When was the last time you were in a Darkroom? Do you even know what a Darkroom is? My last time was around 1990 I think. Maybe a year or two before or after, but its been a very long time. I started using a B&W darkroom in junior high way back in 1972! I worked in a Color Lab out of High School and when I moved to LA my first job was at the best B&W Lab in LA called Photo Impact. Good times, but I do NOT miss the darkroom in any way.
I bring this up because I’ve been digging through old boxes of prints. You have NO idea how many boxes of prints I have! TOO many to count and I really think its time to dump them all, but my friends won’t let me. Its fun to look at and feel old silver gelatin prints. It brings back a lot of memories. They made me think a lot about the darkrooms that they were printed in and the friends that printed them. I printed some myself, some labs did some and at one time I had my own printer print them. Good times and nice prints.
There are a few darkrooms still around and still kicking it old school. Not something I want go back to, but I hope these darkrooms stay in biz for a long time to come. I wish every photographer today would take the time out and learn how to process film and print prints the old school ways! It will help understand the process and the art of photography!!! NOT a bad thing to know when being a photographer. The more you know, the smarter you are and the better work you can create.
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