Darkroom Processes

This is where all the work you have done in the camera comes to life. These lessons will show you how to process your black and white film and how to print it. We also cover what is needed and how to set up your own darkroom.

Here you will learn how to enhance your prints and make the most mundane scenes come to life with new meaning. Ansel Adams said that the negative was the score and the print was the performance. Don't kid yourself it will take practice to get this right. As exciting as darkroom work can be it does have its moments of frustration and disappointment. Hang in there, getting your first print will send you on your way to many fun hours of darkroom pleasure.

I find almost all of my prints need some kind of tweaking, like increased contrast or burning in one area. Keep your eyes open and study other published photographs. A published photograph in a nice magazine would not have gotten into the book if it wasn't good to begin with.

Don't forget what you learn in the other lessons about the tonal latitude that film and paper are able to record. Your eyes see more detail than the film but you can work around that by exposing in the camera for the shadows and print in the highlights.

You should also remember the emotional impact of light and how it affects not only the impact of the image but the printed qualities of the image.

Have you ever wondered why those photographs you get back from a 1 hour photo place don't look anything like the way the scene was when you shot it? Well now you will be able to make the most from your negatives that represent the closest rendition of the scene you shot.

Here you can add drama and excitement to your images using the tools and methods described in the following lessons.

Don't forget with each lesson the
button allows you to get help. This feature alone is worth 10 times the value you are paying for the lessons.