Beginner Making my first print

ndwgolf

ndwgolf

Suspended / Banned
Messages
4,692
Name
Neil Williams
Edit My Images
No
Can someone recommend a video to watch on the steps to making a darkroom print. I've done 8x10 contact prints but have yet to enlarge a negative. I have one box of 16x20 paper coming and my enlarger is a Meopta color enlarger up to 6x9 format. I have the easel and focus aid and a set of under the lens contrast filters.
I will be printing in B&W
Thanks Neil
 
Plenty of YouTube videos Neil, but I think you'll need to find a darkroom with an 8x10 enlarger. Probably a rare beast nowadays.
 
trevorbray said:
Plenty of YouTube videos Neil, but I think you'll need to find a darkroom with an 8x10 enlarger. Probably a rare beast nowadays.
Click to expand...
I don't think the OP wants to print 8x10 negatives.
 
trevorbray said:
Plenty of YouTube videos Neil, but I think you'll need to find a darkroom with an 8x10 enlarger. Probably a rare beast nowadays.
Click to expand...
Trevor
I am in the process of building a darkroom at my house in Thailand and plan to put a 4x5 enlarger in there. the 6x9 enlarger that I have is in my now converted maids bedroom (we don't have a maid) in Kuala Lumpur. The only negatives that I have that I can enlarge in KL are my 6x6 Hasselblad negs so basically I will be making 16x16 prints............excited to get home and try this out :)
 
Well I've done stacks of prints years ago and am not sure what advice you are seeking as it's so easy to do a print but more difficult to get a first class print with all the tones and things like controlling highlights or improving shadows with a dodging tool like a flat lollipop. From the first print you can only get better by experience. The very first basics is to use a test strip of paper to get the exposure right before using the 16 X 16 print, cleanliness is essential to avoid spots on the print...enjoy
It help enormously if you are printing from a VG neg that's correctly exposed, as burning in the highlights or improving the shadows is a PITA.
 
Last edited:
Hi Neil - I use this split grade technique and find it much easier than trying to find the 'correct' filter for each print. You end up at the same point, but it's a quicker process for me.

http://www.lesmcleanphotography.com/articles.php?page=full&article=21

The Way Beyond Monochrome book is excellent, but maybe something you will want to read after a couple of months in the darkroom.

Ilford have a ton of information on their website to get the basics right. I'd start there.

Have fun!
 
You might like to scan the resources listed here. There should be something to help you. I'll stick my neck out and say that the only difference you'll find between contact prints and enlargements is that the exposure times are longer, and dust on the negative bigger. Beyond that, everythings the same - until you start correcting converging verticals etc. I doubt that many people use dodging and burning on contact prints (the negatives are too small there days) but Edward Weston (to name but one) did with his contact prints from 10x8 negatives.
 
Fred Picker is the man, he's American and wears questionable knitwear, not a great start you'd think but his tutorials really helped me with next step printing.
Its not difficult to make a print from muddling through Youtube tutorials but if you want to get a solid grounding in good practice right from the off, he's very good.
He's dead of course :( but I have a file which is a recording of one of his tapes from the 80's, it came from youtube a number of years ago, its not available anymore but it takes you through his process slowly, step by step.
It includes things like choosing a neg to print, choosing the grade of paper that would best suit that particular neg, dodging and burning, proofs, test strips and asthetics.
Simple things that you don't think about unless you do them automatically, out of habit, things like making sure the neg is emulsion side down in the holder, that you dust brush the moment before you mount it, just little housekeeping things that avoid wasting time and materials
 
I haven't read it, but presumably Ansel Adams The Print has something interesting to say?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top