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Stool
Standing Pad
Wall Clock
Wall Calendar
Fire Extinguisher
Radio / CD / Tape deck
Inspirational Photos
Trash Can
Low Wattage Room Lights
Overhead Pull Cords for Lights
A Room Heater in the Darkroom
An Ionizer
Stool
After standing for a long time, your legs get tired, and you begin to not enjoy the process. I have two stools (one for a guest), which have the seat height set so that I can 'lean' against the stool and take most of the weight off, or I can sit on the stool and still have my head at about the same height as when I'm standing. By staying at the same height, sink work is always about the same. I don't have wheels on my stools, I don't want wheels either. I got mine at a garage sale.Standing Pad
I have a 3/4" rubber pad on the floor, it makes standing much more comfortable. The rubber is easily hosed off if there are spills (what, me, spill?), I can pick it up and wash it in the sink, or take it outside to brush off any dust or dirt. I got my first one from Porters, the ones in the new darkroom came from Costco.Wall Clock
I have a wall clock that does not have glow in the dark numbers or
hands. I don't need to see the time when I'm in total darkness, but if
I told my wife I'd be out by 6 for dinner, or I have to go to work
in the morning, I like to know what time it is. I don't have a clue
where the one I have now came from. If you can't find one of these,
please call me, at 800-555-lost.
Wall Calendar
During long printing sessions, I keep track of time this way. Not really. I use the calendar to make notes sometimes, and the pictures can be an inspiration (unless you get a Dilbert calendar, of course)Fire Extinguisher
Please put a fire extinguisher in your darkroom. Many of the chemicals you'll be using are flammable, most of what you have in the room will burn! I got mine from Costco or Home Depot or Home Base or something, I don't remember for certain. If you can't find one at a building supply store, call your local fire department, they'll be happy to give you information and help you make the right purchase. (Many firemen act as building inspectors in their spare time, so you can also use this resource to help in understanding local building codes)Radio / CD / Tape deck
I have a radio in my darkroom, wouldn't want to be in there without it. It used to be
a tape player too, but that part broke, so now I've got a bunch of tapes I can't use.
Inspirational Photos
I have photos of Yosemite National park, photos by Ansel Adams and Fred Picker in my darkroom. Some for inspiration, some for instruction. It's fun to compare my pictures to theirs, for technique, not for content, I don't want to copy anybody, but they made some fabulous prints showing the extremes of paper contrast.Trash Can
I can't believe how much trash I have! There are prints that didn't turn out the way I wanted (only 1 or 2 per year, ha ha ha ha), there are film ends, chemical packets, paper towels (I never spill, it is only when my son is helping!), and who knows what else. The point is, there are a lot of things you want to throw away, some of which can be recycled. But you can't open the door to throw them away, or empty the trash, at just any time. So get a good sized trash can.
[ Top | Dry | Wet ]Low Wattage Room Lights
I use a low wattage room light (40 watts max), because my eyes don't adjust very fast to drastic changes in light. I paint the entire room white and make sure there are no light leaks. 40 watts has been more than adequate for me. I use an overhead pull cord to activate the room lights, so I can do so easy from anywhere in the room.Overhead Pull Cords for Lights
I'm a big believer in this, and you will be too once you try them. I mount a pull cord type light socket on one wall, run a cord from the pull chain across the room to a hook on the other side. When you want to turn a light on or off, you raise your hand and move it toward or away from the wall until you find the cord, and pull. You can do this standing anywhere in the room, you don't have to hunt for a light switch on the wall. You don't have to put a light bulb in the socket either, there are adapters you can find at most hardware stores, that screw into a light socket and turn it into an electrical cord socket. I had three of these cords running about 1 foot from the ceiling (7' high) in my first darkroom, in my new darkroom I have one at that height in the center of the room and the other two are run along the bottom of the wall cabinets. The one in the center of the room is for the low wattage room lights and the ones on each side are for the safe lights. (I ran the safe light cords differently only because the location of the wall cupboards was such that when I opened a door, it turned the light on or off - oops - design error)A Room Heater in the Darkroom
I have a small electric heater in my darkroom. It has a rudimentary thermostat, which will keep the temperature in the room between 65 and 75 degrees. In the winter I'm very glad to have it. Do not get a gas, propane, or any kind of flame heater, it is possible that you could be using chemicals that could ignite. You can get them fairly cheaply at many different stores, Costco, Home Depot, Home Base, and many department stores. On the box it usually indicates the size of room that it will heat comfortably, and safely. Be sure to follow the instructions with your heater. Make sure there is enough room around it, and it has enough ventilation so that it does not over-heat. Also be sure to get one that is adequate for your room, so it doesn't over-work itself.An Ionizer
This quote from Mark Pope, and logically it makes sense, I just might get one..."One item that my Photography teacher swears by in his darkroom is an ioniser. This (apparently) causes all of the dust in the air to fall to ground (or something like that), thereby reducing the amount of dust that ends up on your negs..."
Visitor Comments
The comments stated below are not necessarily the opinions of Andy Hughes or DarkroomSourceyou show a picture of a phone but no comment should we have a phone in the dark room ? how about an intercom ?Contributed by on 2006-05-19 04:30:09
A phone would be a great idea. I still need to wire one into my darkroom. Obviously, you\'ll want one without any lights, backlit displays, etc. Cellphones are very bad in that respect! A speakerphone might be a good idea, so that if you must talk to someone it won\'t interfere with your printing, etc.Anonymously contributed on 2006-12-12 13:10:03
Intercoms are a good way to deal with mothers/wives/other people.
