DEVELOPING AT HOME

August, 2021

the process of developing prints at home is probably the part of analog photography i enjoy the most. being in the darkroom, listening to some music, forgetting time, watching the photo slowly appear during the first bath... seeing then the final product of a long photographic process, each one an unique print. It's an experience i don't want to miss.

to be able to do this at home, i bought an enlarger online from an older man back in 2016 - he was surprised that a young woman came to get it, but then got excited while telling me about his experiences and gave me some advice. "always water the prints long enough" he for instance said, so no leftover chemicals would alter the prints over the years. and after doing workshops at ars-imago in zurich (you guys are great!), getting the chemicals and other materials, i was ready to set up my darkroom and start developing.

since my apartment is rather small, my bedroom has so serve as my darkroom. and to make it dark, i had to cover the windows with newspaper (and repeatedly had to explain to friends and family that i am not paranoid, but need the room to be dark for developing), and bought an extra thick black curtain.

preparations:

so, after scanning the negatives and deciding on the one i want to develop, preparing the chemicals and the room, i first do some test stripes to decide on the exposure time. maybe also change the aperture of the enlarger again. i mostly cut the photographic papers in stripes for this to save some material. then i do the first actual print and let it dry a bit, to be able to look at it in the sunlight to see if i have to change anything, for example contrast, and mostly, cleaning the negativ again because of the dust - my new enemy since starting in the darkroom. dust. when there is a perfect print, but you then see these white little points - damn it. but well, it's part of the process. sometimes i only need two runs to get a print i am happy with and sometimes it takes a lot more with constant changing of the settings.

test stripes and workplace:

and then, after having some new prints hanging on the laundry rack, hands smelling like chemicals (yes i know i should use print tongs and not my hands yeahyeahyeahidontcare), sitting down, enjoying a glass of wine and a cigarette, life is good.

the one and only - laundry rack:

some of my last prints: