This area is separated from the "wet side" sinks by a partition. The emergency exit is at the far end of the darkroom, and not visible to its right is a film-loading area, with shelves for storing enlarger lenses and related equipment. Not visible behind the easel are my two Beseler 4x5 enlargers (see Figure 2-6), which may be used in horizontal configuration to project on the far side of the easel. A general view from near the entrance of my darkroom shows the 8x10 enlarger and magnetic easel to the left, both on a track system in the floor. I am 6 feet tall, and the bottom level of my sinks is 36 inches above the floor, with an 8-inch depth. The height of sinks and worktable is a personal choice. If the ceiling is slightly too low, an opening might be cut between joists and lined to protect against dust, providing an additional 8 to 10 inches of clearance for the enlarger lamp housing. If the ceiling height is limited, a low enlarger table may be necessary, but it must not be so low as to make operation difficult or uncomfortable. In addition, the clearance required for a vertical enlarger at maximum elevation must be considered. <Ī fairly high ceiling - 8 feet or more - is helpful for ventilation. The remaining 6 or 7 feet of work space is then available for a table for negative viewing light, paper trimmer, and film loading, or for a horizontal See page 26 enlarger. A vertical enlarger is shown here in the position it occupies in my darkroom the vertical easel can be used with cither enlarger.Įnlarger the developer-tray end of the sink, with space on one side for fresh paper and on the other for storage of exposed paper. The positioning of equipment on the "wet" and "dry" sides should relate to a logical flow of activity: after exposing paper in the vertical enlarger, the developing tray is directly across the center aisle, and processing proceeds in a straight line to the washing sink. *The ^ pointer is used throughout to indicate a cross reference given in the margin.įigure 2-2. The vertical enlarger should, for efficiency, be placed opposite The work space on the dry side could also be about 14 feet long. It is certainly possible to reduce this length, but for a professional darkroom, it does become inefficient at some point to skimp on space. Using five 18 x 22 inch trays placed lengthwise, with about two inches between trays, and a separate 36-inch washing sink, we thus should ideally have about 14 feet in total sink length. The length of the sink should allow for the three processing trays (developer, stop bath, and fixer), plus a water tray and a print-storage and washing area. The simplest layout is a continuous worktable on the dry side, See Book 2, chapter 9 opposite an equally long sink assembly.*3* Making 16 x 20 enlarge ments requires 18 x 22 or 20 x 24 trays, and ideally the width of the sink should allow for turning the trays thus the sink width should be at least 30 to 32 inches. It is a fundamental rule of darkroom operation never to allow anything wet - wet trays, film tanks, prints, or wet hands - to intrude on the dry side. The basic arrangement of the darkroom should, as discussed in Book 2, provide for all "wet-side" processes to occur in one area of the darkroom, with the "dry side" reserved for enlarging and contact printing, film loading, and other operations that must be protected from chemicals and moisture.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |