Darkroom Techniques

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• What is Dodging and Burning?

  Dodging and burning are darkroom techniques used to make adjustments to different areas of our prints. Dodging lightens an area, while burning darkens an area.

• What is a contact sheet?

  

  A contact sheet is a printed photographic paper that includes on a single page all the photos taken on the roll.

• What is an enlarger?

  

  An enlarger is a light projector used to make a print of an image that is larger than the original negative or transparency.

• What is a test strip?

  

  A test strip is a piece of paper with which the correct exposure time for an image can be determined by dividing it into sections of different exposures.

• How to make a darkroom print

  

  Work in a fully equipped darkroom. Select a negative, put it in an enlarger and focus the frame. Then expose the image for the correct time on the photographic paper. Finally develop, stop, fix, wash and dry.

• How to make a darkroom at home?

  

  When setting up a darkroom, it is crucial to find an adequate space and purchase a good enlarger. Every other tool can be easily found online.

• What are the different types of photographic paper?

  

  Photographic paper is coated with a light sensitive solution to make it possible to create a darkroom print. Different papers are distinguished by categories such as fixed grade, variable contrast, resin coated, and fiber base.

• How and where to find a darkroom to use if you don’t have space at home?

  In many cities you will be able to find darkrooms that you can use. These spaces are often part of a university, college or photography center.

• What is split grade printing?

  

  Split grade printing refers to the use of more than one filter when printing your photos in a darkroom, in order to properly expose the highlights and shadow areas.

• What does “pre-flashing” mean?

  Pre-flashing is done to the whole paper to accelerate the density, without compromising the white. It is used when there is a negative with dense highlights.

• What are silver halide crystals in photography?

  

  Silver halide crystals are compounds of silver and halogens that make film and photographic paper light-sensitive. When exposed to light, they form latent images that are revealed as photographs during development.

• What is a palladium print?

  

  A palladium print in analogue photography is the result of a contact printing process where a film negative is exposed to a sheet of paper coated with a sensitizer containing palladium salts, producing uniquely warm, long-lasting print.

• What is a Cibachrome (Ilfochrome) print?

  

  A Cibachrome print is made through a positive color printing process using polyester-based Ilfochrome paper with built-in dyes. As the unwanted colors are bleached away, a vivid, enduring image appears.