Is Your Darkroom Safe? Testing The Safelight, part 1

[@markharris5771]

I haven’t tested my light in well over twelve months when I replaced my bulb. I admit when I did it it was with a coin test but I will do it this way next time I do it. Thank you for that. I have a very basic 35mm darkroom, I do play with some chemicals such as farmers reducer, selenium, sepia kits and benzodiazepine and I split tone with filters etc. But I’ve plateaued at a rather low level and I've not been able to move forward until now. You’ve no idea how long I've been looking for a channel such as this one. Other channels that do more advanced darkroom presume a level of knowledge of the underlying processes or terminology I don’t have. I love Tim Layton's channel, he truly is a master of his craft, his images are beyond stunning and his channel is a firm favourite. But his channel is aimed at showing what he is doing at any given time and not necessarily at tutorials etc. Nor should it be, not every channel needs to be aimed purely at educating though I have learnt a lot from him. Roger from Shoot Film Like A Boss is without doubt more advanced than I am, but he too is very much learning and experimenting. Again I get a lot from his channel and he shows all his successes and failures for us all to learn from. However, these two channels do leave a gap for those wanting to really up their game from basic to much more advanced. This is a gap you seem to be filling very competently explaining everything at a pace and using terminology I can manage. Thank you very much indeed, I know the numbers will come as they have done for Roger. I'll be honest I consider it rude when people comment on music in a video when the person posting their video is doing it totally free of charge and with great effort. Your video are about darkroom work, not your choices in music etc and it’s that you should be critiqued on. However, I’m really sorry, but as you are a quietly spoken person, and my ears are getting older, I do at times have difficulties hearing what you are saying. Is there any way to amplify you voice please as what you have to say is brilliant? Thank you for an amazing video that was very informative.

[@TomNorthenscold]

Thanks for putting these instructional videos out. I find them tremendously useful. I just ran this safe light test in my darkroom today, and I’m pleased to say my safelight setup passed. I appreciate that you make these videos accessible for those of us who aren’t as experienced in the darkroom.

[@litticgn]

I don't know how I could ever make good prints in my darkroom. My Fomabrom paper is so sensitive, I had to dim my safelight extremely to get no fogging after 7 minutes. Thanks a lot for your channel, I have learned a lot from you already!

[@TheNakedPhotographer]

Thank you!

[@odukar2315]

I did the coin test and I didn't feel confident. Now, I followed your advice and it worked! Now I feel much better! Thx again!!!

[@TheNakedPhotographer]

Glad it worked!

[@troysundt8406]

You are the Bob Ross of photography

[@exShinra]

My university just got a new dark room. Its not very dark. The safe lights are extremely bright. Also, the seals on the windows aren't sealed at all, and they installed a very large, very bright router in the room that emits a blue light that, with the safelights off, is very easy to navigate and even read in the dark. The safelights are so bad that you could read a book in the room without straining your eyes, and it takes 0 time to adjust your vision. I've brought it up to the instructor (we haven't started doing prints yet) and they said its fine. They'll figure out just how fine it is when all their prints are gray.

[@tudorzapciroiu6931]

I just need an update on this so bad :)))

[@exShinra]

@@tudorzapciroiu6931 they fixed the darkroom lights by replacing them with a very old lamp drug out of storage. It was a very very dark darkroom. The didnt fix the window. Why there was a window in the darkroom, ill never know.

[@Carfree-Cities]

Yeah, the coin test doesn't show fogging. Be especially careful if you are using variable-contrast paper, which has a green-sensitive emulsion layer.

[@Tipodatubo]

I did the coin test with pre flashed paper but now I’m going to try this too just to be sure

[@guntercaus4155]

The link to the Tech Pub. K-4 document is obsolete. You can get it here: www.kodak.com/content/products-brochures/Film/KODAK-A-Guide-to-Darkroom-Illumination-K-4.pdf

[@MD-en3zm]

In the case where there is different densities on the two sides, which one is darker? The one where the enlarger exposure preceded the safelight exposure, or the other way around?

[@customerbf]

I am leaning so much from your channel. Have you tested a LED strip as a Safelite. BlissGlow Has an LED strip that you can set any color on the color spectrum and it’s dimmable. I’m wondering if it’s possible to turn such a light to the right spectrum and use it as a safe flight. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

[@kristjank]

Thank you for excellent videos. This video saved me from a safelight that was too bright. One question though. I also read the Kodak K4 document and that intructs to cover a 1/4 of the test strips before turning on the safelight so there are 0, 1, 3 and 7 minute exposures to safelight. Is there a reason you omit the 0 minute patch?

[@TheNakedPhotographer]

After all this time someone finally noticed!

[@kristjank]

@@TheNakedPhotographer Yeah, I suspected it was unintentional ;) But I figure it is not a big deal. I'm guessing that in all but the most rare occations that if the safelight is having any impact to speak of one will most likely anyway see some difference between the 3 and 7 minute patches. Only if it takes the safelight just about 7 mintues to start to break the inertia would this cause a misreading.

[@sterioma]

Found a link to your video on photrio.com. Great to see more context like this. You have a new follower.

[@anzaeria]

A very worthwhile test. Out of curiosity, is it possible to conduct this test without an enlarger? I was planning on doing mostly contact printing in my darkroom with the use of a bare bulb or diffused bulb.

[@TheNakedPhotographer]

Of course, the idea is just to get some tone on the paper to simulate print density

[@JORGE110877]

Hello friend, Which Kodak filter did you use for the test?

[@TheNakedPhotographer]

OC

[@JORGE110877]

@@TheNakedPhotographer thank you, but i bought the OC filter, but I have tried it and it is amber, not red. That's normal? or I would have to buy filter 1A or 2 which are red.

[@TheNakedPhotographer]

OC is for b&w paper. The 1A red is for slow orthochromatic material and the 2 is for fast ortho material. The OC is amber.

[@JORGE110877]

@@TheNakedPhotographer thank for you time, In my country (Peru) it is very difficult to find this stuff for darkrooms, I am calm then with my OC filter and I am going to do the Kodak Test.

[@supernva7493]

I am here for my darkroom exam. 👍❤️✌️

[@nyrnk]

if you can put a coin on a piece of paper for 30 minutes under your safelight and not make a visible edge when developed, i would def consider it dark enough. * all your work will be done under the same (not so "safelight") anyways, so all your tests would have the same "preflash"-error, so if you make the print look good it's all good, so what if a was copied under a 3 or a 3.5 multigradefilter... Like your work though, and I like the stock solution.

[@Nordhiker]

I absolutely like your videos and this one gave me many important Informations as well. Though I got the point in a way how to do it I have to admid that I did not understand the tech part all the way. It´s because I am german and my school english might got rusty. But I will watch the video over and over again... That will help. Great job! Am enjoying every video of you. If you like check me out on instagram Tilman_Drobik so that you how is watching you. Tilman from Hamburg

[@festeringuncle5576]

Here is the updated lint to the Kodak test paper: www.kodak.com/global/plugins/acrobat/en/consumer/products/techInfo/k4/K4_Safelight_061608.pdf