Darkroom Print CollageThe Analog Way A few posts back I shared my photos from a chilly morning at the Lighthouse Beach on Lake Michigan. Today, I'm adding on a couple traditional darkroom prints on silver gelatin photo paper.

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I have photographed both versions of the Grosse Point Lighthouse presented here on the simple Lubitel 166B and a black and white Fomapan 400 film. The camera takes the 120 format and shoots 6 cm x 6 cm square photos. Nope, it was not Instagram that started the square format.

Grosse Point LighthouseLet's look it over Later, I have printed these on an 8" x 10" traditional black and white silver gelatin photo paper in my darkroom. along with couple other prints from a different photo op. You can see all of them, including my test strips, on the collage above along with the two cameras of choice. I used the Lubitel for the two beach photos and the Nikon FE for the Orchard Park train depot  and tracks.

How is a darkroom print born? First, an enlarger is used to project the image through the negative film onto a photographic paper. Then, the paper goes into a developer for about 2 minutes. About 20 seconds in the whole image starts to appear all at once and within a few seconds the wet photo looks back at you. The rest of the development time serves to get some really nice rich black tones.

Grosse Point Lighthouse, Evanston, IL8" x 10" Darkroom Print

Grosse Point Lighthouse, Evanston, IL - 8" x 10" Darkroom Print

Film photography: Lubitel 166B, Fomapan 400

From the developer the print is transferred to a stop bath, or just plain water, which is what I usually use. About a minute there stops the development process and washes the developer off.

Grosse Point LighthouseLet's look it over The last chemical bath is the fixer, which insures the print is no longer sensitive to light and lasts for years to come. The time in the fixer varies based on the paper type used. For resin coated papers I usually fix for about 5 minutes.

From the fixer, I put the prints into a large bucket of water where I keep them while I develop a few more prints. Once a nice small batch is in the bucket, I move the prints into a print washer tray where I further wash them in running water to make sure no fixer is left behind. And then it's like with laundry, the prints are hung to dry.

I usually leave them hanging for about an hour or two and then lay them flat in a warm dry place to finish the drying process. Finally, I use an archival pen to sign the back, title and date the print, and it's ready for display or to go to a new owner.

To get the photos posted here on my website, I either take a photograph of the prints or run them through a scanner.

Grosse Point Lighthouse, Evanston, IL8" x 10" Darkroom Print

Grosse Point Lighthouse, Evanston, IL - 8" x 10" Darkroom Print

Film photography: Lubitel 166B, Fomapan 400

I hope you have enjoyed the brief look behind the scenes. If you have any questions about the photos or the process, please, don't hesitate to leave a comment here, I'd be happy to answer and elaborate further.

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more darkroom prints, head over to the Darkroom gallery. Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help! For a quick reference to all photo galleries and collections as well as all photo products currently offered through my site, please, visit the Products page.

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Previously captured on film: Analog (Film) Photography - Film Pinhole Photography - Winter Jinx - Seaside Pinhole Photography - Theatre District at Sunrise, Buffalo, NY - On Main Street, Buffalo, NY - On the Road around Buffalo - Lake Erie Lakeshore on Pinhole - Erie Basin Marina on Pinhole - From Ohio Street - As the Names Change - Buffalo Classic on Classic Medium - One More White while Appropriate - More Winter in Hamburg, NY - Palace in Winter - A Shed - The Chimney - Road Trip 2018 on a Page - Road Trip 2018: The First Few Darkroom Prints - First Roll of Infrared Film - Road Trip 2018: A New Darkroom Print - Analog Colors - Cheap Shots of Sunny 16 - Darkroom: A Split Grade Print - A Drive-Through Nation - A Quiet Moment - Lighthouse Beach - Nostalgic Colors - The 70s Look? - Lakeshore Mood - Back in the Woods - Swamp Trees - Swamp Ponds - How Were the Darkroom Prints from Lighthouse Beach Born?

Road Trip 2018: Organ Mountains Desert PeaksDarkroom Print Road Trip 2018: The LiveryDarkroom Print Road Trip 2018: Van Patten's Mountain CampDarkroom Print

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