For I Am Man!

  Being a man i am possessed with a regular need to build and fix things.  This mood tends to come in cycles where, after months of laziness, i suddenly decide to make some shelves for a cupboard, hang some mirrors on a wall or (in this case) convert a shed into a darkroom.

  As regular readers will know i recently moved house, downsizing from a 4 bed to a 2 bed house.  Naturally the spare bedroom would have the computer in and all my guitars, instruments, amplifiers and pedals; and my large collection of cd's and dvd's.  This left a minor problem - no darkroom.  Originally the plan was to use the little breakfast bar area at the end of the kitchen but Jess didn't seem to happy with this.  Being the devious, scheming lady that she is she suggested i get a shed - a suggestion i immediately dismissed as foolish.  However, as days went by i began warming to the idea.  Could a shed make an effective darkroom?  I began to investigate online and saw that it could indeed be done - but at great cost.  I found a few articles where people had converted a shed into a darkroom but they had gone the whole hog - electric supply, running water, insulation panels, kitchen units etc.  I needed to do mine at as small a cost as possible but still make it useable.

  First things first - find a shed.  I went to B&Q because i needed to get some gear for decorating the new house.  Special offer on a 4x6 shed - £120.  I considered it for a while but then came to the conclusion that it was too small.  I hit EBay and found a few but they were all too far away for me to collect.  I tried Preloved and Freecycle but to no avail.  Then i found one on Gumtree a mere 10 miles away.  It was an 8x6 and it was listed at £175 or nearest offer.  I offered £150 and got it!  The next problem was how to get it home.  Enter my good friend Steve who has a nice big estate car with roof racks.  We went to the house, dismantled the shed, loaded it onto the roof racks and took it home.  As a side note let me just say that if you ever need to dismantle a shed make sure you have an electric screwdriver.  And make sure the guy you buy it off doesn't keep letting the shed walls drop onto you - it hurts!

  So, after an hour or so the floor was down, the walls were up, the roof was on and the doors were attached:

  The next job was to get it insulated in some way as the weather here in England is very changeable, especially this year.  We've had snow follow by blazing sun followed by snow again followed by rain, it's mental!  If i'm putting electronic gear inside i want to make sure the temperature is as stable as possible or damp will get inside and destroy everything.  And fluctuating between hot and cold is definitely not good for photographic paper!  So, what were my options?  Well i could get loft insulation or polystyrene panels, or i could just use foil or bubble wrap.  In the end i went kind of in the middle.  The local B&Q sells this stuff - B&Q insulation which is basically bubble wrap coated in reflective aluminium on each side.  It's about £12 a roll which isn't too bad compared to other types of insulation, and each roll covers about 4.5m2.  There is a cheaper option available but only one side is coated in foil.  I decided that although more costly, the double sided stuff would be best.  So, i bought a few rolls and began stapling it to the inside of the shed.  The idea is that the foil would keep heat inside and reflect the heat coming in form the outside, thus keeping the temperature in the shed a bit more stable.  Make sure you buy a decent staple gun - i got a £5 one from B&Q and it died the next day.  An extra £5 would have got me a good sturdy metal one.  So, once the insulation was stapled in i had what looked like a set from Dr Who:

  Note the hole on the bottom left.  I left that open to use as a vent and to run an extension cable through from the kitchen.  There was no way i was going to be able to get a water and electric supply to the shed as i'm living in a rented house so couldn't do anything permanent.  This hole would be ideal for putting a cable and, potentially, a hosepipe through.  You can't see i

t in this photo but i also stapled insulation to the inside of the doors as there will be a lot of heat loss through there.  I had about half a roll spare so i put an extra strip over each side of the roof as this is where the majority of heat loss will be.

  Next job is to board up the walls.  I considered just using card but thought if i'm going to all this effort to make a darkroom i may as well fork out and do it properly.  So, i scoped around for prices for sheets of chipboard.  When it comes to sheets of timber it's best not to use B&Q or Homebase etc as you can get it cheaper from a local timber merchant.  In this case i was quoted £7 a sheet from Preston Plywood which was a great price.  If you can get oriented strand board (OSB) instead of chipboard that would be better as when chipboard gets wet it just crumbles whereas OSB is a lot more solid.  But i thought i would be ok with chipboard so went ahead and placed my order.  For a small extra fee they could cut the wood to size and deliver it to my house so i gave them the sizes i needed and my address.  When you're measuring out your sizes remember to deduct the thickness of the board from the adjacent piece e.g. the board at the back would need to be 24mm (2x12mm) narrower than the width of the shed so that the board for the two side walls could fit alongside it.  Once the wood arrived i started boarding up the walls:

  Next i had to board the roof.  Now, at such an angle 12mm chipboard was going to be a pain.  I just needed something to go over the insulation to add that little bit extra.  Preston Plywood came through again with some 3mm MDF/Hardwood.  I got two sheets delivered and cut them down to size myself.  It was easier not to saw them, i just used a sharp blade and scored down the sheet so i could just bend the wood and snap it in the right place.  I commandeered Jess to help me hold the sheets while i screwed them to the roof.  It was awkward but we got it done eventually. 

  So, that was the whole inside of the shed boarded out now.  Although it was only cheap and thin insulation you could feel the difference in temperature compared to how it was with nothing on.  obviously, more expensive and thicker insulation would have a greater effect.  Insulation has a thermal resistance rating - the higher the rating the more insulation you get.  This stuff only has a rating of 1.5 but it is certainly enough to make a difference, especially with board covering it.

  At this point i turned my attention away from the shed and began to think about workbenches.  I'd need somewhere to put my enlarger and a surface to put my developing trays etc.  I thought about using computer desks, kitchen units and even considered buying a workbench.  it's shocking how much workbenches cost!  So, i decided to build my own.  For about £35 i got the materials required to build my own 2 shelf workbench that would measure 1.2 x 0.80 x 0.60m.  It was a squeeze to fit it all in the car but i managed it.  I spent the afternoon sawing, screwing and assembling all the pieces until i had my bench.  Solid as a rock and the perfect size.  I was so impressed with it that i went ahead and built another one but made it slightly shorter so that my enlarger would fit on it. 

   I put them in the shed and then put in the shelving units i had from my previous house.  Then i started shifting in all my gear.  A few hours later and it was all done...

...well, almost.  I still need to figure out how to lightproof the vent but still pass an extension cable through it. and i still need to lightproof the doors.  Ill probably velcro some lightproof plastic over the inside when i'm in and hang a curtain there too to keep out some of the cold when the shed is locked up.

  So there you have it - a darkroom shed on a budget.  Hopefully this weekend ill be able to get in and start making some prints.  If there are any improvements i need to make i can do it as i go along.  It's nice and roomy though and i think i'll be happy printing in there.  The main thing is that, should we ever move house (which i have no plans to do), i can dismantle it and take it with me.  I really have to thank Jess for coming up with the suggestion and managing to cook me a delicious tea everyday despite the kitchen being full of darkroom gear!

  I don't know what my next bit of DIY will be (probably making some shelves for our towel cupboard), and i'm sure the mood won't strike again for many a month; but i know that when it does i'll be unstoppable - for i am man!

Never Underestimate...

...The power of a charity shop!  I'm a big fan of charity shopping - some people turn their nose up at it but i dont mind owning second hand stuff and if the money i pay for it can help someone else then thats even better.  Lately though charity shops have seemed a bit "dry".  There was a time when you could wander in and pick up great used cameras and darkroom stuff for next to nothing, but it seems that since film has had a sudden resurgence in the past few years, so have charity shop camera sales.  But yesterday i struck gold!

  As some of you may have read i have recently moved house to an area called Kirkham which is just outside Preston.  It's only 20 minutes away from where i used to live but Jess got a good job here and she doesn't drive, plus we were over here 5 times a week anyway so it made sense.  We moved at the weekend and i booked Monday to Wednesday off work (which means i'm back in today unfortunately).  We got our friends and families to help us shift everything over to the new house and then we blasted out most of the unpacking and did a little decorating. 

  Yesterday we decided to have a little wander into the village which is literally 1 minute walk away from our new house.  It's quite strange having every shop you need so close to your doorstep.  There's hardware stores, a Morrisons, a greengrocers, cobblers, banks etc; and, of course, charity shops.  We decided to pop into the first one you come to on the high street and lo and behold sat in the display cabinet was this:

  And it came in a camera bag!  All for £20.  Needless to say i bagged it immediately.  As you may know i dont usually shoot 35mm but i thought i may as well get this camera as i have a box of 35mm film i got given when i bought my darkroom and sometimes you just want rectangles instead of squares.  So, whats in the kit i hear you ask?  Well...

• A Yashica FRI camera body with TTL metering (complete with manuals)
• A Yashica 50mm f1.9 lens
• A Yashica 28mm f2.8 lens
• A Tamron 80-210 CF Telemacro f3.8 lens
• A Tamron 500mm SP Telemacro lens (with hood)
• A shutter release
• Cokin ring adapter with linear polariser
• A camera bag to keep it all in 

  Not too bad a haul in my opinion.  Im not too sure if the camera or lenses are any good but i cant complain at £20 can i?!  I shot a quick roll of Ilford Delta 100 yesterday afternoon with it and developed it and the negatives look good.  I did a quick scan and got this:

   Focus is a bit off but i think it came out ok.  I hate scanning film though and im sure the darkroom prints will come out way better (once the darkroom is set up).  Speaking of which - although there's no room in the house to create one, Jess wants met o get a shed and convert it.  No doubt that's a project ill be doing a few blog posts about soon enough.  But for now, hit those charity shops!  It may take a while but you'll eventually find something awesome!

Death of the Darkroom

  You may have noticed I have been very quiet on here lately.  The sad fact is that I'm moving house in two weeks (well, hopefully-weve handed in the forms, were just waiting to see if we pass the checks).  Because of this I havent done much darkroom work lately and when we move the darkroom will be gone.  Well, for a while at least anyway.  The house is going to take a little work before im back up and running again.  So im afraid that means no articles or tutorials for a while, at least a few weeks.

  One thing I should mention is that yesterday I tried my first ever colour RA4 prints.  So many people online have been saying how much of a pain in the bum it is but in all honesty I found it to be a breeze.  Yes you cant use a safelight and tweaking the colour balance takes a while but its another fun skill to learn!  Ill no doubt be writing an article about it once im all moved it and probably a tutorial when i am more on top of the process.  Ive also dipped my toe in the sepia toning/split toning pool and im aure ill be blogging about that soon too.  In the meantime keep shooting and printing and have a look through some of my older articles if it strikes your fancy.

  Ill still be available to answer questions etc if you just post in the comments section on the relevant article.  I promise ill get back to you!

How To: Make Black & White Print Part III - Split Grade Printing

  Split grade printing is a powerful tool in the printers skill set and when used correctly it can yield fantastic results.  For some people it works all the time, every time; for others it’s a bit hit and miss; and some just can’t get seem to get the hang of it at all.  Hopefully this tutorial will help you get to grips with the process and give you the impetus to give it a try yourself.

What is Split Grade Printing?

  Basically speaking split grade printing involves making two exposures of two different grades onto the one sheet of paper.  This will result in good overall contrast across the print, deep shadows and crisp white highlights.  It also opens up more avenues for dodging and burning (but we'll go into that in greater detail on Part IV).

The Process

  You will need all the equipment we have already discussed in parts one and two of my black and white printing tutorial.  Setup your enlarger and chemicals as previously and choose your paper (for this example i will once again be using Ilford MGIV RC VC).  Now, instead of dialling in grade 2 or 3 we will be using the softest (or lowest) grade our paper can manage (usually 00).  

  If you look at the filtration table on the datasheet that comes with your paper you will see different filtration settings ranging from 00 to 5 (dual filtration settings may only got up to 4.5).  As you can see from the table below, grade 00 on my Kodak style enlarger requires a setting of 162Y/0M.  Dial that setting in, put your paper on your easel and make a test strip in the same way we did in part two of the tutorial. 

  Once you have developed your print let it dry.  Here is an example of a test strip at grade 00 from 26s - 0s:

 

  As you can see it is very low contrast indeed and shadow areas are very grey, not black.  Examine your test strip and look for the time that gives you the highlight tones you want. Ignore shadow areas for now and ignore the lack of contrast – your focus should be entirely upon the highlights.  Once you have selected your time make a note of it and, if you want to, make a full print at that time to see how the highlights across the whole print look.  From my test strip i decided to go for 11 seconds.

  Now its time to create your second exposure.  Put a new sheet of paper onto your easel and make your grade 00 exposure on  it (11s in my case).  Once your exposure is done don’t move the paper because you’re going to do another test strip on it.  This is where having multigrade filters trumps using a colour head because you need to change the filtration.  If youre using multigrade filters just swap your 00 for a 5, if youre using a colour head you will have to cover your lens, run your enlarger, change the settings and then shut your enlarger off.  

  Looking back at your paper datasheet youll see that when using dual filtration on this paper grade 5 is not possible but grade 4.5 is.  That’s fine, just use as high a grade as you can.  So, for grade 4.5 on Ilford MGIV RC VC we need to dial in a setting of 0Y/150M.  Dial that in and then make a test strip on your paper.  Develop it as usual and let it dry.

  What you will have is a print with a base exposure at grade 00 and a test strip of grade 4.5/5 over the top.  Note that the grade 4.5/5 exposure doesn’t really effect the highlights much, just the shadows.  This is the key to split grade printing – your soft exposure (grade 00) effects the highlights, the hard exposure (grade 5/4.5) effects the shadows.

  Pick the hard exposure that gives you the shadows you want.  Here’s my test print (again 26s - 0s):

 

  After much consideration i ended up choosing the 16 second exposure.  Once you have chosen the your exposure time your ready to make your print.  Go through the steps above – make your soft exposure followed by your hard and you should be left with a print showing good overall contrast, strong shadows and crisp highlights.  Here’s my final print:

 

  There are a few problems though, if your soft exposure is too long then your highlights will be muddy and overall print contrast will be reduced.  If your hard exposure is too short then your shadows wont be deep enough and again, overall contrast will be reduced.  It may take you a few prints to get to grips with the process but once you get the hang of it it becomes a really versatile and useful technique.

  When you are first starting out with split grade printing i find it is best to make a few prints with one negative.  Make a print with a long, medium and short soft exposure combined with a long, medium and short hard exposure.  This will show you how the two exposures work together to change the print contrast.  In the end though it boils down to one simple rule: soft exposure for the highlights, hard exposure for the shadows.  Remember that and you shouldn't go too far wrong.

  As i mentioned at the end of Part II I will be discussing dodging and burning in Part IV of this tutorial, but until then keep printing!