Second thoughts

Before I am to take down the darkroom, I wanted one last farewell printing session. It felt odd going into Glazers to buy a packet of Dektol, something I haven't done in years, and may never do again. “Don't sell it. Put it in storage,” my saleperson urged me. “I get guys coming in here now replacing their darkrooms after they've let them go.” Robin keeps asking me, “How does it feel? Is that why you're so weird lately?”

It feels so comfortable, familiar and, yes, joyful to print again. There is a time-apart quality to darkroom work. I like to prepare to spend several days in a row, if I can. You listen to a lot of radio, because you spend much of your time waiting. 50 seconds for the print to expose, another round to burn. Three minutes in the developer. A minute or so in the fix, then you get to see where you are.

I'm a good printer, but not a great one. There are potentials in a negative that a master printer could extract that I never will. I can, however, judge what exposure and contrast filter to use just by looking at the neg, and I'm within shouting distance the first try. It usually takes me about three rounds to get a print I can live with. I've been a darkroom printer since I was six years old.

Now that the prints are on the drying rack I'm scanning some of the same negs to see what decisions I'll make in a digital print. One thing I'm noticing is how much slower the process is, and how less focussed is my attention. While the scanner preview loads I go off and check my email, or write a blog entry. It is less mindful. I'm not in my body in near the same way—darkroom work is physical work. Computer work is anything but.

I may be delaying the inevitable, but maybe I'm not quite ready to let go.

Comments

[Erik]

I find the whole analog process very different from digital. I learned photography with film, but didn't shoot anything for years before restarting with digital. A couple years ago I started shooting with 4x5 and printing digitally. I switch back and forth. On a recent vacation I took a Tachihara, a 20D and a G9 - they were all "primary" for different parts of the trip.

I make much better prints from digital source, but there's something deeply satisfying about big hunks of film, messy chemicals and precise timings. It's art and science and a little bit of magic.

[Robin Shapiro]

No storeroom for me . . . Sigh!

[Hugh Alison]

I've been working entirely digitally for 3 years (Canon 5D, Epson 4800 printer, Hahnemuhle Photo Rag) after 30 years with a darkroom. I am mainly a Black and White shooter, and the reason I did so was that I prefer the results from digital....

But, after throwing the darkroom in a skip a year ago, I'm seriously considering restarting it just for the pleasure on shooting Pentax 67 / Tri-X / printing on Galerie graded paper /selenium toning.

You've hit on something very significant - there's a meditative or Zen aspect to darkroom printing - or else boys just like messy games - that is more satisfying.

The other factor that started me thinking was seeing the Annie Leibovitz exhibition (all traditional prints) in London - even if I personally think my digital prints are better, there's a whole "collectors market" which thinks traditional prints are better or more collectable, and there are going to be fewer and fewer decent darkroom printers over the years as we all die of old age - so why not shoot a few rolls of film with a favourite toy and produce a handful of limited edition "collectors prints".

[Earl]

I was able to use a second bathroom as a darkroom for a while until we started to remodel the other bathroom. It wasn't really light-proof so I couldn't print until after dark. I remember printing sessions starting at 7-8pm and then coming out at 3-4am wondering what happened to the time. I've been 100% digital for the last 2 years. I'm looking forward to going back into the darkroom again once the bathroom remodel is done.

[Mike C.]

Incredible. I was going to suggest you buy yourself a decent film scanner until I read the last paragraph.

I know what you mean about "mindfulness", though: I feel the same about doing the washing up. We could buy ourselves a dishwasher, but I find I actually enjoy the whole mindless/mindful business. However, as I also do all the cooking, something had to give somewhere, and the darkroom was it. I don't miss it at all.

Let it go, Doug, and let there be light (and a storeroom). Think twice about putting a dishwasher in there, though.

[Doug Plummer]

While I can, I will probably continue a bifurcated existence. I do a ton of work digitally, but I want the option to dip into the wet lab world. I may have more control over a digital print, but there is this weird presence that a silver print has that an inkjet lacks. I'll probably turn into one of those cranky vinyl record snobs at this rate.

Marita Holdaway, owner of Benham Gallery, a while back reflected Hugh's observation, when she told me that she values silver over inkjet precisely because it has become a rarer commodity.