Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Equipment > Darkroom

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10th September 2009, 07:25 AM
Trevor Crone's Avatar
Trevor Crone Trevor Crone is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: London
Posts: 2,609
Default Bad day at the wet bench

There aren't many days when I have a bad day in the darkroom. But yesterday was a real pig!!!

Having the devils own job to get the print quality from a few 8x10 contact prints. Thought it was my new contact printing light setup. After flapping around changing lamps returning to my old printing light box, I discovered it was the negatives that were at fault - slight uneven development in the centre of the negative resulting in a small dark area in the print. I'm returning to manual agitation of Paterson's Orbital and not use the motorised base

So as a result of all this I only managed to get decent prints from 2 negatives. Well at least I now know the light set up is not the fault. I double checked it with my Pentax digital spotmeter and it is perfectly even.

To cap it all I missed my delivery from Silverprint
__________________
"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which will never be seen again" Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Timespresent
Arenaphotographers
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10th September 2009, 07:34 AM
Sandeha Lynch's Avatar
Sandeha Lynch Sandeha Lynch is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wales (UK)
Posts: 398
Default

In the spirit of consolation I can confide that on Saturday I developed a 120 roll in fixer. Not a lot of dark areas anywhere on that roll.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10th September 2009, 07:44 AM
B&W Neil's Avatar
B&W Neil B&W Neil is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: West Cornwall
Posts: 4,264
Default

Many commiserations Trevor, I am sure this is just a blip and next time to will be back to your usual form. Damn annoying all the same though when these things happen.
Neil.
__________________
"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." Aristotle

Neil Souch
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10th September 2009, 08:03 AM
knikki's Avatar
knikki knikki is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Deepest darkest Cheshire
Posts: 51
Default

Sounds like my kind of day, I deved a film and had the wrong dilution of fixer (way to weak) and was wondering why the film kept getting darker.

Time for a brew and choccy biscuit for days like that.
__________________
My Flickr[
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10th September 2009, 08:26 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 6,322
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandeha Lynch View Post
In the spirit of consolation I can confide that on Saturday I developed a 120 roll in fixer. Not a lot of dark areas anywhere on that roll.
Been there, done that. Very easy to print though.
__________________
Regards
Dave
www.davids.org.uk
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10th September 2009, 08:30 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 6,322
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Crone View Post
There aren't many days when I have a bad day in the darkroom. But yesterday was a real pig!!!

Having the devils own job to get the print quality from a few 8x10 contact prints. Thought it was my new contact printing light setup. After flapping around changing lamps returning to my old printing light box, I discovered it was the negatives that were at fault - slight uneven development in the centre of the negative resulting in a small dark area in the print. I'm returning to manual agitation of Paterson's Orbital and not use the motorised base

So as a result of all this I only managed to get decent prints from 2 negatives. Well at least I now know the light set up is not the fault. I double checked it with my Pentax digital spotmeter and it is perfectly even.

To cap it all I missed my delivery from Silverprint
Your are right about the motor base on the Paterson, I too came to the conclusion that manual tilting and swirling results in more even development.

Today will be a much better day.
__________________
Regards
Dave
www.davids.org.uk
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10th September 2009, 09:00 AM
Neil Smith Neil Smith is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Carmarthenshire Wales
Posts: 1,448
Default

Though its not very good for whoever it happens to, it is somewhat reassuring that things like this don't just happen to us in isolation, and they happen to the most experienced and gifted people also.
I remember when I had problems in the past before the days of the internet, it could sometimes take days before you worked out what's gone wrong, now if your stumped you can come to somewhere like FADU and get the experience and help your looking for in a very short time.


Neil
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10th September 2009, 09:06 AM
Paul Mitchell's Avatar
Paul Mitchell Paul Mitchell is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: South Bucks
Posts: 259
Default

Sorry to hear about your woes Trevor, I eventually gave my motorised base away, just couldn't get an even development with it.
__________________
When people ask what equipment I use - I tell them my eyes.

Arena Photographers
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10th September 2009, 09:46 AM
B&W Neil's Avatar
B&W Neil B&W Neil is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: West Cornwall
Posts: 4,264
Default

I am now glad I haven't got a motorised base!

Neil.
__________________
"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." Aristotle

Neil Souch
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10th September 2009, 09:48 AM
Andrew Bartram's Avatar
Andrew Bartram Andrew Bartram is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Warboys, on the edge of the Cambrideshire Fens
Posts: 522
Default

Some days in the darkroom can be blissful (did I say days!!! I'm lucky to snatch an odd hour here and there) and productive others very depressing when it seems nothing is going right.
Glad it's not just me

Andrew
__________________
Fenland Camera and Darkroom (Affordable Workshops)
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Day out in Kings Lynn anyone? Rob Archer Meetings 0 20th September 2009 07:16 PM
hanging wet prints Peter Hogan Darkroom 2 7th May 2009 07:57 PM
World Pinhole photography Day 26th April. Rob Archer External Group Announcements 9 21st April 2009 05:39 PM
Settle- Carlisle Railway Day? kennethcooke Meetings 1 18th December 2008 03:34 PM
Loading wet film Dave miller Monochrome Film 4 20th November 2008 04:42 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.