The Chemistry & Printing Paper Arrives

Apparently my Karma isn't in too shabby shape. My order of chemistry arrived late this afternoon, just as the sun hung above the horizon. Enough chemicals to fill all the shelves in my mixing area, as well as 60 cut sheets of printing paper; 10"11", for the 8"x10" prints. I will also be printing negatives from the 5x7 Burke & James view camera, ones I shot thirty years ago as well as fresh images to come. Those negatives will be printing in palladium only. I have not forgotten the gums. I now have two gum printing frames that I will be putting to good use. Portfolios are coming.

This page will be quiet for the next twelve days, until we return from Mexico. I promise that upon my return I will not be derelict in providing regular updates and images coming out of the new darkroom. Very soon I will also be putting together the second photo book in the "Alchemist's Guide:" series. This next one will be "Printing in Silver", focusing mostly on the salt paper process, or what I refer to as the Salted Silver Print. Thirty years worth of insights within 150 pages. Give or take....

The Darkroom

Having spoken of the darkroom in more than one post, then disappearing for two months, it would seem only fair to offer up snaps of what all that work was for. And why I put forth all the labor and expense to arrive at a space that accommodates the printing I want to do. I don't spend much time with higher aesthetics in decoration. I keep it pragmatic and simple. I like grays, white and black. I am coming to like the idea of staining the cabinets on the dry side to match the Solar Printer (UV printing box) shown below.
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As I noted in the last post, a long planned trip to Mexico will take me away for the next ten days. As confessions go, my normally deep enthusiasm for such a trip, it comes just as all is ready to begin work. Not sure if that is irony or Karma working. It is what it is, and at this stage in life, I am not in any hurry. My interest is in making beautiful prints. My apologies for the absences, leaving a dead page. Hopefully I will be able to make up for that later, when I will have new work to show on a regular basis.

The Solar Printer ~ Printer door (with knob) at bottom ~ Slit just  under the brass plate is the
diffusion sheet ~ ballasts & UV tubes above the diffusion sheet

 Dry working side ~ Cabinet for portfolio cases

Other end of dry working side~ Negative Case shelves

Wet Side with sink ~ chemical shelves in corner ~ 3 outlet water setup (one with thermometer
Chemical shelves are yet empty, with a large order scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

Project Completion

After six months of planning and two solid months of continuous construction, the new darkroom is finally complete. Final touches are being made, the area lighting and wall shelves. My body has been referring to me in vulgar terms, and I have no doubt I'm in much better shape for it. The timing of things isn't how I would like it, but considering the obstacles, I'll take it. I was told by the nice rep at Bostick & Sullivan that my chemical order should arrive on Wednesday. The order was large enough I was emailed to tell me it was way too much to put in one box, which of course will cost another......

All of which is good news with exception to that timing thingy. I will be taking my sweet wife to Puerto Vallarta for ten days with good friends of ours. Long in the planning, and something that will have healing powers on the body. I'm certain of it. Warm beaches with a Pacifico right out of the ice bucket, which chatting about black and white photography. My good friend is a most excellent photographer. But I digress. With patience, I will be busy in the new darkroom shooting with my Burke & James 5x7 view camera, developing and printing palladium and gum prints. You will know this because I will be posting regular updates of the progress.

My apologies for the absence. Good things are coming though. . . . .

Phase III ~ The Finish

I had held out hope that I would now be standing in my new darkroom, happily making prints. I can say that I am sort of standing in said new darkroom, although not yet printing. I will be painting what is left of the small area left after the first gallon of paint disappeared. By week's end the new room will be painted, with the final flourish arriving next week when my old friend Harry arrives to make the water and new electric lines connected, and the sink frame and work tops framed in.

This project provides the mixed blessing of a fabulous new foundation for my artwork, as well as the physical demands best suited for a much younger man, with much more energy. Before the project began I had only cursory expectations of ever producing a meaningful portfolio of palladium and gum prints every again. Printing a couple times a month in someone else's darkroom is not all that conducive to printing such a portfolio, in one lifetime. With this facility I will be able to produce four prints per day should I choose to do so. Gums of course take weeks to accomplish.

I have written here on the subject of hand coated printing processes, mostly focused on the prints I had already printed, all of which were printed thirty years ago. The few prints I have been able to make in PJ's darkroom have begun the conversation on work being produced now. That conversation will be ongoing once the new darkroom becomes functional. I will be able to address more specific issues and practices being applied, with print examples to show. That makes it a bit more meaningful than theoretical discussions.

If you do see this post then thank you for your visit. I hope to make your visits more meaningful and enjoyable as time goes on. I am currently printing an "Arizona" portfolio. The images are from two historical towns in Arizona, Tombstone and Jerome. With sufficient patience, it is possible to capture photographs of historical locations and period characters in Tombstone sans pretty much all evidence of modernity, leaving an image that fairly replicates what would have been seen a century ago. One of the images I will be including in this portfolio is a photograph I took inside Paul & Jerry's in Jerome, Arizona, in 1986 during a visit. The locals would recognize the patrons sitting at the bar, as being the "old timers". 

Salted Silver Print

" Paul & Jerry's" ~ 5"x7" ~2/5

Jerome, Arizona

 

Phase II

After three weeks of steady work I am at the finish line to completion of the new darkroom. Body aches and self-inflicted wound as they are, the finished printing room will be worth the blood and tears in bringing it to life. This is a true work of love for me. Only a distant dream over the past thirty years. This is way better than a shiny new wagon. But then I'm just old.

Phase I was building a new workshop building, with sub-floor and roof. Three parts. Done. The past three weeks has seen my building shelving and other accommodations in the new shop to hold all the stuff from the old building, then clearing it out to bare frame to be insulated and sheet rocked, with sink frame and working counters. The final phase arrives next with when my contractor friend returns for finishing the darkroom. Final piece to it all is building my Solar Printer, in my new workshop.

With my daily focus on building things, I have had little opportunity to print, with exception to a couple hours last week on Saturday in PJ's darkroom. That netted me one new print I had yet to print. Tomorrow with the light in my favor I will get it digitized to post. What I can tell you is that by the end of the year I will be printing regularly, daily. There will be prints to show, new things learned, as I will be ready to print in palladium, not just tone in palladium. That is going to be a very nice upgrade for me.

My thanks to you for visiting my blog, and returning. Soon, there will be a new stream of images to check out and possibilities to explore. Stay tuned.