Intro to the Darkroom/enlarger

1. Intro to the Darkroom/enlarger

2. Enlarger parts functions Notes- 9/5-9/6 • Put these on Page 5 of your sketchbook (enlarger diagram gets pasted on page 4) • Cornell Notes Style

3. The Enlarger The enlarger in the darkroom works a lot like a camera. You will be creating your first 2 projects using the enlarger in the darkroom before you begin taking pictures with a camera. Pay attention because you will take a test on this information, and on photo safety.

4. Diagrams • Using the website, we will put the diagram on another sheet of paper, and label every single part. • You will be tested on each part later on.

5. The Enlarger Enlarger Diagram Link

6. Enlarger Head • The Enlarger Head is the part of the enlarger that houses the light bulb and condenser.

7. Light bulb and Condenser • The light bulb provides light to your enlarger. • The condenser will spread out the light evenly, so you don’t have any one brighter area.

8. Negative Carrier • Once you start shooting film with your camera, you will process that film and create what are called “negatives”. • You will cut these into strips of 5. Then, you will take one of those negative strips and put it into your negative carrier. • The light from the enlarger will shine through your negative to create a larger image when you see it on your paper easel. • The negative carrier holds the negative flat and level.

9. Lens • Your enlarger has a lens just like your eye and your camera does. • The lens is the area that light passes through before it hits your photo paper. • It helps to sharpen the light more.

10. Aperture • You have an aperture control on your enlarger and you will learn how to use the same control on your camera. • The aperture is located on the lens, and it allows you to adjust the amount of light. You can have a very small aperture opening or a large opening. Larger=more light, Smaller=less light

11. Focusing knob • With this knob, you can adjust the focus of your image to make it sharper looking.

12. Supporting Column • This holds up the enlarger and by using the height adjustment crank, the enlarger head can be moved up and down on this.

13. Height Adjustment lever • By moving this lever up and down, you can adjust how big or small your image is.

14. BaseBoard • This supports the entire enlarger. • This is also where you place your paper easel on.

15. Elevation brake • This allows you to stop the enlarger from moving up and down once you set your enlarger height with the height adjustment crank.

16. Negative stage/Negative stage lever • This is what opens up the area where you place your negative carrier. • Don’t ever open this up in the darkroom with the light on! You will expose photo paper and ruin it!

17. Light switch/timer • This is what turns your enlarger on. • You can also set the timer to allow the enlarger to stay on for a set amount of time and then go off by itself.

18. Paper easel • This is where you will place your paper at to keep it straight and have straight edges. • You will also use this without photo paper to compose your image with the enlarger before exposing it.

19. safelight • Red or amber- allows for you to see in the darkroom, and your photo paper is not sensitive to it. • Don’t ever leave photo paper out for too long in the darkroom. The safelights will eventually gray the paper.

20. Grease pencil • Allows the teacher (or you) to write on the photo paper- very useful on test strips, confirmation strips, and contact sheets.

21. Making a photogram- step by step

22. Turn on the enlarger & Adjust height • Turn on the enlarger light • Turn aperture to brightest setting. • Loosen elevation brake. • Move the height adjustment lever to change the size to a 5 x 7. Lock the elevation brake. Make sure that the borders of the light are just outside the borders on your paper easel.

23. Focus & Set the aperture • Move the focusing knob to focus the light. Look at the edges to sharpen them. • If needed, loosen elevation brake and raise or lower enlarger head and re-focus. • Now, move the aperture setting to F/5.6 or F/8- this is about halfway between brightest and dimmest settings.

24. Turn enlarger light off, get photo paper ready • Turn off the enlarger, and go get a test strip from the test strip box. • Put your photo paper inside the paper easel carefully with emulsion side up (shiny side). • Place 2-3 objects on top of your photo paper.

25. Cover photo paper • Cover your photo paper with a piece of matt board so that only about 1 inch is showing.

26. Turn on the light • Now, turn on your enlarger light and expose it for 3 second intervals. Move the cardboard after every 3 seconds. Make sure you move it in equal amounts of space each time. Try not to wiggle the card, and leave it as flat as you can, closer to the paper.

27. Put paper in Chemicals • 1. Developer: 1 ½ minutes • 2. Stop Bath (Acetic Acid): 30 seconds • 3. Fixer: 2 minutes

28. Don’t forget that your stuff is washing in the water wash! When it’s time to clean up, take all of your stuff out, and leave in your locker to dry. Water wash- you just made a test strip! • Wash for at least 1 minute. • Squeegee the paper and put into a darkroom tray. • Carry into the classroom and show Mrs. Frutos. You will be instructed to make another test strip or move on to a confirmation strip. Photogram Test strip

29. Confirmation Strip • After consulting with Ms. Cano, it is now time to do a confirmation strip. • For the time indicated by you and her, expose the same size paper (get it from the test strip box). You will not use a piece of matt board to move over the paper. This time, you will expose the whole paper for a specified amount of time. • Follow the same chemical steps and bring out into the classroom after rinsing.

30. Final print • When you have completed a successful test strip and confirmation strip, it is time to do a final print. • Double check your enlarger is at the same settings, and turn enlarger light off. • Then, grab a 5” x 7” piece of photo paper and put it into the paper easel. Place your objects on top in the way you thought of doing in your sketch. • Expose for the amount of time indicated in your confirmation strip. • Put paper through the chemicals, and wash thoroughly for 5 minutes. Leave to dry in locker.

31. Let’s review

32. Test strip first! • You will ALWAYS do a test strip first- this is a small strip of photo paper used to show different amounts of time. Then, you show your teacher, and she will tell you to either do another test strip or move on to the next step: confirmation strip

33. Test strip too light? • Do one of 2 things: • Increase amount of time for each section • Increase the amount of light.

34. Test strip too dark? • Decrease time • Decrease amount of light.

35. Confirmation strip, next • A confirmation strip does not show any value change. It is made to CONFIRM your exposure time. If it looks right, you will move on to making a final print. However, if not, your teacher will tell you to try again with a different time. ALWAYS SHOW YOUR CONFIRMATION STRIP TO YOUR TEACHER WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE DARKROOM.

36. Why is value important? • We will only use black and white film and photo paper in this class. • A good black and white photograph has a wide range of values from the darkest dark to the lightest light, with many different variations of gray in between. • It is essential that you learn the basics of what value is, and how it applies in your own photographs.