The Making of a Darkroom

It has been a personal goal to be able to print my work in a darkroom. The thought of being in a red room and using an enlarger to create an image on photo paper always brought me excitement. The only issue was that COVID-19 hit and with that everything closed, schools, and of course all darkrooms accessible to the public. Initially, I had this idea I would wait until this would blow over but a whole year later I knew that things would not return to normal. I did the next best thing researched a whole lot and watched a bunch of free darkroom printing videos on youtube from Ilford to see if this would be something I would invest in rather than wait to attend a college film class with a darkroom. I watched about 8 hours of darkroom printing literally everything from making a simple contact sheet to a print to dodging and burning. I basically tried to learn as much as I could to determine if this was something I would be able to handle. Then after about 2 weeks I made the initial jump and started looking for enlargers to purchase and I was hit with a harsh reality the price of the equipment was extremely high. I was shocked to see the total price of everything I needed was well over 3000 dollars. The primary thing I wanted in an enlarger was one that would not limit me to 35mm film and would allow me to enlarge medium format. I did the next best thing which is eBay I found so many enlargers but one caught my eye.

This listing had everything and I mean everything but the chemicals. The total price 650.00 I was shocked I had to read the listing 10 times to make sure this was not “for parts” or “for repair”. I even went as far as messaging the seller to make sure this was real. After all the facts were checked I pulled the plug and bought the entire kit. This kit came with 28 items, developing trays, tongs, enlarger timers, photo paper, an 11x14 easel, books, a grain focuser I mean everything! The deal was insane especially to find a Beseler 23C III which are still made to this day and are one of the most durable and long-lasting enlarger on the market. I also enjoy that finding parts for this enlarger is fairly easy. This was an enlarger I dreamed of getting it not only does it allows me to enlarge 35mm film but also medium format film.

The making of this darkroom celebrates 2 years of me shooting film never in my wildest dreams did think I would be making wet prints in a darkroom at home. This has unlocked a new possibility for creativity and the ability to finally hold a physical print. The first day I worked in my darkroom it changed the way look I feel about photography it connected a bridge that made me feel more connected to my work. My binder of black and white negatives turned into contact sheets and then prints. It also took me away from my computer and allowed me to disconnect and fall deep into my work. I have a lot to learn but I would love to share what I have learned from the process and I am looking forward to creating more content around my darkroom process.