(half an hour, say, to simulate normal handling of the paper on a *slow
>day*) and process without exposing under your UV lights. Any perceptible
>density will indicate that you ought to seek a better solution, but if
>there's none, there's probably no need.
>
>
>Liam
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bill King [mailto:bill@billkingphoto.com]
>Sent: 21 October 2006 00:03
>To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
>Subject: Darkening a Darkroom
>
>
>After lurking on this list for a long time, I'm finally forging ahead to
>make my own prints. So that I can get started, I
am converting my laundry
>room into a multipurpose laundry room/darkroom for alt-processes. For those
>of you who aren't able to dedicate a room full-time to alt-processes, what
>techniques have you used to make the room dark? Are there particularly good
>materials for blocking light (possibly black garden plastic)? Have you come
>up with clever ways of attaching these materials so that they could be taken
>down (or at least be unobtrusive) when needed? I have a small window (which
>can remain blacked out) and a door (which needs to be functional for laundry
>too) to worry about.
>
>Thanks so much,
>Bill
>
>
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