[Scrambler Bob]

M4L photo

[MeshugeMikey]

I can almost smell the cemicals

[llevrok]

Photoshop and Lightroom are pretty amazing tools in how they “replicate” basic darkroom skills.

They do not duplicate the feel of being in a darkroom for hours, alone in your thoughts, creating. There is no smell of the chemicals or the quiet darkness. It’s just not the same.

Perhaps it is that their results are so instantaneous. No mystery - did it come out like I wanted it to ? Can I do another print just like it?

[GladesGuru]

From my first 120 roll of B&W developed/dried/printed to Cibachrome prints - A POX ON ALL DARKROOMS! ! !

Darkroom is to computer imaging as rap is to classical - related, but distantly.

[PUGACHEV]

That was interesting. I've not used a wet darkroom since the mid-90s when I started with Photoshop 4.0. For contrast masks, I would expose Kodalith sheet film the same size as the print I wanted to make and place the Kodalith negative directly over the print paper. You exposed the Kodalith with the enlarger racked out to the same height you intended for the final print. If needed, you could easily make a reverse mask by exposing the Kodalith over another sheet of Kodalith. Kodalith was extremely predictable and you could dial in exactly the density you wanted. With your handy Kodalith mask, you could knock off as many prints as you wanted and not tire your hands wiggling a piece of cardboard, and the results were predictable and perfect every time.

As to working with +40 MP digital prints, I've worked in Photoshop with 4x5 scanned color prints and the files are usually well over 200 MB to start with. Files that size get awkward real quick with even a little processing. OTOH, I routinely worked in 4x5 in my darkroom and aside from a different set of enlarger lenses and carriers, nothing else was different.

[Kirkwood]

For several years I spent about 25 hours a week in the darkroom making custom prints. Then on the weekends I would be doing my own prints. Loads of fun.

I now spend much more time now composing and getting the photo right and less time manipulating it with Photoshop.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

“DARKroom”

That’s RACIST!

[Walmartian]

Anybody remember rolling the drum? (agitation)

[JoeFromSidney]

My high school had a darkroom just off the chemistry lab. Those of us in the Audiovisual Club (we ran the projectors and tape recorders when a teacher needed one in a classroom) were allowed to use the darkroom. I well remember the chemicals, the red safelight, the and all the rest.