The darkroom for black and white film processing & printing

Many black and white photographers rely upon commercial film labs to do their processing for them, while others feel they get the results they want by handling the job themselves. Discounting the time required, it is less expensive to develop and print your own film. In order to do this, you need a darkroom. (If you take pictures using a digital camera, then you will need to "process' them in the digital darkroom - on your computer. Click here for tips and hints on editing digital images.) DARKROOM ESSENTIALS Darkness - The ideal darkroom is pitch black, but total darkness is sometimes difficult to achieve in the home, especially if you have commandeered a room that also serves other purposes, such as a bathroom or kitchen. Here's a good rule of thumb for the minimum amount of darkness required - if you don't see any light in the room over a period of five minutes, it's dark enough for normal usage. It's surprising, but the room that appears to be totally blackened for the first five minutes may reveal a number of dim light leaks after you've been in it for twenty or thirty minutes. Note where light seems to be coming in, usually around the door, windows, around ceiling tiles and even through electrical outlets. Block all light leaks. Sometimes this means simply placing a towel along the base of the door. Use cardboard, cut to size, to seal a window, taping it in place for peace of mind. If, for some reason, you just can't block a dim light leak (one that you first observe only after you have been in the darkened room for five minutes) and are concerned that it might fog fast film, you can create a simple light barrier by opening the film cartridge inside a cardboard or wooden box that faces away from the trace of light. Added insurance is achieved if the interior of the box is spray-painted with matte black paint and has a heavy, black velvet curtain over its opening.

Two separate work areas - one dry, one wet - One practical darkroom design has a table or countertop along one wall for the enlarger, trimming board and paper supplies (the dry side), and another countertop or table along the opposite wall for print processing trays and, preferably, a sink (the wet side). This separation is effective in preventing damage to the enlarger, timer, film and paper supplies from splashed or spilled liquids. When space is at a premium, you do what you can, and keep wet and dry materials separated as much as possible. If your darkroom has only one working surface, build a small partition between the wet and dry areas to keep the liquids on their proper side. The work surface on the dry side must at least be large enough to hold the enlarger and a paper trimmer. The area of the wet side's work surface is dependent upon the largest size of enlargement you plan to make. Why? Because you will need space for four processing trays, each of which can fully contain your biggest enlargements. If you are not going to make any prints larger than 8" X 10", you need far less work area than if you are going to produce, say, 20" X 24" enlargements.

Layout for a 6-foot by 8-foot darkroom.

A light-tight fresh air inlet on the dry side and an extractor fan located above the wet side ensure a continuous supply of fresh air.

Water - And lots of it - both hot and cold, ideally with a mixing control that maintains a constant, selected water flow temperature. Such controls can be quite expensive. Most amateur darkroom enthusiasts rely instead upon a simple thermometer and their own attentiveness to temperature variations. (In a pinch, when you don't have a darkroom sink, you can haul water in and out in pails - an activity youll probably soon tire of.) Ventilation - A darkroom should have a continuous supply of fresh air. One problem that can occur by zealously sealing off light leakage cracks and crannies is that you also seal off entrances for fresh air. The answer is a light-tight air entry, which can be achieved in a number of ways. One way to do it is to cut a hole in the outside of a wall at one height, preferably about a foot above the floor, and another hole on the inside of the same wall at another height, ideally above shoulder height. Like a chimney, air can get in; light cannot. The air enters the lower wall opening, travels up through the wall space and goes into the room through the upper wall opening. The darkroom should be equipped with an extractor fan that pulls air from the room, causing fresh air to be drawn through the light-tight air entry. It is important to locate the extractor fan above the wet side and to locate the fresh air intake on the dry side. This way, fumes from the liquid chemicals are not drawn across the work area, but are instead extracted away from you. The extractor fan can be an ordinary bathroom fan, a multi-speed fan, a special darkroom fan or even an air conditioner. The fan should be exhausted to the outside, which may require a duct. The bonus in having a duct for the exhaust is that it usually must be bent and turned to direct the exhaust outside, thereby creating an effective seal against light. If using an air conditioner, its installation should be made so that light cannot leak in around its edges.

A few words of caution about air flow and dust. If your darkroom's intake vent brings in air from a dusty room - where there is a furnace, for example, or from outside in a city environment - you would be wise to place an air filter in the vent to trap particles that can settle on your film or printing paper. Don't sweep the floor or dust your darkroom before you begin to work in it, because you'll find that airborne particles can stay suspended for just long enough to settle on and ruin your work. Room height - You never know how high you may need to raise your enlarger head when cropping or making a super-sized enlargement, so be sure that there is sufficient headroom for your enlarger to be extended to its full height. Sometimes, this can be achieved by removing the ceiling tile directly above the enlarger, if you have a suspended tile ceiling. Can't raise the enlarger? Lower its base. When you just don't have the ceiling height, you can often build a drop-base - a paper support that can be set at different heights beneath the enlarger. (We've even made enlargements with the paper on the floor.) Four kinds of lighting - (1) white light, (2) safelights, (3) enlarger light and (4) no light at all. No light - Film must be handled in total darkness. Keep in mind that it is so sensitive to light that exposures of 1/8000 sec can be used to take pictures, so film that encounters the slightest amount of light in a darkroom can be irretrievably destroyed. Panchromatic black and white film is also sensitive to all colors of the spectrum, so it cannot even be exposed to a safe light without damage.

Don't locate your safe light switch close to the room's main white light switch to avoid accidentally turning on the wrong light.

White light - You will be amazed how frequently you will need ordinary, bright room lighting in a darkroom. You use it for negative selection, mixing chemicals, cleaning up, inspecting finished prints, and so on. Just be sure to turn it off when handling unexposed film and paper. Safe light - Photographic paper, unlike film, is designed to be handled under certain colored, dim lights, known as safe lights, without adversely affecting the paper. Nonetheless, printing paper should be kept in the dark as much as possible, and should not be brought nearer to safe lights than is absolutely necessary. Make sure you are familiar with the manufacturers recommendations for safe distances, and never use a bulb that is brighter than recommended.

Enlarger light - When you turn on its light to focus the enlarger or to expose printing paper and make a print, that is preferably the only light that is on in the darkroom at the time. However, many darkroom technicians are comfortable with also having a safe light on at the same time. The advantage of having only the enlarger light on is that you are able to clearly see the resulting projection on the enlarging base or paper, without the influence of the safe light.

Room temperature - You don't want to work in a room that is too cold or too hot, and your photographs don't like such conditions, either. If the temperature of the air in the darkroom is between 65 and 80 degrees F., you and your images will both be all right. Any colder or hotter, and you will not enjoy your darkroom experience.

Source: http://www.photographytips.com/page.cfm/4710

How to Take Great Group Photos

From: http://digital-photography-school.com/

One of the most common types of digital photographs is the ‘group photo‘. They happen everywhere from weddings, to camps, to parties, to sporting teams, to school etc.

Thousands of group photos must be taken each day around the world - but unfortunately many of them leave those taking them disappointed with the results. Common problems include:

• one or more subjects always seem to be looking away or in different directions (ie at different photographers)
• subjects blinking (there’s always one)
• someone being missing from the photo
• different moods in the group (some smiling, some serious, some playing up to the camera etc)
• the group being too far away or not all fitting into the shot

While there will always be such challenges with Group Photos there are a number of things you can do to help improve your chances of getting the shot you’re after:

1. Prepare

There is nothing that will make of people posing for a photograph turn upon you faster than you not being prepared. People don’t like to be kept waiting so think ahead about some of the following aspects of your photo:

• scope out the location of your shot before hand
• think ahead about how you will pose people and frame your shot
• one of the group’s head hiding behind another person
• make sure everyone you want in the shot knows you want them a few minutes ahead of time
• make your your camera is on and has charged batteries

Photo by Erin

2. Location

The place that you have your group stand is important to group shots for a number of reasons. For starters it can give the photo context - for example a shot of a sporting team on their playing field means more than a shot of them in front of a brick wall. The other reason that choosing locations carefully is important is that it can have distractions in it.

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Choose a position where your group will fit, where there is enough light for the shot and where there is no distractions in the background. Also avoid setting up a group shot directly in front of a window where the light from your flash might reflect back in a way that destroys your shot.

3. Take Multiple Shots

One of the best ways to avoid the problems of not everyone looking just right in a shot is to take multiple photos quickly. I often switch my camera into continuous shooting mode when taking group shots and shoot in short bursts of shots. I find that the first shot is often no good but that the one or two directly after it often give a group that looks a little less posed and more relaxed.

Similarly - shoot some frames off before everyone is ready - sometimes the organization of a group shot can be quite comical with people tell each other where to go and jostling for position.

Also mix up the framing of your shots a little if you have a zoom lens by taking some shots that are at a wide focal length and some that are more tightly framed.

Photo by Mark MacClean

4. Get in Close

Try to get as close as you can to the group you’re photographing (without cutting some members of it out of course). The closer you can get the more detail you’ll have in their faces - something that really lifts a shot a lot.

If your group is a smaller one get right in close to them and take some head and shoulder shots. One effective technique for this is to get your small group to all lean their heads in close to enable you to get in even closer. Another way to get in closer is to move people out of a one line formation and stagger them but putting some people in front and behind.

5. Pose the group

In most cases your group will pose itself pretty naturally (we’ve all done it before). Tall people will go to the back, short people to the front. But there are other things you can do to add to the photo’s composition:

• If the event is centered around one or two people (like a wedding or a birthday) make them the central focal point by putting them right in the middle of the group (you can add variation to your shots by taking some of everyone looking at the camera and then everyone looking at the person/couple).
• For formal group photos put taller members in the group not only towards the back of the group but centered with shorter people on the edges of the group.
• Try not to make the group too ‘deep’ (ie keep the distance between the front line of people and the back line as small as you can). This will help to keep everyone in focus. If the group is ‘deep’ use a narrower aperture.
• Tell everyone to raise their chins a little - they’ll thank you later when they see the shot without any double chins!

Photo by andrew.smith

6. Timing Your Shoot Well

Pick the moment for your shot carefully. Try to choose a time that works with what is happening at the gathering that you’re at. I find it best to do a group shot when the group is already close together if possible and when there is a lull in proceedings.

Also towards the start of events can be a good time as everyone is all together, they all look their best and if there is alcohol involved no one is too under the weather yet.

7. Think about Light

In order to get enough detail in your subjects you need to have sufficient light. The way you get this varies from situation to situation but consider using a flash if the group is small enough and you are close enough for it to take effect - especially if the main source of light is coming from behind the group.

If it’s a bright sunny day and the sun is low in the sky try not to position it directly behind you or you’ll end up with a collection of squinting faces in your shot.

8. Take Control

I’ve been in a number of group photos where the photographer almost lost control of his subjects by not being quick enough but also by not communicating well with their group of subjects. It is important to keep talking to the group, let them know what you want them to do, motivate them to smile, tell them that they look great and communicate how much longer you’ll need them for.

Also important is to give your subjects a reason to pose for the photograph. For example at a wedding you might motivate people to pose by saying ‘((insert name of couple being married here)) have asked me to get some group shots’ or at a sporting event ‘lets take a group photo to celebrate our win’. When you give people a reason to pose for you you’ll find they are much more willing to take a few minutes to pose for you.

Another very useful line to use with group is - ‘If you can see the camera it can see you’. This one is key if you want to be able to see each person’s face in the shot.

If there are more photographers than just you then wait until others have finished their shots and then get the attention of the full group otherwise you’ll have everyone looking in different directions.

Of course you don’t want to be a dictator when posing your group or you could end up with lots of group shots of very angry people. The best photographers know how to get people’s attention, communicate what they want but also keep people feeling relaxed and like they are having fun.

Photo by EssPea

9. For large groups

Large groups of people can be very difficult to photograph as even with staggering people and tiering to make the back people higher you can end up being a long way back to fit everyone in.

One solution to this is to find a way to elevate yourself as the photographer. If I’m photographing a wedding and the couple wants one big group shot I’ll arrange for a ladder to be present (I’ve even climbed up onto church roofs) to take a shot looking down on the group. In doing this you can fit a lot more people in and still remain quite close to the group (you end up with a shot of lots of faces in focus and less bodies). It also gives an interesting perspective to your shots - especially if you have a nice wide focal length.

10. Use a Tripod

There are a number of reasons why using a tripod when taking photographs of groups can be useful. Firstly a tripod communicates that you’re serious about what you’re doing and can help you get their attention (it’s amazing what a professional looking set up can make people do). Secondly it gives you as the photographer more freedom to be involved in the creation of the posing of your subjects. Set your camera up on your tripod so that’s ready to take the shot in terms of framing, settings and focus and then it will be ready at an instant when you get the group looking just right to capture the moment.

Photo by Austin Henry

11. Use an Assistant

If you have a very large group and assistant can be very handy to get the group organized well.

An assistant is also incredibly handy if you are taking multiple group shots (like at a wedding when you’re photographing different configurations of a family). In these cases I often ask the couple to provide me with a family or friend member who has a running sheet of the different groups of people to be photographed. I then get this person to ensure we have everyone we need in each shot. Having a family member do this helps to make sure you don’t miss anyone out but also is good because the group is familiar with them and will generally respond well when they order them around.

12. Smile

Yes YOU should smile! There’s nothing worse than a grumpy stressed out photographer. Have fun and enjoy the process of getting your shots and you’ll find the group will too. I usually come home from a wedding which I’ve photographed with an incredibly sore jaw-line from all the smiling because I find the best way to get the couple and their family to relax and smile is to smile at them. It really does work.

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PS:

One more quick tip. Get a little Creative. Check out the shot below which is one of the more unique group photos that I’ve ever seen!

Photo by weaving major & tractor dan

Travel Photography

(From: schoolofphotography.com)

Ever look through travel magazines and books and envy the photographer who took the images? There is no doubt that travel photography is one of the most popular types of photography. In fact how many can raise their hands and admit their camera collects dust between trips? If there was a vote it would probably be a substantial amount.

It is obvious why this is the case. We wouldn't think twice about photographing our own surroundings, we take it for granted and because we see our local area so often, it doesn't inspire us. This is even true for people who live in parts of the world that are very photogenic such as Venice as shown in Fig T1 taken by SOP tutor Douglas Mann (aka: Photomann). You can see a very extensive travelogue from all parts of the world that Photomann has travelled on his website. http://www.photomann.com/

Once we go outside familiar surroundings everything looks fresh and the impact of seeing something different inspires us to photograph it. When we travel, we like to document our travels through photographs, mainly to show others on our return. Also when travelling, people are usually accompanied by family and friends and it gives us a chance to photograph them, which we rarely seem to have time to do at home.

Travel photographs aren't just about photographing places and the people you are with, but also the people who live there and the events that may take place in your destination. In fact travel photos can be broken down into three categories; People, places and events.

Photographing People

Images of people are an important part of documenting a visit. To many people, travel is about visiting strange and exotic locations. Don't forget though that it's the people who live in these locations that often add the "strange and exotic" to the location.

Sometimes it's not always the locals who add this element to a location, the visitors can often put in their share of the "strange and exotic".

Traditional fashions are often popular in travel portraiture. The image in fig T2 shows a Portuguese Gypsy in traditional black dress. She is also doing what most European Gypsies are famous for; selling goods at a market.

Photographing Places

There may be a number of reasons why we travel to a particular location. It could be to enjoy some fine weather, to visit well known attractions such as theme parks, to explore its history and historical landmarks, to enjoy its natural beauty or to visit friends and family.

Whatever the reason there will probably be well known landmarks or just scenes that immediately identify the location. Some would be very well known and others less so.

One well known natural landmark is the Rhine River in Germany shown in fig T3. The Rhine is steeped in history both ancient and modern. Today it is still a major thoroughfare for barges carrying cargo as well as tourist traffic. No photo of the Rhine is complete without a castle nestled near its shore.

Photographing Events

An event is often the reason for a visit to a specific place. These could be festivals, fairs, religious occasions or rituals. This may be your main reason for visiting. When planning a trip to any sort of destination, find out when these events are on and try to plan your trip during that time, even if its not your sole reason for visiting the locality.

Most popular destinations are done up to look their best for special events or occasions. What better event is a parade?

St. Patrick's Day parades take place all over the world, the more famous parades actually take place in the United States. But there is nothing to match the real thing; a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ireland, home of St. Patrick (Fig T4).