Analog Photography: Setting Up a Home Darkroom

Course details

More and more photographers are discovering—or rediscovering—the pleasures of analog photography. A great first step is to shoot and process black-and-white film, then scan the results and work with the images in a computer. After you've done that, it's time for the next step: setting up your own darkroom and making black-and-white enlargements.

In this course, photographer and educator Konrad Eek builds on his Shooting and Processing Black-and-White Film course to show the equipment, steps, and techniques involved in setting up a darkroom and making your own prints. From essential gear and setup considerations to processing techniques, this course is a complete introduction to the pleasures of black-and-white printing.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - Exploring the reasons you may want a home darkroom

1. Understanding Darkroom Equipment

03 - Exploring the enlarger, the exposure tools, and the timer
04 - Understanding the processing tools
05 - Where to find and purchase darkroom equipment

2. Choosing a Room and Setting Up

06 - Understanding where to put your darkroom
07 - Evaluating the chosen space and initial darkroom setup
08 - Installing the enlarger and setting up the dry work station
09 - Installing the developing components of the wet work station
10 - Lighting and the final steps to light-proof the room

3. Testing the Process

11 - Darkroom space tour and tests
12 - Making the first work print
13 - Final thoughts on resources and home darkroom setup