Tranquility in the Darkroom

I've wanted to blog for a while because more and more photographers are blogging. But this isn't really going to be my photography blog I don't think. I'm a photographer who learned the art in the old fashion way and am still behind in the ways of technology. I know I need to embrace the digital age and learn all that there is to know, but I never feel like I have time...so I must make time! At least I shoot with a DSLR now! I miss the darkroom though...the dim yellow light, the smell of chemicals, the water running in the rinse baths. There was a tranquility there and a relationship with the photo I was creating. It wasn't about sitting in front of a computer screen and photo shopping the hell out of a mediocre picture. I knew from the moment I pressed the shutter button that I captured something special...and when I brought it to the darkroom, I only had to get the settings right on the enlarger and the crop right on the paper. Then I could watch it come alive in the chemicals with the satisfaction of knowing that I created that! My photography has gotten better over the years, so when I look over the photos from the days of the darkroom, they aren't as great as they were in those moments...but they still mean something to me and I'm still proud of them. Even with DSLRs and the convenience of the digital age, I still hope to have my own darkroom again someday. Here are a couple of favorites from shooting film and printing in a darkroom.

My sister with my guitar. This particular border was known as the scary flash.



Shot with infrared film out at Lake Thunderbird. This is Annie.



My instructor, Ron, helped with this one. I took a macro of some shells and printed the photo like normal. Then we took that photo and cut this design out and did another print using a reversal process. All in the darkroom! A color darkroom is pitch black by the way.

So there are a few. Working with film and processing and printing the "old fashion" way are all just really therapeutic. I cherished the times when I could be by myself with my shoes kicked off dancing barefoot around the darkroom.