Red Light in a Dark Room - Part 4

This week's dark room post is care of our good friend, Troch. Thanks so much for giving us some insight into your workspace! We're envious of your custom darkroom.


What is your darkroom? A room, closet or bathroom? Please tell us a bit about it.

After years of working in bathrooms, closets, etc., I built a custom darkroom from scratch, approximately 8' by 12'. I have two enlargers set up and oodles of space to experiment in. The darkroom is attached to my gallery, Laughing Hummingbird Arts.

What's your process? Tell us a bit about your developing routine, especially if it's tricky.

I process both black and white and color film, as well as making black and white prints. I am constantly experimenting with my black and white processes and chemistry in an attempt to find the perfect combo. Next up, Pyro!

What is your go to developer?

I have to say that my go-to developer is Rodinal (Blazinal). Because I shoot largely with Holgas, exposure can be a challenge and I find that a one hour stand process often gets the most out of my negatives.

What is your all time favorite Film/Film developer combo?

I use a lot of Fomapan 400 in Rodinal, but I am a huge fan of most films. I generally go for high contrast and a bit more grain for my negatives. I love the way this works with my printing style.

Have you or are you into any alternative processes, such as cyanotype?

I haven't got around to any alternative processes yet, but I am stocking supplies for a long dark winter.

What is the best processing tip you can give?

The best tip I could give anyone is "Don't be afraid of the dark!" Try different things, break the rules, experiment and take lots of notes, because if you pull the perfectly developed roll of film out of the tank, you want to be able to do it again.