Print Chemistry Lifespan

Print Chemistry will only last for one day (at the longest) sitting in the trays. If the Stop Bath appears blueish, then pitch all the chemistry as that is an indication that the chemistry is exhausted. Stop bath should be yellow.
There is also a means to chemically test the fixer using some special drops, but if the stop is exhausted it usually means it is all exhausted. 
If you are getting weird blotches on your prints, it is either from contaminated tongs or exhausted chemistry.
To properly dispose of spent chemistry:
The Developer and Stop Bath go down the main drain. The fixer goes down the trough on the far right of the sink which has its own drain. Rinse everything out thoroughly including the trays, the tongs, and the sink itself.
Fill the trays with pre-mixed chemistry from the tanks. If it is only you, just use 8x10 trays. If it is two or more people or you expect a number of people to use the chemistry throughout the day then use the 11x14 trays. An inch or so of chemistry should be sufficient. In any case, make sure there is plenty of chemistry in the trays to easily cover your prints.
If you are the last person printing, cover the trays with other trays flipped over in order to help keep out air which speeds the exhaustion of the chemicals. 
Leave a note tape to the sink or on on the trays stating when the chemistry was placed in the trays.
Ask me or a lab tech about any questions you may have.

All Four enlargers are up and running; Instruction Manuals for the enlargers

All the enlargers are up and running. If you prefer to work alone, the enlarger in the 'developing room' can be utilized. Please note that you release the elevation lock by turning a large knob on the left side. You raise the negative stage by moving a lever on the left side. If you use that one and print chemicals are already mixed in the larger room, you may just want to put your exposed print in a box and walk it over to the larger room to process it there. Or, if you want the total isolationist experience, you can set up print chemistry in trays in that room.

In the small darkroom/developing room:

SAUNDERS LPL SUPER DICHRO 4500II 4x5 ENLARGER. Here is a link to the instruction manual in PDF form.    It is a $2k enlarger. In my mind, is the nicest 4x5 enlarger ever made. 

In the larger darkroom:

There is a Beseler 23C (the blue one to the right), a 23CII (the black one in the middle), and a 23CIII-XL (the one with the color head and extra tall column on the left).

Instruction manual for Beseler 23C II

Instruction manual for Beseler 23CIII-XL.

NOTE: You can't use film chemicals for processing prints.
             Never force anything in the darkroom. If you do, you will break it.


Instruction Manual for the JOBO CPP3

Printing with RC paper in the RC

Printing with RC  (resin coated) papers        by Seder Burns

When focusing, use the largest aperture as it provides the brightest image.

Put a piece of paper with the backside up into the enlarger easel. Use a grain enlarger to insure critical focus. When the grain is most sharp, that is when the image is in sharpest focus.

Be sure to stop down the lens after focusing. You should fully stop down the lens and then open it up two stops. So if a lens has a minimum aperture of f22, then you should use an aperture of f11 to print. This allows for good depth of field and good lens performance. Typically, a lens doesn’t perform best at its largest and smallest apertures do to inherent difficulties of lens design and optical properties. That is why I ask that you open it up two stops from its smallest aperture.

Control density/time for the Highlights, adjust paper contrast for the shadows.

Make a test strip insuring that the areas of greatest importance are included. Control density for highlight detail. Insure that there is texture and detail in the highlights. Once the highlights look good, analyze the shadow tones. Are they too light? If so, increase contrast by dialing in magenta and yellow according to the chart on the side of the printing stalls. (or change the Variable Contrast filter). Control contrast for shadow detail.

Dodge and burn areas as desired to control local contrast. Dodging is the process of preventing light from striking select areas of the print to cause that part of the image to appear lighter. Burning is the process of allowing additional exposure time to select areas of the print to cause that part of the image to appear darker.

Contrast: the difference in tone/brightness values between light and dark parts of the same print. Start with a number 2 filter in place (or the equivalent combination listed below when using a color head enlarger). This way, if you decide to change contrast you will not have to alter your exposure much or at all.

Processing the print: Each step in the development process is timed to insure adequate time for the chemical to have its affect on the paper while trying to minimize the time it sits in the solution to prevent the paper from absorbing unnecessary chemicals which will ultimately lead to a shorter print life. This is why it is important that you don’t leave your prints sitting in any of the chemical solutions for longer than they need to be.

Developer:  1 ½  minutes with gentle agitation. If there are multiple prints in the developer tray, then shuffle the prints by taking the bottom most print and putting it on the top of the pile. Keeping doing this until the time is up. Longer development times will lead to greater print density. It is very important that you are consistent in your print processing. Drain for 5 seconds.

Stop bath: 30 seconds with gentle agitation. Drain for 5 seconds.

Fixer: 5 minutes. Drain for 5 seconds.

Final water rinse: 10 minutes.

Drying: While still wet, take the print and insert it with the image facing up into the print dryer. Do not put any prints smaller than 5x7 into the print dryer. They may jam.

Printing with Fiber Papers in the RC

Printing with fiber papers

Open up the enlarger lens all the way to focus. Use a grain enlarger to insure critical focus.

Then stop down the lens about 2-3 stops to insure greater optical performance from the lens and to insure an adequate printing time.

Control density for highlight detail. Control contrast for shadow detail. Dodge and burn areas as desired to control local contrast. Split grade print as necessary.

Processing fiber papers demands much more diligence than developing resin-coated papers. Fiber papers absorb chemicals more deeply and quickly than resin coated papers. Each step in the development process is timed to insure adequate time for the chemical to have its affect on the paper while trying to minimize the time it sits in the solution to prevent the paper from absorbing unnecessary chemicals which will ultimately lead to a shorter print life. This is why it is important that you don’t leave your prints sitting in any of the chemical solutions for longer than they need to be.

Developer:  2 minutes with gentle agitation. If there are multiple prints in the developer tray, then shuffle the prints by taking the bottom most print and putting it on the top of the pile. Keeping doing this until the 2 minutes are up. Longer development times will lead to greater print density. This is why it is very important that you are consistent in your print processing.

Stop bath: 15 seconds with gentle agitation.

Fixer: Two fixer solutions are used when processing fiber prints. This is to insure adequate fixing.

First fix bath 2 minutes. Drain for 5 seconds. Second fix bath 2 minutes.

Prewash: 3-5 minutes

Fixer remover: 3 minutes

Final water rinse: 20 minutes

Drying: Carefully squeegee both sides of the print off. Then place prints face down on the drying racks or place between photo blotters. 

Printing with RC paper in the RC

Printing with RC  (resin coated) papers        by Seder Burns

When focusing, use the largest aperture as it provides the brightest image.

Put a piece of paper with the backside up into the enlarger easel. Use a grain enlarger to insure critical focus. When the grain is most sharp, that is when the image is in sharpest focus.

Be sure to stop down the lens after focusing. You should fully stop down the lens and then open it up two stops. So if a lens has a minimum aperture of f22, then you should use an aperture of f11 to print. This allows for good depth of field and good lens performance. Typically, a lens doesn’t perform best at its largest and smallest apertures do to inherent difficulties of lens design and optical properties. That is why I ask that you open it up two stops from its smallest aperture.

Control density/time for the Highlights, adjust paper contrast for the shadows.

Make a test strip insuring that the areas of greatest importance are included. Control density for highlight detail. Insure that there is texture and detail in the highlights. Once the highlights look good, analyze the shadow tones. Are they too light? If so, increase contrast by dialing in magenta and yellow according to the chart on the side of the printing stalls. (or change the Variable Contrast filter). Control contrast for shadow detail.

Dodge and burn areas as desired to control local contrast. Dodging is the process of preventing light from striking select areas of the print to cause that part of the image to appear lighter. Burning is the process of allowing additional exposure time to select areas of the print to cause that part of the image to appear darker.

Contrast: the difference in tone/brightness values between light and dark parts of the same print. Start with a number 2 filter in place (or the equivalent combination listed below when using a color head enlarger). This way, if you decide to change contrast you will not have to alter your exposure much or at all.

Processing the print: Each step in the development process is timed to insure adequate time for the chemical to have its affect on the paper while trying to minimize the time it sits in the solution to prevent the paper from absorbing unnecessary chemicals which will ultimately lead to a shorter print life. This is why it is important that you don’t leave your prints sitting in any of the chemical solutions for longer than they need to be.

Developer:  1 ½  minutes with gentle agitation. If there are multiple prints in the developer tray, then shuffle the prints by taking the bottom most print and putting it on the top of the pile. Keeping doing this until the time is up. Longer development times will lead to greater print density. It is very important that you are consistent in your print processing. Drain for 5 seconds.

Stop bath: 30 seconds with gentle agitation. Drain for 5 seconds.

Fixer: 5 minutes. Drain for 5 seconds.

Final water rinse: 10 minutes.

Drying: While still wet, take the print and insert it with the image facing up into the print dryer. Do not put any prints smaller than 5x7 into the print dryer. They may jam.

Assignment #1: Now - Life in 2014

Assignment #1: Now - Life in 2014

The greatest failure is the fear to fail.                                                                                                                                                        – Duane Michals

When you paint, you begin with a white canvas and add elements to build up your image. When you take a photo, you begin with chaos and remove elements from your scene using the creative tools that the camera affords to reduce the scene to your liking. These are very different processes.

Garry Winogrand said, "I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed." 

For this first assignment, you are going to focus (pun intended) on photographic vision and how things look photographed. How do things look through the camera? Do your images match what you envisioned? What creative tools are at your disposable to manipulate the scene?

In order to facilitate that, I am setting up some parameters. For your first roll of film, I would like you to make at least a few photos that could only be taken now. This is to say, they must represent contemporary life in some manner. A guy bicycling while texting would be a good example. Zipcars, electric cars, cafes full of people on their laptops, people walking around with headphones everywhere, etc… Think about fashion, hairstyles, hobbies, drones, etc.. Really, the choices are infinite. 

The remainder of the roll can be used anyway that you want to. You may want to shoot 18 of Now and 18 images of whatever you want. Your call. This first roll of film is due by Wednesday 1/22 as you will need to process it to see how you did.

Ultimately, you will take at least 2 rolls of film for this assignment. You will make two prints gelatin silver prints. The first print will be due TBD. The final critique of the Assignment will be TBD).

Have fun, be creative, and see how far you can push your creativity. Experiment with camera angle, camera position, distance, lighting, time of day, color, lens, shutter speed, aperture, composition, mood, drama, etc. Just be sure you have enough light for proper exposures. Pay attention to the entire frame and aim to create images that are both visually interesting and communicate something about your subject. These photos may be shot indoors or outdoors, or both, but  if you shoot indoors, be sure you have enough light to shoot handheld (otherwise use a tripod or ask me about pushing film to a higher ISO). Plan to explore this theme over a period of time - do not shoot this the day before it’s due!

The trick to this assignment is to meet the requirements of the assignment while still making interesting images. Anyone can go take a photo of a fancy solar powered parking meter. How can you do it an make it interesting?

People should be able to look at your photos and tell they were taken around 2014. 

Suggestions:

• Move away from, and close to, different parts of your subject (physically or through focal length changes)
• Consider figure/ ground relationships and focus on different parts of the scene to change emphasis
• Shoot at eye level, crouch down, stand on a ladder, lie on the ground, turn and face different directions
• Vary the placement of your subject within the frame/ play with the composition in various ways
• Experiment with different aperture settings and shutter speeds (use a tripod when necessary)
• Shoot in morning, afternoon, evening & in various weather conditions for different effects
• Pay attention to the lighting and the mood it creates!  
• Use props or dress up as necessary. 
• Recruit your friends to help you.  
• Look at photos taken from earlier generations. What do you notice?  

Some additional food for thought:

• What is the significance of shooting B&W film in 2014? 
• Is it relevant that the images will be shot with film and printed in the darkroom? 
• How does a grainy B&W representation of modern life come across? Does it make it appear old?