DARKROOM PRINTING BASICS

DATE: OCT 24TH 10AM-1PM LAKELAND FILM LAB ST. PETE
Duration: 3 hours
Class size: 4 
Experience required: None
Location: Lakeland Film Lab, St. Pete

Class Description

Darkroom Printing Basics introduces students to the traditional black-and-white printing process. Students will learn how to safely work inside a darkroom, operate an enlarger, create test strips, make exposure adjustments, and produce their own black-and-white silver gelatin print.

The class focuses on printing an existing black-and-white negative. Film development will be offered as a separate advanced workshop so beginners have enough time to focus on making a quality print.

What Students Will Learn

• How a traditional black-and-white darkroom works

• Darkroom safety and chemical handling

• The difference between film development and darkroom printing

• How to identify the emulsion side of a negative

• How to load a negative into an enlarger carrier

• How to operate a photographic enlarger

• How to focus and frame an image

• How aperture affects print exposure

• How to make and evaluate a test strip

• How to select an exposure time

• How contrast filters work

• The developer, stop bath, fixer, and wash process

• Basic dodging and burning

• How to evaluate print density and contrast

• How to wash and dry a finished print

• How to properly clean the darkroom workspace

Workshop Schedule

Darkroom Introduction and Safety

20 minutes

Students receive a tour of the darkroom and learn the basic rules for working around enlargers, chemicals, water, and photographic paper.

Topics include:

• Safelight rules

• Chemical tray order

• Proper use of tongs

• Chemical contact precautions

• Keeping wet and dry areas separate

• Cleaning procedures

Enlarger Demonstration

30 minutes

The instructor demonstrates the complete printing setup.

Students learn how to:

• Insert a negative into the carrier

• Turn on the enlarger

• Adjust image size

• Focus the negative

• Set the enlarger aperture

• Position photographic paper

• Choose a contrast filter

Creating a Test Strip

30 minutes

Each student creates a test strip using their selected negative.

The instructor explains:

• Exposure intervals

• How to read highlights and shadows

• How to identify underexposure

• How to identify overexposure

• How to choose the best starting exposure

Making the First Print

45 minutes

Students expose and process their first full sheet of photographic paper.

The print moves through:

1. Developer

2. Stop bath

3. Fixer

4. Water wash

Students evaluate the print with the instructor and identify the changes needed for the next attempt.

Improving the Print

40 minutes

Students create a second print using adjustments based on their first result.

Possible changes include:

• Exposure time

• Enlarger aperture

• Contrast filter

• Cropping

• Dodging

• Burning

Final Print and Cleanup

15 minutes

Students complete their final print, wash it, place it on the drying rack, and clean their workstation.

Included With Admission

• Use of the darkroom and enlarger

• Photographic chemicals

• Up to five sheets of 8 × 10 black-and-white photographic paper

• Negative sleeves

• Test strip materials

• Darkroom printing reference guide

• One finished 8 × 10 print

• Protective apron and gloves

• Access to shared darkroom tools

What Students Should Bring

• One strip of properly developed black-and-white negatives

• Closed-toe shoes

• Clothes that can potentially be stained

• Notebook or phone for taking notes

Students without a black-and-white negative can select from a small collection of practice negatives provided by Lakeland Film Lab.