Introduced My Daughter To The Darkroom

[jyl]

Handed her a film SLR and a roll of HP5+, developed her roll in the kitchen, and then we went to the local rental darkroom and showed her how to make a contact sheet and print an image, plus the basics of test strips, exposure, contrast, and dodging. She thinks it's the coolest thing. Wants to take a photography class and a darkroom class this summer. Has no interest in Photoshop or other digital workflow. Reminds me of vinyl LPs, tube amps, typewriters, and other outmoded technologies that are enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Well, not sure about the typewriters.

[pwd72s]

I still use a typewriter for personal letters...used to have a darkroom. I was pretty good with B&W 35mm. Digital? Beyond point & shoot, I know nothing...

[YTNUKLR]

I absolutely loved B&W photography in high school, when I got to do that.

One could go on and on, but there is definitely something 'aesthetic' about LPs, typewriters with real ink and some imperfections, B&W film photog...

LPs are a lot of work, and impractical unless you are just at home, but then, it's even more special because you are focusing on the music, rather than trying to do other things (drive, exercise, party, chat...).

B&W film really allows you to interact with the images in a tactile way. Moving them between dishes of chemicals, dodging the under-exposed parts... I made some stuff that I don't think I could as easily with software/digital. Of course, you can always digitize it after you have a finished print.

Tube amps are just cool. I have a schematic and a few old tubes; hopefully I get around to building it one day.

I think typewritten *documents* are cool. I think typewriters suck.

I think the common denominator is these things just have more ritual associated with them. The depth of the experience is greater.

[GH85Carrera]

I worked in darkrooms for a living for over 25 years. That industry is just about gone. I used to remind some of the employees that “we do for a living what thousands of people are rushing home from their office jobs to do as a hobby”

I recently bumped into a former customer that has loved photography all of his life. He is an eye surgeon for a living so he had a ton of professional gear. It all sits in his closet replaced with digital equipment. He said the camera club had a recent contest; everything had to be submitted with no Photoshop work at all. Everyone had to shoot in RAW mode and use the “import as shot” setting to open the file for the contest.

Photography is a fun hobby but a very tough way to make a living. I hope you and your daughter have fun.

[racer]

Film is dead.. May as well also teach her about correction tape, BetaMax and a lifetime of other passed by technologies. It must be like "history" day at your house

[jyl]

Film is dead for mass market and commercial photography. It is becoming purely an art medium. Similar to oil painting, charcoal drawing, sculpture. Which is fine with me. I spend 12 hours/day in front of a computer monitor already, I don't want to spend more time at the computer doing Photoshop.