Darkroom printing
p.1 #1Darkroom printing
In a visit to my dentist two weeks ago I mentioned that I'm doing a lot of film photography these days and he offered to give me (for free) his entire darkroom printing setup: Beseler enlarger, trays, the whole works. I told him no thanks, but said I'd think about it and get back to him if I changed my mind.
So now I'm thinking about it. Here are the pros and cons for me, starting with the cons so you understand why I refused:
1. I have no good space for a darkroom; I could make one in our basement but it's not ventilated (it does have an air exchanger so that could work I suppose). The ceiling is low and I can't fully stand up, but I'm used to that as I develop my films down there.
2. Paper and chemicals cost money, and I know from my previous darkroom printing experience that you can go through a lot of paper to get one satisfactory print, even if you do test strips. Since I don't currently sell my photos and I'm already spending money on film, this just makes photography even more expensive for me.
3. What would I do with all the prints? Almost nobody buys prints anymore; I could do some exhibitions but that would require framing the prints which costs more money. We like to keep our walls uncluttered so I don't have any of my own photos on the walls and I'd have to store the prints somewhere. We're at the decumulation stage of our lives, getting rid of stuff instead of acquiring, so the minimalist in me is very opposed to the idea of prints. Keeping my negatives is bad enough.
4. Do I want to spend all that time in a darkroom making prints or do I want to be outside taking photographs?
As for the pros:
1. Film (except slide film) was made to be printed, and there's nothing like a good darkroom print. I loved the process of darkroom printing when I was a kid and I've always enjoyed looking at good prints.
2. I'm interested in alternative printing processes, such as lith prints (which I love).
3. Learning how to improve my prints could be an engaging process; it's a huge area of learning and skill development.
Any thoughts? I could always do digital prints but I'd have to buy a printer, and if I'm going to print anything I'm more attracted to darkroom printing than I am to digital printing. But I'm very hesitant to go down the printing rabbit hole in the first place.
So now I'm thinking about it. Here are the pros and cons for me, starting with the cons so you understand why I refused:
1. I have no good space for a darkroom; I could make one in our basement but it's not ventilated (it does have an air exchanger so that could work I suppose). The ceiling is low and I can't fully stand up, but I'm used to that as I develop my films down there.
2. Paper and chemicals cost money, and I know from my previous darkroom printing experience that you can go through a lot of paper to get one satisfactory print, even if you do test strips. Since I don't currently sell my photos and I'm already spending money on film, this just makes photography even more expensive for me.
3. What would I do with all the prints? Almost nobody buys prints anymore; I could do some exhibitions but that would require framing the prints which costs more money. We like to keep our walls uncluttered so I don't have any of my own photos on the walls and I'd have to store the prints somewhere. We're at the decumulation stage of our lives, getting rid of stuff instead of acquiring, so the minimalist in me is very opposed to the idea of prints. Keeping my negatives is bad enough.
4. Do I want to spend all that time in a darkroom making prints or do I want to be outside taking photographs?
As for the pros:
1. Film (except slide film) was made to be printed, and there's nothing like a good darkroom print. I loved the process of darkroom printing when I was a kid and I've always enjoyed looking at good prints.
2. I'm interested in alternative printing processes, such as lith prints (which I love).
3. Learning how to improve my prints could be an engaging process; it's a huge area of learning and skill development.
Any thoughts? I could always do digital prints but I'd have to buy a printer, and if I'm going to print anything I'm more attracted to darkroom printing than I am to digital printing. But I'm very hesitant to go down the printing rabbit hole in the first place.
Oct 30, 2026 at 05:47 AM
p.1 #2Darkroom printing
Your Con #3 (and dust management) are what convinced me to stand down from darkroom printing. I would much rather get a better scanner and let a shop print the keepers.
Oct 30, 2026 at 06:54 AM
p.1 #3Darkroom printing
It has been 20 years since I spent much time in a darkroom, but I first started printing in grade school, some 30 years before that.
In my final configuration, my darkroom was a temporary affair, being set up in one of our bathrooms at time of use, and taken down immediately thereafter. It wasn't as difficult as it might sound. I made a simple frame out of 2x4's that fit over the top rim of the tub. The enlarger sat to the left, with develop, stop, and fixer trays to the right, with a print washer on the floor of the tub.
I would set up around 10 in the evening, after helping to get our kids to bed, and work until 2-3 in the morning, before grabbing 4 hours of sleep before work. An extremely good night was prints from 3 different negatives that I would consider worthy of sharing. At one point, I was a very good B&W printer, but never got past 'barely okay' as a color printer.
IMO, an extremely well done print, either analog or digital, is the final output that I want to enjoy and share. The best have a glow or mystery that draws me into another dimension. If interested, take time to see as many real prints as possible, in museums, coffee houses, or wherever, and figure out what lights your fire.
Even after many years of dabbling with digital printing, my best analog prints were better. I have prints on Forte Polywarmtone fiber paper that took weeks to work up, that still amazes me. It is only recently that I have produced digital prints I consider worth sharing.
Having played in both analog and digital worlds, I would be hard pressed to say that printing in one is more expensive than the other.
In my final configuration, my darkroom was a temporary affair, being set up in one of our bathrooms at time of use, and taken down immediately thereafter. It wasn't as difficult as it might sound. I made a simple frame out of 2x4's that fit over the top rim of the tub. The enlarger sat to the left, with develop, stop, and fixer trays to the right, with a print washer on the floor of the tub.
I would set up around 10 in the evening, after helping to get our kids to bed, and work until 2-3 in the morning, before grabbing 4 hours of sleep before work. An extremely good night was prints from 3 different negatives that I would consider worthy of sharing. At one point, I was a very good B&W printer, but never got past 'barely okay' as a color printer.
IMO, an extremely well done print, either analog or digital, is the final output that I want to enjoy and share. The best have a glow or mystery that draws me into another dimension. If interested, take time to see as many real prints as possible, in museums, coffee houses, or wherever, and figure out what lights your fire.
Even after many years of dabbling with digital printing, my best analog prints were better. I have prints on Forte Polywarmtone fiber paper that took weeks to work up, that still amazes me. It is only recently that I have produced digital prints I consider worth sharing.
Having played in both analog and digital worlds, I would be hard pressed to say that printing in one is more expensive than the other.
Oct 30, 2026 at 07:07 AM
p.1 #4Darkroom printing
Taperwing wrote:
If interested, take time to see as many real prints as possible, in museums, coffee houses, or wherever, and figure out what lights your fire.
Oh, I've definitely done that! I remember spending four or five hours at a Paul Strand exhibition (I think at the Guggenheim), and I've seen lots of great prints over the years at various museums and galleries. I love looking at prints but have to decide whether I want to do my own or just admire the work of others.
I'm pretty happy with my current hybrid analog/digital workflow (developing my own B&W films and scanning the negatives), but it does feel like some of the process is missing...maybe because watching my prints appear in the developing tray was one of the reasons I got hooked by photography in the first place. I've considered cyanotype and other alternative processes (e.g., palladium prints) but I'd need a digital printer to print negatives on transparency paper as contact printing from my negatives would result in super-tiny prints.
If interested, take time to see as many real prints as possible, in museums, coffee houses, or wherever, and figure out what lights your fire.
Oh, I've definitely done that! I remember spending four or five hours at a Paul Strand exhibition (I think at the Guggenheim), and I've seen lots of great prints over the years at various museums and galleries. I love looking at prints but have to decide whether I want to do my own or just admire the work of others.
I'm pretty happy with my current hybrid analog/digital workflow (developing my own B&W films and scanning the negatives), but it does feel like some of the process is missing...maybe because watching my prints appear in the developing tray was one of the reasons I got hooked by photography in the first place. I've considered cyanotype and other alternative processes (e.g., palladium prints) but I'd need a digital printer to print negatives on transparency paper as contact printing from my negatives would result in super-tiny prints.
Oct 30, 2026 at 07:24 AM
p.1 #5Darkroom printing
Taperwing wrote:
It has been 20 years since I spent much time in a darkroom, but I first started printing in grade school, some 30 years before that.
...
Having played in both analog and digital worlds, I would be hard pressed to say that printing in one is more expensive than the other.
Just saw your message in the B/W forum about my image (Redwood Pathways)... thanks for comment!
Your remarks here about darkroom work resonates with me. I actually still have a darkroom in my garage, set up over 20 years ago: working enlarger, Forte and Ilford multigrade papers, Kodak Selenium toner. I switched to digital in about 2010 and my darkroom sits unused now. Sometimes I scan my old medium format T-Max 100 film and color transparencies and then edit in Photoshop.
I feel my photography has benefited a lot from my earlier darkroom work. To me it is amazing how much you can now do digitally. I love dodging and burning thru B/W masks, etc.
Enjoy,
Ken
It has been 20 years since I spent much time in a darkroom, but I first started printing in grade school, some 30 years before that.
...
Having played in both analog and digital worlds, I would be hard pressed to say that printing in one is more expensive than the other.
Just saw your message in the B/W forum about my image (Redwood Pathways)... thanks for comment!
Your remarks here about darkroom work resonates with me. I actually still have a darkroom in my garage, set up over 20 years ago: working enlarger, Forte and Ilford multigrade papers, Kodak Selenium toner. I switched to digital in about 2010 and my darkroom sits unused now. Sometimes I scan my old medium format T-Max 100 film and color transparencies and then edit in Photoshop.
I feel my photography has benefited a lot from my earlier darkroom work. To me it is amazing how much you can now do digitally. I love dodging and burning thru B/W masks, etc.
Enjoy,
Ken
Oct 30, 2026 at 11:05 AM
p.1 #6Darkroom printing
KMSlandscape wrote:
I feel my photography has benefited a lot from my earlier darkroom work. To me it is amazing how much you can now do digitally. I love dodging and burning thru B/W masks, etc.
Enjoy,
Ken
I 110% agree about agree that my analog background and darkroom experience has greatly informed and influenced how I work digitally. At the very root of things, almost all density and color corrections can be made using only masks and curves, and for many years, that is exactly how I made most corrections in PS. Burning, dodging, color correction, color-to-monochrome conversions, can all be performed with only these two tools, although many additions have been made to juice the process, such as being able to select by density or color range, easily add or subtract from a particular selection, and save masks such that they can be recalled or modified at will.
Even unsharp masking has its roots in the analog world, in that sandwiching a slightly soft inverse positive with the orginal negative generates an apparent increase in sharpness. A bit of linear algebra brought this somewhat esoteric analog concept into the digital realm. Esoteric in that it was pretty much only deployed by very skilled, large format photographers.
I feel my photography has benefited a lot from my earlier darkroom work. To me it is amazing how much you can now do digitally. I love dodging and burning thru B/W masks, etc.
Enjoy,
Ken
I 110% agree about agree that my analog background and darkroom experience has greatly informed and influenced how I work digitally. At the very root of things, almost all density and color corrections can be made using only masks and curves, and for many years, that is exactly how I made most corrections in PS. Burning, dodging, color correction, color-to-monochrome conversions, can all be performed with only these two tools, although many additions have been made to juice the process, such as being able to select by density or color range, easily add or subtract from a particular selection, and save masks such that they can be recalled or modified at will.
Even unsharp masking has its roots in the analog world, in that sandwiching a slightly soft inverse positive with the orginal negative generates an apparent increase in sharpness. A bit of linear algebra brought this somewhat esoteric analog concept into the digital realm. Esoteric in that it was pretty much only deployed by very skilled, large format photographers.
Oct 30, 2026 at 07:25 PM
p.1 #7Darkroom printing
If you know any other film shooters in the area, you could let them know the offer you got and see if anyone has room and is willing to house it. That's how we started a cooperative darkroom a few years back when I was shooting more film. It fell apart when Covid hit, but we had a pretty good thing going for a couple years.
Nov 01, 2026 at 12:25 PM
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p.1 #8Darkroom printing
freaklikeme wrote:
If you know any other film shooters in the area, you could let them know the offer you got and see if anyone has room and is willing to house it. That's how we started a cooperative darkroom a few years back when I was shooting more film. It fell apart when Covid hit, but we had a pretty good thing going for a couple years.
That's a great idea, thanks Brad! I'll ask around.
If you know any other film shooters in the area, you could let them know the offer you got and see if anyone has room and is willing to house it. That's how we started a cooperative darkroom a few years back when I was shooting more film. It fell apart when Covid hit, but we had a pretty good thing going for a couple years.
That's a great idea, thanks Brad! I'll ask around.
Nov 01, 2026 at 04:16 PM
p.1 #9Darkroom printing
bjhurley wrote:
In a visit to my dentist two weeks ago I mentioned that I'm doing a lot of film photography these days and he offered to give me (for free) his entire darkroom printing setup: Beseler enlarger, trays, the whole works. I told him no thanks, but said I'd think about it and get back to him if I changed my mind.
So now I'm thinking about it. Here are the pros and cons for me, starting with the cons so you understand why I refused:
1. I have no good space for a darkroom; I could make one in our basement but...Show more →
Hi!
To be frank, at the end of the day it is you who has to make the decision whether to go for it or not (obviously) -
and it kinda sounds like you probably know already whether you're willing to put up with the cost, effort, etc. to get those sweet analogue prints in the end 🙂
As you're asking for feedback though, here's my opinion on your pros and cons:
Cons -
1. Not having a good space really is an issue.
The low ceiling / not being able to stand up would probably be a deal breaker for me.
Not familiar with "air exchangers" so can't comment on that - but do you have a sink / running water down there?
2. I don't know how tight your budget is / how much you're willing to spend, but I think it's doable.
Of course you have to be a bit disciplined (do test strips, start with postcard-sized prints etc.)
But actually (as you will probably know from your darkroom endeavours of the past) this makes you become better quickly 🙂
Also look at it this way - you do already get all the equipment for free!
3. Not a bad question!
Try to sell a few, do a little exhibition, give some to friends and family, do print swaps with fellow photographers..
..and / or just keep them for your own enjoyment.. you're probably doing most of this work "just for yourself", yes 👍
4. Both? For me, spending time in the darkroom has been very enjoyable, almost every time.
I like the focused, meditative way of working.
It's actually one of the things I look forward to when the cold season is starting.
So obviously in the summer I'm out and about more, in winter I'm more inside - and more in the darkroom.
I feel I don't need to comment on the "pros" much - basically I'd just agree with all of them - and thus recommend you go ahead and do it 💁♂️
In a visit to my dentist two weeks ago I mentioned that I'm doing a lot of film photography these days and he offered to give me (for free) his entire darkroom printing setup: Beseler enlarger, trays, the whole works. I told him no thanks, but said I'd think about it and get back to him if I changed my mind.
So now I'm thinking about it. Here are the pros and cons for me, starting with the cons so you understand why I refused:
1. I have no good space for a darkroom; I could make one in our basement but...Show more →
Hi!
To be frank, at the end of the day it is you who has to make the decision whether to go for it or not (obviously) -
and it kinda sounds like you probably know already whether you're willing to put up with the cost, effort, etc. to get those sweet analogue prints in the end 🙂
As you're asking for feedback though, here's my opinion on your pros and cons:
Cons -
1. Not having a good space really is an issue.
The low ceiling / not being able to stand up would probably be a deal breaker for me.
Not familiar with "air exchangers" so can't comment on that - but do you have a sink / running water down there?
2. I don't know how tight your budget is / how much you're willing to spend, but I think it's doable.
Of course you have to be a bit disciplined (do test strips, start with postcard-sized prints etc.)
But actually (as you will probably know from your darkroom endeavours of the past) this makes you become better quickly 🙂
Also look at it this way - you do already get all the equipment for free!
3. Not a bad question!
Try to sell a few, do a little exhibition, give some to friends and family, do print swaps with fellow photographers..
..and / or just keep them for your own enjoyment.. you're probably doing most of this work "just for yourself", yes 👍
4. Both? For me, spending time in the darkroom has been very enjoyable, almost every time.
I like the focused, meditative way of working.
It's actually one of the things I look forward to when the cold season is starting.
So obviously in the summer I'm out and about more, in winter I'm more inside - and more in the darkroom.
I feel I don't need to comment on the "pros" much - basically I'd just agree with all of them - and thus recommend you go ahead and do it 💁♂️
Nov 02, 2026 at 05:07 AM
p.1 #10Darkroom printing
Tina Kino wrote:
I feel I don't need to comment on the "pros" much - basically I'd just agree with all of them - and thus recommend you go ahead and do it 💁♂️
Thank you! Yes, I do have a sink and running water in the basement so that's not an issue. Not being able to stand up straight is a problem but i'm used to that; I'm tall and hitting ceilings with my head comes with the territory so I've developed pretty good awareness.
I'm still leaning toward no but did want to get others' perspective so I can factor that into my decision-making.
I feel I don't need to comment on the "pros" much - basically I'd just agree with all of them - and thus recommend you go ahead and do it 💁♂️
Thank you! Yes, I do have a sink and running water in the basement so that's not an issue. Not being able to stand up straight is a problem but i'm used to that; I'm tall and hitting ceilings with my head comes with the territory so I've developed pretty good awareness.
I'm still leaning toward no but did want to get others' perspective so I can factor that into my decision-making.
Nov 02, 2026 at 09:09 AM
p.1 #11Darkroom printing
I set up my darkroom about 10 years ago to learn myself how to make silver gelatin prints from differently sized negatives. Biggest con and most overlooked one when first getting into darkroom printing is the time factor - it will take you a lot of time to make a good and well exposed print including potentially dodging and burning. My dry and wet parts of the darkroom are separate and not together in one room which is then also a bit more physically demanding when for example going up and down a staircase between basement and vented bathroom on the second floor. My best advice to give is NOT to lean on finnicky things you might read or watch on YouTube which tell you to do paper strip exposures before the full print etc - it takes even more time, and I never found results with this method consistent for the full print. Instead I try to estimate the exposure time of the print as good as possible and make a first test print. Afterwards, I do a second one, and most often this is the keeper. Take good notes for each print with tabulated numbers for enlarger lens aperture used, exposure time, print size from which kind of negative size, which developer used, how long in developer, stopper, fixer baths and potentially toner. This will provide you later a good starting point for the first print from other negatives.
Most enjoyable is to see the print come alive in the developer bath under red light. Easily you will spend half a day or longer for one darkroom session just to make a few prints. Next challenge is to dry the print - there are multiple methods, I took the most easy one and hung the wet print with wooden clipper on a thin steel wire in my bathroom over the bathtub. To flatten it, I was fortunate to get a big and heavy hot-plate dryer for this kind of prints. Results come out great using one, but they are now quite rare and expensive to get especially in larger size for prints > 11x14".
Above another commenter mentioned exhibits: Been there, done this! It is certainly enjoyable, but don't expect any kind of applause from visitors telling you something like "Oh great, you did this in a darkroom on a silver paper?". This never happens. None of the visitors of many exhibits including silver gelatin prints saw them as special. To prove it, I once hung framed silver gelatin prints next to B&W prints made with my Canon Pro-100 printer. Not even one spectator saw a difference. I admit that the results also looked very similar - printers nowadays are simply so good!
I have not done any darkroom printing in over a year now. And this is not just because of the time it takes to get everything set up and then doing the process. I just don't see so much of its value compared to doing the hybrid method of taking film photos but then scanning/digitizing them and doing post processing with software. The latter is simply so much faster and more convenient.
Maybe I venture back doing some darkroom prints during winter time as mentioned above. I should.
Most enjoyable is to see the print come alive in the developer bath under red light. Easily you will spend half a day or longer for one darkroom session just to make a few prints. Next challenge is to dry the print - there are multiple methods, I took the most easy one and hung the wet print with wooden clipper on a thin steel wire in my bathroom over the bathtub. To flatten it, I was fortunate to get a big and heavy hot-plate dryer for this kind of prints. Results come out great using one, but they are now quite rare and expensive to get especially in larger size for prints > 11x14".
Above another commenter mentioned exhibits: Been there, done this! It is certainly enjoyable, but don't expect any kind of applause from visitors telling you something like "Oh great, you did this in a darkroom on a silver paper?". This never happens. None of the visitors of many exhibits including silver gelatin prints saw them as special. To prove it, I once hung framed silver gelatin prints next to B&W prints made with my Canon Pro-100 printer. Not even one spectator saw a difference. I admit that the results also looked very similar - printers nowadays are simply so good!
I have not done any darkroom printing in over a year now. And this is not just because of the time it takes to get everything set up and then doing the process. I just don't see so much of its value compared to doing the hybrid method of taking film photos but then scanning/digitizing them and doing post processing with software. The latter is simply so much faster and more convenient.
Maybe I venture back doing some darkroom prints during winter time as mentioned above. I should.
Nov 03, 2026 at 02:04 PM
p.1 #12Darkroom printing
I'll have a go since you asked
bjhurley wrote:
So now I'm thinking about it. Here are the pros and cons for me, starting with the cons so you understand why I refused:
1. I have no good space for a darkroom; I could make one in our basement but it's not ventilated (it does have an air exchanger so that could work I suppose). The ceiling is low and I can't fully stand up, but I'm used to that as I develop my films down there.
You can just use a little fan to circulate the air but b/w chemistry doesn't necessitate dedicated ventilation afaik.
2. Paper and chemicals cost money,
Paper and chemistry doesn't cost much, especially for BW and RC. A relatively small amount in the scheme of things with photography as a hobby. You also seem to be getting pretty much all the hardware for free.
I'd wager this decision isn't really driven by cost.
3. What would I do with all the prints? Almost nobody buys prints anymore; I could do some exhibitions but that would require framing the prints which costs more money. We like to keep our walls uncluttered so I don't have any of my own photos on the walls and I'd have to store the prints somewhere. We're at the decumulation stage of our lives, getting rid of stuff instead of acquiring, so the minimalist in me is very opposed to the idea of prints. Keeping my negatives is bad enough.
Give them to people. Make objects. Find new unexpected directions (you already mentioned alt processes). Keep them. Stick them on lampposts. Hide them in books at thrift stores.
One thing I do believe is that all the digital content one creates is pretty much meaningless unless it becomes some kind of thing in the real world even if that is sometimes still a digital thing. That's a complex topic but for me, making an actual photograph as an object is just magnitudes more meaningful and complete whatever happens to it beyond that. It keeps you connected to what the photograph is, why you made it, why you might make more or stop or whatever next.
4. Do I want to spend all that time in a darkroom making prints or do I want to be outside taking photographs?
This one is a bit of strawman? Not a binary choice? Do both? You can't always be outside taking photographs and sometimes reflection and review of what you take is much more meaningful than just taking more and more of the same thing.
As for the pros:
1. Film (except slide film) was made to be printed, and there's nothing like a good darkroom print. I loved the process of darkroom printing when I was a kid and I've always enjoyed looking at good prints.
Yes. This!
2. I'm interested in alternative printing processes, such as lith prints (which I love).
So many directions you can go with this, none of which preclude digital involvement.
3. Learning how to improve my prints could be an engaging process; it's a huge area of learning and skill development.
More than anything this one. It's a feedback loop. Not just on the process and craft but on the bigger picture, what you do, why you do it, how you do it etc. Something I think just using digital .jpg .tif etc as an end product just doesn't even begin to do but that's very much a personal opinion and there's nothing magical or mystical about analogue printing that means it will work that way for you or won't with other processes, just my 2c.
Any thoughts? I could always do digital prints but I'd have to buy a printer, and if I'm going to print anything I'm more attracted to darkroom printing than I am to digital printing. But I'm very hesitant to go down the printing rabbit hole in the first place.
...Show more →
Good luck whatever you do. I've enjoyed seeing your photos online but I'm just some random, I might not even be a real person!
bjhurley wrote:
So now I'm thinking about it. Here are the pros and cons for me, starting with the cons so you understand why I refused:
1. I have no good space for a darkroom; I could make one in our basement but it's not ventilated (it does have an air exchanger so that could work I suppose). The ceiling is low and I can't fully stand up, but I'm used to that as I develop my films down there.
You can just use a little fan to circulate the air but b/w chemistry doesn't necessitate dedicated ventilation afaik.
2. Paper and chemicals cost money,
Paper and chemistry doesn't cost much, especially for BW and RC. A relatively small amount in the scheme of things with photography as a hobby. You also seem to be getting pretty much all the hardware for free.
I'd wager this decision isn't really driven by cost.
3. What would I do with all the prints? Almost nobody buys prints anymore; I could do some exhibitions but that would require framing the prints which costs more money. We like to keep our walls uncluttered so I don't have any of my own photos on the walls and I'd have to store the prints somewhere. We're at the decumulation stage of our lives, getting rid of stuff instead of acquiring, so the minimalist in me is very opposed to the idea of prints. Keeping my negatives is bad enough.
Give them to people. Make objects. Find new unexpected directions (you already mentioned alt processes). Keep them. Stick them on lampposts. Hide them in books at thrift stores.
One thing I do believe is that all the digital content one creates is pretty much meaningless unless it becomes some kind of thing in the real world even if that is sometimes still a digital thing. That's a complex topic but for me, making an actual photograph as an object is just magnitudes more meaningful and complete whatever happens to it beyond that. It keeps you connected to what the photograph is, why you made it, why you might make more or stop or whatever next.
4. Do I want to spend all that time in a darkroom making prints or do I want to be outside taking photographs?
This one is a bit of strawman? Not a binary choice? Do both? You can't always be outside taking photographs and sometimes reflection and review of what you take is much more meaningful than just taking more and more of the same thing.
As for the pros:
1. Film (except slide film) was made to be printed, and there's nothing like a good darkroom print. I loved the process of darkroom printing when I was a kid and I've always enjoyed looking at good prints.
Yes. This!
2. I'm interested in alternative printing processes, such as lith prints (which I love).
So many directions you can go with this, none of which preclude digital involvement.
3. Learning how to improve my prints could be an engaging process; it's a huge area of learning and skill development.
More than anything this one. It's a feedback loop. Not just on the process and craft but on the bigger picture, what you do, why you do it, how you do it etc. Something I think just using digital .jpg .tif etc as an end product just doesn't even begin to do but that's very much a personal opinion and there's nothing magical or mystical about analogue printing that means it will work that way for you or won't with other processes, just my 2c.
Any thoughts? I could always do digital prints but I'd have to buy a printer, and if I'm going to print anything I'm more attracted to darkroom printing than I am to digital printing. But I'm very hesitant to go down the printing rabbit hole in the first place.
...Show more →
Good luck whatever you do. I've enjoyed seeing your photos online but I'm just some random, I might not even be a real person!
Nov 04, 2026 at 08:37 PM
p.1 #13Darkroom printing
coogee wrote:
You can just use a little fan to circulate the air but b/w chemistry doesn't necessitate dedicated ventilation afaik.
No, I disagree. Long-term exposure to fumes from developers and fixers is risky; even in the late 1960s when I started doing darkroom prints our family darkroom had an exhaust fan. It's less of an issue with developing film in tanks where exposure occurs during mixing and pouring the chemicals (into the tank and then down the sink or back into a container), but in printing you've got open trays offgassing the whole time. I don't want that stuff in my lungs.
coogee wrote:
One thing I do believe is that all the digital content one creates is pretty much meaningless unless it becomes some kind of thing in the real world even if that is sometimes still a digital thing. That's a complex topic but for me, making an actual photograph as an object is just magnitudes more meaningful and complete whatever happens to it beyond that. It keeps you connected to what the photograph is, why you made it, why you might make more or stop or whatever next.
I disagree with this as well. I love looking at actual prints but I get almost as much enjoyment looking at photos on my computer monitor and to me they are no less "real," just less tangible. And I'm okay with that. In fact one of the appeals of digital photography for me has always been that there's no physical product, no negative, no print unless you want to make one. Nothing to take up space except on a storage drive.
coogee wrote:
You can't always be outside taking photographs and sometimes reflection and review of what you take is much more meaningful than just taking more and more of the same thing.
Sure, but I do other things in life besides photography, so adding darkroom printing to the mix means spending less time doing something else (including taking photos). And I already spend a lot of time reviewing my film photos and thinking about what I could do better or differently next time, coming up with new ideas, etc.
coogee wrote:
Good luck whatever you do.
Thank you! I'm mainly interested in lith prints and other alternative processes, as opposed to standard silver gelatin prints which I've already done (but not in a long time). While I can't do lith prints without a darkroom, I might be satisfied with things like cyanotype, salt prints, palladium prints, etc. that can be done without a proper darkroom, although I'd still need ventilation as those chemicals can be pretty dangerous.
You can just use a little fan to circulate the air but b/w chemistry doesn't necessitate dedicated ventilation afaik.
No, I disagree. Long-term exposure to fumes from developers and fixers is risky; even in the late 1960s when I started doing darkroom prints our family darkroom had an exhaust fan. It's less of an issue with developing film in tanks where exposure occurs during mixing and pouring the chemicals (into the tank and then down the sink or back into a container), but in printing you've got open trays offgassing the whole time. I don't want that stuff in my lungs.
coogee wrote:
One thing I do believe is that all the digital content one creates is pretty much meaningless unless it becomes some kind of thing in the real world even if that is sometimes still a digital thing. That's a complex topic but for me, making an actual photograph as an object is just magnitudes more meaningful and complete whatever happens to it beyond that. It keeps you connected to what the photograph is, why you made it, why you might make more or stop or whatever next.
I disagree with this as well. I love looking at actual prints but I get almost as much enjoyment looking at photos on my computer monitor and to me they are no less "real," just less tangible. And I'm okay with that. In fact one of the appeals of digital photography for me has always been that there's no physical product, no negative, no print unless you want to make one. Nothing to take up space except on a storage drive.
coogee wrote:
You can't always be outside taking photographs and sometimes reflection and review of what you take is much more meaningful than just taking more and more of the same thing.
Sure, but I do other things in life besides photography, so adding darkroom printing to the mix means spending less time doing something else (including taking photos). And I already spend a lot of time reviewing my film photos and thinking about what I could do better or differently next time, coming up with new ideas, etc.
coogee wrote:
Good luck whatever you do.
Thank you! I'm mainly interested in lith prints and other alternative processes, as opposed to standard silver gelatin prints which I've already done (but not in a long time). While I can't do lith prints without a darkroom, I might be satisfied with things like cyanotype, salt prints, palladium prints, etc. that can be done without a proper darkroom, although I'd still need ventilation as those chemicals can be pretty dangerous.
Nov 05, 2026 at 04:17 AM