To my dad, who first introduced me to the wonders of darkroom.

It is a shame but I do not make it into the darkroom as often as I would like to. I'll have to work on that as I truly enjoy the process. I like it allows me to finish the analog picture making journey started by capturing the world on film without a computer inserted into the process. And to top it off, it is very relaxing. The whole world is literally shut out and not allowed to enter. And time becomes relative. Hours can pass by feeling like no time at all.

For now, I have stayed with the simple yet powerful process my dad introduced me to back in 1980s. I take couple light readings from the frame to be printed, one for dark and one for light areas. I use the low value reading (dark in the negative but bright in the final positive) to set the aperture of the enlarger lens to place the target exposure time somewhere around 10 seconds. While it may sound like that there is not much science to this. It's based on past trial and error and knowing that approximately 2/3 EV should get me close. I use the high reading (bright in the negative but dark in the final positive) to gauge the contrast I should start with.

A test strip is the next step. While I am aware of f-stop-based darkroom printing and f-stop-based test strips and definitely see the logic and advantages behind that I have stayed with the simple timing method for now. For my first test strip I will go for about 6 - 7 strips on a 5x7 paper ripped in half to limit waste. Thus, each strip is less than 1 inch wide. I will start on 6 or 8 seconds and add 2 seconds for each next step. In practice, the whole sheet gets exposed for example for 8 seconds. Then I cover a small section and add 2 seconds of exposure. Then I slide the cardboard more in to cover an additional step and repeat until the whole paper is used. That will give me 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 seconds. And that's what you see in the first photo below.

Roofs & ChimneysTest 1 Roofs & ChimneysTest 2 Roofs & ChimneysTest 3

Unfortunately, this time my guesswork was a little bit off and even the darkest stripe lacked punchy blacks. As a result, I repeated the test starting with longer exposures and going past 20 seconds. I could have also opened up the lens a stop but I chose the longer exposure times instead. As you can see, I also widened each stripe and printed 5 variations instead of 7 to have wider areas included in each. Now I definitely had the whole range covered but hesitated on selection. To solve that I printed the final test for the three exposures I wanted to pick from.

Another option is to use bigger time differences for the initial test strip but I usually work with 2 seconds. If I was not metering the dark and light areas at all and depended solely on the initial test strip, I would definitely go with 3 or even 5 second increments to make sure I get to the ballpark with the first test strip. The exposure selection can be narrowed down by going in smaller increments for each successive test.

For now, I've used this simple method of sliding a thin cardboard over the face of the photo paper. That comes with some major disadvantages as each strip includes a different area of the print and the shadows and highlights may not be present in each, making it difficult to pick an exposure working best for both whites and blacks. Localized test strips are meant to solve that challenge. It is something I plan on trying out in the (near) future. Another use for the localized test strips would be insuring a face in a portrait is well represented in a test strip. With the simple method described above the face (or faces) may be completely missing from some of the samples.

Roofs & ChimneysPrague, Czech Republic

Roofs & Chimneys, Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Traditional Black and White Darkroom Print on Ilford MG IV RC Portfolio

You can see the final print above. Please, keep in mind that these are scanned images of the test prints that I tried to adjust for brightness and contrast to be as close to the paper versions as possible but that is not an exact process. And it was close on my monitor, which is a huge variable. When working on photographs I keep my monitor turned down quite a bit to see what I would get if I printed the photos on a printer or had them printed by an online photo lab. Most people's monitors are set to a way higher brightness. Thus, the photos here are just for process illustration rather than showing which strip was or should be chosen.

Now for a little bit of background for these photographs. When one exits the Prague Castle, the views don't get any less impressive. I have always liked the roofs and chimneys of the houses along the roads on the slopes below. The first two prints in today's post are dedicated just to those views. The one above for the Roofs & Chimneys, and the one below focused on the Chimneys.

Since this print was from the same roll of film exposed and developed identically to the previous one the starting point was easier. One test strip would have most likely been enough but I chose to confirm my selection with a small print. I wanted the chimneys as bright as possible without losing detail in them.

ChimneysTest 2 ChimneysTest 2

That relatively quick process gave me the final print below. Even though the sky has a very minor role in this photo I was quite happy about its tonality. On cloudy days that can be taken care of by itself and when the sky is blue, I prefer to use an orange filter. Yellow often seems too subtle while red can be overpowering and can also make it harder to get the right exposure for both highlights and shadows. With the orange filter, I often leave the exposure compensation up to the built-in meter and get very good results. With a red filter, I get better results metering without the meter and adding compensation manually.

ChimneysPrague, Czech Republic

Chimneys, Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Traditional Black and White Darkroom Print on Ilford MG IV RC Portfolio

For the third and final print we are staying at almost the same location but the focus is now on the approach to the castle, specifically the stairs. In this case they are the Castle Stairs (Zámecké schody) also known as the New Castle Stairs (Nové zámecké schody) in contrast to Old Castle Stairs (Staré zámecké schody) at the eastern entrance.

(New) Castle StairsTest 1 (New) Castle StairsTest 2

As with the chimneys I was happy with my results after one test strip and one small print for a confirmation. Enjoy the final print below.

(New) Castle StairsPrague, Czech Republic

(New) Castle Stairs, Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Traditional Black and White Darkroom Print on Ilford MG IV RC Portfolio

What remains? Not only did this post make me want to print more photos from Prague I already have ideas where to visit next and capture some future printing material. So many opportunities!

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

PS: Future darkroom topic ideas: f-stop printing, localized test strip making, 3d-printing a localized test strip masking frame, home made developer

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.

Previously from the darkroom:

Chautauqua BelleBlack & White Darkroom Print Chautauqua BelleDarkroom Lith Print

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Photographs bring back memories. And they do so in so many ways. They bring back memories in the nostalgic sense of wanting to (or not so much) return to the location and experience it all over again. They bring back memories in the literal sense of recalling forgotten facts back into the accessible section of our brains. Looking at the first photograph I can see the drive up the hill, finding the 'Opaeka'a Falls viewpoint parking lot on the right, walking further up to see the falls in the distance, and then crossing the road to enjoy a beautiful view of the Wailua River and wondering whether the peak in the distance truly was the mysterious Mount Wai'ale'ale as the informational board claimed. How cool would it be to see the peak one day or even stand there while getting drenched by the always present rain!

Wailua RiverKauai, Hawaii

Wailua River and Mount Wai'ale'ale in the distance on the island of Kaua'i in the Hawaiian archipelago

Then while enjoying the views we noticed the roadside sign advertising the Kamokila Hawaiian Village and decided to visit without previously planning to do so. And with the help of the second image I remember the steep hill down, the shoes on the fence welcoming us, and some of the structures and overall look of the village emerges from some obscure and forgotten section of my mind. All of these shoes also qualify for my Lost Shoes collection of photographs, don't they?

Lost Shoes of KamokilaKauai, Hawaii

Lost Shoes on a Fence in Kamokila Hawaiian Village, Kauai, Hawai

As I was captioning these photos today prepping them up to go to their respective galleries on my web site I searched the internet to see what's out there now in 2023. These photographs are from 2016. Yes, it took me seven years to share them with you. Fortunately, we made the spur of the moment decision to visit the village back then. Unfortunately, we won't be able to do that again and it looks like nobody will. At least based on the 2022 news articles, the State of Hawaii had a reason to force the closure of the village after decades in operation. That reveals the next value of photographs. Not only do they bring memories back they also preserve them. They preserve them even for those that never had a chance to witness the photographs' content in person.

Table Set Up at KamokilaKauai, Hawaii

Table Set Up at Kamokila Hawaiian Village, Kauai, Hawaii

Unlike my usual more focused posts today's post has an interesting variety of photographs spread across three different galleries: Landscapes Faraway, Nature - Animals & Plants, and Travel Photography. In a way, that shows just the tip of the iceberg of what one can experience on this beautiful island.

Plumeria BloomsKauai, Hawaii

Plumeria Blooms, Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii

I will always associate plumerias with Hawaii and with the Hawaiian leis but they are not native to Hawaii. They are endemic to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They were brought to Hawaii by Dr. William Hillebrand in 1860 and thrived. Do you want your own plumeria tree? Try a cutting from the Maui Plumeria Gardens. Even with shipping from Hawaii it's not too pricey. I have just spent about half an hour reading about growing plumerias in pots and caring for them even in cold places and am incredibly tempted. In fact, this whole part is a note to self to easily reference in the next few days when I decide to go for it. The brief reading indicates they're easy to start from cuttings and easy to care for in a manner similar to succulents. But don't take my word for it, do your own reading. And don't blame me for buying one!

Stars over KoloaKuai, Hawaii

Stars over Koloa in Kauai, Hawaii

And for a happy ending of today's post I am sharing an end of a very beautiful day on Kauai. What a wonderful starry sky with a planetary cherry on top! What's left? Maybe ordering that plumeria, maybe booking a flight, or maybe just diving into the archives of photographs with a beverage in hand and some happy music in the speakers. Cheers to our happy places! ;-)

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)

Previously from Hawaii: The Beginning - Seaside Pinhole Photography - Tropical Clichés - Windy Drama of a Tropical Morning - Quite an Ad - Searching for Sun and Warmth - Not Your Sunrise Cliché - So Peaceful - Some Morning Drama - Farmland in the Canyon - Further up Waimea Canyon - At the Edge of Kalalau Valley - Tropical Sunrise - Tropical Sunset - The Photo at Your Back - Hawaiian Mix

Rainbow over Kalalau ValleyKauai, Hawaii Waimea Canyon, Deep & WideKauai, Hawaii Farm in the CanyonKauai, Hawaii

Lava Rocks at Waiohai BeachKauai, Hawaii The Start of a Beautiful Day at Secret Beach, Kauai, HawaiiKauai, Hawaii

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) 2023, Roll 1

To Paul, who introduced me to this wonderful location

terraPIN ACME Pinhole CameraWPPD2023 As the link above indicates, this is a continuation of the Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day 2023. The same camera, the same film, and the same theme. If you did not read my intro to the day in Roll 1, I picked a theme of water for WPPD 2023. I wanted something in motion to take advantage of the long exposures one usually gets with a pinhole camera. And I have liked playing with different shutter speeds and water for a long time. It's amazing how much a photograph of water can change simply by varying the exposure time.

The one thing that I changed for Roll 2 was the location. Instead of a small creek I headed to a large lake, a Great Lake to be more specific. The shoreline of Lake Erie has a lot of private areas where a normal riffraff can't get, a few town parks limited to residents only, and a few precious public areas where it's possible to stroll along, contemplate, and even take photographs.

I like this specific location because the curve of the beach is made more interesting by the presence of some beautiful big rocks. And that is what I focused Roll 2 on - the interaction of the waves crashing against the shore and the rocks. It's amazing to photograph but it's also a lot of fun just to sit and watch. Yep, I'll trade this for a TV series any day. It seems that no two waves are the same. Different strength, different direction, and also different placement in the sequence of waves all cause the rocks to get submerged differently. And as one never really knows what each wave will bring it's only fitting to photograph it on film as one won't know what the film captured until quite a bit later. It adds to the mystery.

Submerged Rocks of Lake ErieWPPD 2023

Submerged Rocks of Lake Erie
terraPIN ACME medium format pinhole camera, Fuji Acros II black and white film, D-23 developer

I enjoy how this specific camera renders the sky too. I did not customize the camera to be able to attach a filter and all of these photos are captured without any. I suspect that a horizon placed high in the frame falls in the vignette area of the frame and thus gets darkened preventing it from blowing out. And sure, friendly weather with some clouds in the sky does not hurt either.

In and Out of WaterWPPD 2023

In and Out of Water
terraPIN ACME medium format pinhole camera, Fuji Acros II black and white film, D-23 developer

Scene selection is always fun and a challenge at the same time. In this case, I knew I wanted water and rocks. Thus the rocks had to be at the water's edge to be swallowed by the waves and promptly revealed again. They could not be too far into the lake as I was not ready to get soaked on this chilly morning. At least I was not wearing sneakers, my usual shoes for expeditions around water, but winter boots. Those gave me about 2 inches of water to work in. That's not much when the lake speaks loudly. Spoiler alert! I left with both shoes filled with water!

Big RockWPPD 2023

Big Rock
terraPIN ACME medium format pinhole camera, Fuji Acros II black and white film, D-23 developer

Sometimes, I try to find angles that will group and arrange several rocks in an interesting formation. Other times I will go for a single rock. In all cases, I try to get very close to my subjects with the very wide angle of view of the terraPIN ACME pinhole camera. However, I do leave an inch or two more space than I used to. In combination with the dark vignette I like to give my subjects a little room to breathe.

Flooded Jagged GapsWPPD 2023

Flooded Jagged Gaps
terraPIN ACME medium format pinhole camera, Fuji Acros II black and white film, D-23 developer

In the past I used to experiment with either including or excluding the horizon from the frame. Over time I grew to like the horizon included either very low or very high in the frame. Since there is no viewfinder on this camera it is a bit of guesswork but there are some helpful tools included on the camera. To get the right vertical angle there are lines on the side of the camera that approximate the angle of view. To get a high horizon I tilt the camera forward (downward) almost to a point that the upward pointing line becomes horizontal. Just the slightest angle up pulls the horizon into the frame.

Gap RevealedWPPD 2023

Gap Revealed
terraPIN ACME medium format pinhole camera, Fuji Acros II black and white film, D-23 developer

In the two photographs above you can compare how different things can appear based on wave strength and proper timing. How many small waves does one need to count off before a bigger one arrives? How many bigger ones arrive back to back? How many times is all of this so random that one can make no assumptions?

Between RocksWPPD 2023

Between Rocks
terraPIN ACME medium format pinhole camera, Fuji Acros II black and white film, D-23 developer

I tried to get really close and really low for the final photo and it definitely changed the original top down perspective. Sometimes this trickery with distance results in a complete loss of perspective when one can't really tell the real-life size of the objects. Were the rocks just a few centimeters? Or were they large boulders?

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

More of my Pinhole Photography ...

Down Smoke CreekPinhole Photography Two CanoesPinhole Photography Against the CurrentPinhole Photography