How to Build a Personal Darkroom
Photographic color printing can be a difficult and tedious process, so it may be best to find a reliable lab to develop your color photos. However, black and white photography is a different story, as it is easier to control and is relatively simple to process. For these reasons many photography enthusiasts have opted to build their own personal darkroom. If you are considering a darkroom in your home, there are a few important things to consider. Read on to learn how to build a personal darkroom.
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Things You'll Need
- Light tight room with electrical outlets and running water
- Darkroom equipment (will depend on the photographer's needs)
- Heavy aluminum foil
- Black painter's tape
- Black-out sheeting or shades
- Ventilation
- Seperate storage for wet and dry items
- Mini-fridge (optional)
Instructions
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Choose the room where you will build your darkroom. A basic darkroom must have running water, work surfaces and be completely light tight. The room can be as small as 8 by 10 feet, meaning that a spare bathroom or a basement storage room can be easily converted into your darkroom.
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Divide your darkroom into a dry side, where you will print, load reels and complete other non-chemical tasks, and a wet side where you will complete all of the chemical processing.
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Purchase the things you will need for your darkroom. The costs for building your personal darkroom can vary from around $100 to several thousand, depending on your needs, and whether you are buying your equipment new or used.
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Block all light sources from your darkroom space. If there are windows, use heavy aluminum foil and black painters tape as well as blackout shades to seal them off. For light proofing doors, hang a blackout shade in front of the door. Place the shade so that it hangs to the floor and so that it covers all the door's sides.
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Ventilate. When building your personal dark room, it is important to have an air vent, as the chemical fumes can be unhealthy, when you are subjected to prolonged exposure. But, make sure that the air vent does not let light in.
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Build your darkroom with sufficient electrical outlets for your enlarger, timers, safe lights, dryers and other electrical equipment. Also, be sure there is enough current to handle the electrical load.
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Provide your darkroom with ample storage space. It is best to separate the commonly wet items and the commonly dry items to prevent cross contamination. A small refrigerator is a great way to help prolong the life of your chemicals, film and paper.
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Tips & Warnings
If you find light proofing your personal darkroom difficult, try processing at night.
