13 Oct 09: Darkroom workshop #3

This week we were contact printing from the film we shot using the Seagull camera. Contact printing gives you an image the same size as the negative and allows you to preview the image and evaluate the print.

Before we could start printing we had to develop the films we had taken using the Seagull cameras.  Kevin kindly gave up his afternoon to help me, Neil and Colin, with following the process we had learnt last week (See Darkroom Workshop #2), and as a result missed his technicians staff meeting.  Here are the boys in action:

To print, on the dry bench we were using a De Vere dichromate 5108 enlarger.  This is one of a range of enlargers made by Odyssey - Odyssey Sales acquired the DE VERE Company in 1995, and are the sole suppliers of this range of  professional enlargers - http://www.odyssey-sales.com/.

An enlarger works like a camera in reverse - a camera absorbs light to create an image on the film or sensor, an enlarger projects the image onto paper.   The printing paper is loaded onto a contact plate (emulsion side up) and the negative is placed onto the paper emulsion side down.

John demonstrated two ways of working out the correct exposure time:
(i) uncovering the negative section b y section, using an exposure of 2 seconds for each graduation so that the negative is exposed in 2 second intervals - 2, 4, 6, 8 seconds.
(ii) exposing the whole negative for 5 seconds , then covering 1/4 and exposing for another 5 seconds, covering 1/2 for 10 seconds, covering 3/4 for 20 seconds - this gives overall exposure times of 5, 10, 20 & 40 seconds.

By reviewing the print you can then select the correct exposure where the rebate of the negative is just distinguishable from paper black and use this exposure on the final print.

On the wet bench we had the chemicals for developing:-

• Developer: Ilford multigrade - 1 minute
• Stop bath:  we used running water (you can also use acetic acid) - 1 minute
• Fixer: Hypam mixed at 1:9 (so it less harsh than when used at 1:4 to develop negatives) - 2 minutes
• Wash: free flowing water bath 5 minutes
  

In his book Photography, John Ingledew says "To stand in the darkroom and watch your pictures slowly appear from sheets of white paper is a magical experience."  and he is right...
 Here is my first attempt:

We are printing enlargements in next week's session .  When I took the photos with the Seagull, I took them on my digital camera too so here is a taster: