Technical
Constructing a darkroom
08/04/2021
Moving my darkroom from the loft to the garage.
The Darkroom
The darkroom is not only a sanctuary but a place of solitude, and is the creative heart of analogue photography.
I have worked in numerous darkrooms over the years, from early cramped set ups in stair cupboards, to using temporary bathrooms, right through to professional spaces and palatial communal facilities. My current home space was built for me in 2010. For many years I had been using a room that I built into our loft over 35yrs ago.
I found that a loft is not a good place to work all year round, as it can be too warm in the summer and extremely cold in the winter months. The need for a darkroom that I could comfortably use twelve months of the year, made me relocate to an area in my garage. By using a third of the floor space I have created a 9x7 square foot working area. Where I have a wet bench area, 30x40inch sink, and a dry bench with an alcove where my De Vere 203 enlarger sits. All the walls and ceiling where made from stud partition, covered in plaster board and skimmed with plaster by a professional builder. The whole room is well insulated and includes a slightly raised floor, making it a workable and comfortable environment to use throughout the year. All the benches where recycled and reassembled from wood out of the previous darkroom. It is not a large space, but I find it sufficient for my needs.
The pictures show various stages of the construction, illustrating both wet and dry benches along with the enlarger area. The De Vere 203 dichromat enlarger is controlled by a RH Stop clock timer.
The darkroom is not only a sanctuary but a place of solitude, and is the creative heart of analogue photography.
I have worked in numerous darkrooms over the years, from early cramped set ups in stair cupboards, to using temporary bathrooms, right through to professional spaces and palatial communal facilities. My current home space was built for me in 2010. For many years I had been using a room that I built into our loft over 35yrs ago.
I found that a loft is not a good place to work all year round, as it can be too warm in the summer and extremely cold in the winter months. The need for a darkroom that I could comfortably use twelve months of the year, made me relocate to an area in my garage. By using a third of the floor space I have created a 9x7 square foot working area. Where I have a wet bench area, 30x40inch sink, and a dry bench with an alcove where my De Vere 203 enlarger sits. All the walls and ceiling where made from stud partition, covered in plaster board and skimmed with plaster by a professional builder. The whole room is well insulated and includes a slightly raised floor, making it a workable and comfortable environment to use throughout the year. All the benches where recycled and reassembled from wood out of the previous darkroom. It is not a large space, but I find it sufficient for my needs.
The pictures show various stages of the construction, illustrating both wet and dry benches along with the enlarger area. The De Vere 203 dichromat enlarger is controlled by a RH Stop clock timer.