[Photo and narrative by my mother.]
I purchased this inexpensive Federal 6.3 diffusion enlarger along with a developing tank, thermometer, contact printer, safelight, timer, easel, basic chemicals, trays, and tongs. From the beginning I was most excited about being able to crop and compose my images with the enlarger. The contact printer gathered dust while I fed roll after roll directly through the Federal, making 4x5 enlargements instead of contact prints.
An eye can detect in the darkroom an out-of-focus photo or a subject who has blinked at the moment of exposure or other fatal flaws that make a negative a candidate for the trash bin before ever being printed, wasting paper, chemicals and time.
I was frugal, and the enlarger enabled me. Thriftiness actually made me a better photographer! Not wanting to waste led to careful composition, focus, and exposure. Actually, I took few photos. A roll of 12 exposures yielded 10 keepers or more. I would go on an entire afternoon shoot with one roll of film.
During my day we were advised to bracket our exposures, taking one additional picture at a slightly larger aperture than the meter indicated, and one at a smaller – probably a wise precaution. The Dutch in me said, Take a careful meter reading, silly, and use the result!
After a few years of darkroom experience I bought a bigger, better
condenser enlarger –
an Omega B4 – and disposed of the Federal. Then I missed it greatly
and never quite got used to the new one. It was supposed to be an
autofocus, but I always found myself sharpening the image, creating
images that were startlingly hard and unforgiving. I think the Omega
intimidated me. It now sits shrouded in plastic in the basement. I
never get a rush of warmth when vacuuming around it, as I do when
contemplating this old photo of the dear Federal.
I made an attempt in this photo to create darkroom-like lighting. I used just one 100-watt bare bulb positioned where the safelight normally hung, and of course I placed the camera on a tripod. Remember, we didn't have auto-focus cameras then, so the solution was to place something where the subject was to be in the photo, (here, me!) go to the camera and focus on it, screw the self-timer in, rush back into position, look composed, and wait for the shutter to click. What I did was rest a yardstick on my chair leaning on the enlarger about where my head would be, and focused on it. To look authentic, I should have had a negative image showing in the easel. I thought about it at the time actually. Fussy, fussy!
For some reason I must have reversed this image, because the uniforms I wore at work buttoned on the opposite side. Although the darkroom was at the doctor's office where I worked, I did my darkroom work after office hours. I was his "right arm" and he kept me hopping all day long. But I stayed after work in the evenings or on Saturday afternoons if I wasn't needed on a home call after Saturday morning office hours.
The doctor was an artist himself. He painted fine European-style scenes in oil on an easel in his wife's pleasant sunroom. So he followed the darkroom set-up with interest, commented on my photographs, and in general was really encouraging, in addition to providing an entire room for my use. (Lots of water too!) It didn't hurt that I photographed his children often, took passport photos of him and his wife before they departed on a European vacation, and made a still-life of his favorite comfy shoes tossed next to his well-worn "doctor bag." I mailed an enlargement to him at his kinfolk's address in Amsterdam. The photo was a hit!
Surfsong, jA., Yolise, Zmanphoto, and 405 other people added this photo to their favorites.
View 20 more comments
sadalit 50 months ago | reply
Came to this amazing photo through a Flickr search on "mother" + "work." Then got completely lost in your "Mom's World" set. Then got completely lost in your selection of favorites. Your photostream is an inspiration.
Joey Harrison 50 months ago | reply
Thanks so much. My mom's photos are an ongoing project. She has many more for me to post.
imagemkr1 -catching up!- 49 months ago | reply
Amazing photo, and wonderful story. I love the shadow created by the enlarger, too. Almost looks like a profile.
CTMJMJ [deleted] 48 months ago | reply
Wonderful photo, and your mother was gorgeous! :)
Joey Harrison 48 months ago | reply
Thanks. She's still a beauty.
nbklx17 (Sandy) 48 months ago | reply
Wonderful set of pictures and narratives!
I just came across it tonight and now I'm hooked. ;-)
naugastyle 45 months ago | reply
Love this one...so evocative and dreamy. Your mom is absolutely stunning.
Kate Kirkwood 44 months ago | reply
What an inspiring combination of image and story. Darkroom magic.
Mike Z 42 months ago | reply
I never would have thought to have my hair done before going into the darkroom. But I am glad that you did.
Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley 41 months ago | reply
How beautiful is this shot? Wow.
antiochus66 39 months ago | reply
sheer cinematic class,seriously lovely image.
you guys should be working on the tv series madmen...
NYCandre 38 months ago | reply
great series ..
Whiskeygonebad 37 months ago | reply
Wonderful series. On Facebook, I pointed the 3,402 members of my "Old Boro Park" (nostalgic) to here. My mom was just like yours with her fascination of photography. She developed film but only made contact prints of her large 620 negatives. She also loved her reel-to-reel Webcor recorder. I in turn, miss my darkroom, although I do still have the equipment, sadly it gathers dust. I vow to use it soon.
Chalet 36 months ago | reply
Anthony, thanks for the mention of Mom's World to your Facebook "Old Boro Park." MANY of them must have taken a look given a big peak of hits! Interesting about your own mom's darkroom work 'way back. Do try to get back to your equipment yourself. It was such joy.
Schönheit~ 36 months ago | reply
Your mom is gorgeous .
Susanne on Flickr 35 months ago | reply
This was your mother wow! Brings back memories for me, my father had a home developing studio, he was a prolific photographer, always using me in his studio and out and about London in the 1950s.
Dan Goorevitch 31 months ago | reply
What a beauty! A lot more like Veronica Lake than Lauren Bacall.
Wondered about the uniform till I read the story.
PeeTNeeT 28 months ago | reply
So
Good. ...
anhaidelirio 21 months ago | reply
I thought it was Rita Hayworth
Luffup* 17 months ago | reply
This is beautiful. : )