Darkrooms have several, somewhat conflicted needs. They must be wet and dry, dark and light. In other words, you must have control of light and access to water. Many years ago, when I first entered commercial photography, I worked at a studio that had been designed by an industrial chemist. He had worked for several chemical companies designing emulsions and processing chemistry. As it goes, he became more interested in the application than the theory of his early years, so the opened a photography studio, one with a phenomenal lab.

He had many small enlarger rooms, attached to chemical rooms. We had specialty rooms, and general rooms. That first experience taught me that, when possible, built separation into the process. Each stage of work can then be montitored, perfected, and refined.

Those early times are with me, now, in my current darkrooms. The enlargers aren’t subjected to moisture, or chemicals, neither are the emulstions. It also means that more than one of us can work on a project.

Life under red lights. without stop