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Building a Darkroom: Portable / Temporary Darkroom
This drawing, shows most items needed1. Enlarger, easel, and Focus tool
2. storage for Print tongs, Beakers, Safelight, Process timer
3. Trays, on a processing counter
4. Bucket for disposal of chemicals and water
5. Bucket for fresh water
In the bottom part of the cabinet, store your print washer, chemicals, changing bag, data sheets, reference books, etc.
The cupboard can be closed up when not in use, it could be on wheels to make it portable.
For processing film, you don't need to set up the counter, just load the daylight tank in a changing bag, then process in daylight in the kitchen or bathroom. When I was working at Panavision (the movie camera company), I saw movie photographers develop film clips in the bathrooms when they were testing a camera.
By building or buying a cabinet to use, and putting it on wheels, you can roll it into the temporary darkroom and set up, or roll it out of the way quickly. You still need to make the room light tight, my father-in-law used to process at night, so it was easier. These are just some ideas, I've never used a temporary or portable darkroom before, some people I know, used to process their prints in the kitchen. Their stories, plus research I have done, mostly at the library, have helped me put together these ideas.
The "Zig" Darkroom Studio
This multi patented workstation measures a mere 5'in length x 31" in width and 7'-8' in height. It contains literally everything a
photographer needs to shoot portraits and still life photography followed by printing and processing high quality prints on
practically any type of photographic printing paper-- from the smallest size up to 20"x24" poster size prints-- while facilitating other
tasks associated with image editing, slide and print duplicating and many more tasks giving each user the ability to experience a full
cycle in the art and crafts of photography. The fully integrated unit has all the components of a standard studio and darkroom
ingeniously designed into one multi-task space saving workstation.
This isn't cheap, but if you're looking for an all-in-one setup, and have the money, or you want to see someone elses ideas on how to do this, you might want to
look at their information.
Visitor Comments
The comments stated below are not necessarily the opinions of Andy Hughes or DarkroomSourceI have a design for a completely portable darkroom cabinet that I designed while in college getting my architectural degree, then built for a project and used it for several years. It folds into a solid box, rolls through a 24 inch door, and expands to provide wet and dry surfaces and stores everything you ever need. Contact me if you\'d like the concept posted.Contributed by on 2005-09-26 21:44:48
