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 3rd June 2011, 04:54 PM
Jeff Worsnop Jeff Worsnop is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Lancashire, England
Posts: 78
Default Darkroom white light level

Hello. I am a lurker on this site and I got back into enlarging in my dark shed last night (and it was very very warm) after a too long break. I printed some informal wedding shots taken on a dull day done on 35mm Tmax 400 iso developed in ID11. The paper was lford RC Pearl developed in Ilford Cooltone. I also have bottles of MG and Warmtone.
They looked OKish in the darkroom white light but today viewed by daylight indoors close the window they look flat and dull. I suspect my darkroom light is too bright. The darkshed is a 5' x 7' potting shed insulated and lined and painted magnolia. The light source is a 5' 65 watt white tube. Can anyone recommend an optimal light source or at least what wattage tungsten light for examining prints please? I am aware there is drydown but I thought I had dealt with that.
Also the paper is about two years old and stored in the shed. Is it likely the paper will have deteriorated such that it will look dull and lifeless? I also have some Ilford FB paper ( warmtone,matt and gloss) of the same vintage. Will that last as long as the RC before deteriorating?
Cheers
Jeff
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 3rd June 2011, 05:26 PM
cliveh's Avatar
cliveh cliveh is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: West Coornwall
Posts: 937
Default

Hi Jeff, I believe you can get daylight balanced tubes which may help. Whether you can get one in that length I’m not sure. However, it sounds like your paper may be a bit fogged. Why not develop stop and fix some unexposed strips and compare them to an unexposed new bit of paper you have done the same thing to.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 3rd June 2011, 05:26 PM
marty marty is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Italy
Posts: 340
Default

Hello, Jeff. I use a 60w tungsten bulb on a swing arm desk lamp for judging prints in my darkroom. After all is this the type of light in which they will be viewed most of the time when finished. Having said that I too have a fluorescent tube as main light in my darkroom and I certainly can notice a difference in looking at a print under that rather than under a tungsten bulb. I cannot tell for sure about the paper but if your shed goes from very cold in the winter to very hot in the summer it might well have deteriorated. If that's the case storing the paper inside the house is probably a good idea for the future. Regarding if there is a difference in shelf life between RC and FB honestly I don't know, to see if it's good I think the only way is to try it out.

Cheers, M.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 3rd June 2011, 06:01 PM
Jeff Worsnop Jeff Worsnop is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Lancashire, England
Posts: 78
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by marty View Post
Hello, Jeff. I use a 60w tungsten bulb on a swing arm desk lamp for judging prints in my darkroom. After all is this the type of light in which they will be viewed most of the time when finished. Having said that I too have a fluorescent tube as main light in my darkroom and I certainly can notice a difference in looking at a print under that rather than under a tungsten bulb. I cannot tell for sure about the paper but if your shed goes from very cold in the winter to very hot in the summer it might well have deteriorated. If that's the case storing the paper inside the house is probably a good idea for the future. Regarding if there is a difference in shelf life between RC and FB honestly I don't know, to see if it's good I think the only way is to try it out.

Cheers, M.
Thanks for your reply.
What you say about viewing the test prints under similar light they will be looked at in the house makes complete sense. I should, of course, realised that myself.
Also the suggestion from the first reply that I should compare with fresh new paper seams a reasonable. Trouble is that I will need to order for postal delivery or shoot of to Mathers at Bolton and I need to get some decent prints by Thursday.
And it is way too hot to work in the shed tonight. Which makes a change from the cool, wet windy weather of late.
Cheers
Jeff
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 3rd June 2011, 06:03 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jersey Channel Islands
Posts: 5,433
Default

Hi Jeff,I use a daylight balanced bulb for viewing prints, on a swing arm lamp, It could well be that your paper has deteriorated due to possibly the difference between the winter and summer tempterture, As far as shelf life between FB and RC, I don't really think there is very much if any at all as long as it is stored well,
Richard
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 3rd June 2011, 06:54 PM
Jeff Worsnop Jeff Worsnop is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Lancashire, England
Posts: 78
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Gould View Post
Hi Jeff,I use a daylight balanced bulb for viewing prints, on a swing arm lamp, It could well be that your paper has deteriorated due to possibly the difference between the winter and summer tempterture, As far as shelf life between FB and RC, I don't really think there is very much if any at all as long as it is stored well,
Richard
The temp. variation has been in the region of 40c at the extremes, which is quite a condemnationof (spelling) of my custody of the paper. I should have kept it in the freezer. Ah well.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 3rd June 2011, 07:03 PM
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

Hi Jeff,
In the darkroom I use a swing-arm lamp fitted with a daylight balanced bulb. Out of the darkroom; natural light from a window normally does the job.

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

Neil Souch

Last edited by B&W Neil; 3rd June 2011 at 07:19 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 3rd June 2011, 07:05 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jersey Channel Islands
Posts: 5,433
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Worsnop View Post
The temp. variation has been in the region of 40c at the extremes, which is quite a condemnationof (spelling) of my custody of the paper. I should have kept it in the freezer. Ah well.
Jeff,
That sort of temperture variation is, I would think, quite enough to age the paper, and as paper ages it gets slower, so try giving more exposure,that might help, also at least one of the forum sponcers, AG photographic, offer next day delivery, so if you are desperate for paper then if you order before, I think, 1pm then you should get it next day,
Richard
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 3rd June 2011, 08:45 PM
dsallen's Avatar
dsallen dsallen is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Berlin
Posts: 521
Default

Try a bit of benzotriazol in the developer - this should conteract mild aging/fogging.

Best.
__________________
David,
d.s.allen, fotograf
dsallenberlin@gmail.com
http://dsallen.carpentier-galerie.de
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 4th June 2011, 09:16 AM
Richard James Richard James is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Brighton
Posts: 159
Default

You could try the 'paper test'. Take a sheet of paper out and place it out of the way in the darkroom with a coin or some other object on it. After a period of time such as 15-30 minutes process the sheet in the usual way. If there is the impression of the coin on it, the paper is being exposed by unwanted light.
If all is well a little Potassium Bromide 10% solution (made up of 10g of Potassium Bromide in 1 Litre of water) into your developer will help, try adding about 5ml and them a add more if necessary.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
darkroom lighting, paper deterioration.
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
Do digital, colour or black and white, prints sell better than darkroom prints. Mark Burley Business Matters 51 20th September 2013 02:47 PM
Spirit level bubble vials. vanannan Cameras - Large Format 8 12th January 2011 09:46 AM
Spirit level on range finder cameras? Tom Kershaw Cameras - medium format 10 28th November 2010 09:26 PM
aid to seeing in black and white jonsparkes Filters 16 22nd July 2010 08:46 PM
John Hedgecoe's Complete Guide to Black and White Photography and Darkroom Techniques Mike O'Pray Books 11 28th June 2010 03:24 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 06:26 AM.


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