Information
Constructing a darkroom
14/04/2020
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 the early set ups in stair cupboards, to using temporary bathrooms, right through to professional rooms 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 attic space over 30yrs ago.
I found that a loft is not a good place to work all year round, it can be uncomfortably warm in the summer and extremely cold in the winter months. The need for a darkroom that I could use twelve months of the year, lead me to relocate to my garage. By using a third of the floor space I have created a 9x7 square foot working area. There is a wet bench area, a 30x40inch sink, on the opposite wall there is a dry bench with an alcove where the De Vere 203 enlarger sits. All the walls and ceiling where made from stud partition, covered in plaster board and skimmed with plaster. The whole room is well insulated and includes a slightly raised floor. This was all to make the room a workable environment throughout the year. All the benches where recycled and reassembled from 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 the early set ups in stair cupboards, to using temporary bathrooms, right through to professional rooms 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 attic space over 30yrs ago.
I found that a loft is not a good place to work all year round, it can be uncomfortably warm in the summer and extremely cold in the winter months. The need for a darkroom that I could use twelve months of the year, lead me to relocate to my garage. By using a third of the floor space I have created a 9x7 square foot working area. There is a wet bench area, a 30x40inch sink, on the opposite wall there is a dry bench with an alcove where the De Vere 203 enlarger sits. All the walls and ceiling where made from stud partition, covered in plaster board and skimmed with plaster. The whole room is well insulated and includes a slightly raised floor. This was all to make the room a workable environment throughout the year. All the benches where recycled and reassembled from 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.