Darkroom Musings

I THINK I may have stayed too long in the darkroom yesterday. I was excited about developing two rolls of film--my "uncommon portraits" photo shoot--so I spent 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the dark. I only took one break. A 30-minute one, while waiting for my negatives to dry. Then I spent what must must have been three hours printing two contact sheets and perfecting a print for one frame.

With the safety light on, I could barely make out the faces of other people who were working in the darkroom with me. The UMD darkroom is the largest one I've ever been in. It has two main sections. The larger inner room has ten enlarger stations, two tray stations, a tank developing station and a white light chamber where one can view prints. The other section has around five enlarger stations, a fiber-based paper tray station and two film loading chambers. Most people use the larger inner room. And that was where I spent most of my time yesterday.

There is a girl in my class who takes excellently-metered photos. Or at least, these are excellently printed photos. She prefers low contrast warm tones. And her images are quiet and elegant. I have forgotten her name. So lets call her classmate R. She was in the darkroom yesterday. Then there is a woman, probably in her late 40s, lets call her D. She's in another photography class. I don't know her name. But I know her prints. She likes high-contrast and will only print images that contain true black.

D. and R. and I were the last people working in the darkroom yesterday. I am guessing we were all relieved that none of the freshman photography class were still working there. Those freshmen. They don't quite know how to work quietly. And some of them just talk on and on and on like the Energizer Bunny. There is nothing like comfortable work silence and the ocassional chat. D. asked me about the dragonfly in my print. Was it something I added to the image as a photogram? she said. It was actually just a metalwork dragonfly I placed on Megan's knee for contrast. I felt flattered. It was an indirect compliment. I usually ask about technique only when something looks so good that I want to try it myself.

I wonder if D. and R. also know me by the images I bring out from blank pieces of paper in the developer tray. Would I be dragonfly woman?

Black and white photography is so unpredictable, work-intensive and time consuming. But it gives me a tangible sense of satisfaction. There is so much I have yet to learn and do better. But the ocassional strong image and perfect frame encourage me and make me happy.