The 10 steps to setting up a home darkroom

by Chris Groenhout

Plan distinct "wet" and "dry" areas. Chemical contamination of unexposed paper and splashes from the print washer reaching your main electricity can be not only frustrating but also dangerous.

In this age of high quality digital scanning and output, it seems that the days of the chemical darkroom are over. I’ll admit, it’s been five years since I shot a black-and-white roll of film for a client. There’s no demand anymore. Yet now, more than ever, the traditional darkroom has found its niche as a sanctuary for the true photographic artist. Nothing can replace the excitement of watching your first print appear in the developer tray, or the control supplied by your choice of developer, dilution, and time spent processing film. And, while digital methods (even cameras) can approximate a black-and-white photograph (and offer some definite advantages in terms of retouching and tonal control), there's no substitute for the intangible, subtle quality provided by a conventional silver gelatin black-and-white print.