# Survey for English research paper - need at least 10 responses.



## photo_girl (Apr 15, 2007)

As part of my final English research paper, I must conduct an survey on my topic.  My topic is "Building a Home Darkroom".

I need to have at least 10 people take the following survey in the next two days (Actually, next two weeks!!!)   If you have the time, I'd really appreciate it.

*For Black & White / Color darkroom (traditional):*

&#8211;Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure? 

&#8211;What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is?

&#8211;Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?

&#8211;Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?

&#8211;How do you store your chemicals?

&#8211;Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?

&#8211;What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?

&#8211;What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?

&#8211;Do you also have a digital &#8220;darkroom&#8221;? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?

*Digital Darkroom:*

&#8211;PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?

&#8211;What is the best imaging software in your opinion?

&#8211;What type of monitor do you feel is best?

&#8211;What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?

 [FONT=&quot]What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?

Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it. 
[/FONT]


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## ferny (Apr 15, 2007)

*For Black & White / Color darkroom (traditional):*

&#8211;Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure? 
_We had a large old shed at the top of the garden and converted that._

&#8211;What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is? 
_Pieces of hardboard pressed against the windows and held there by latches. I don't feel it's very effective and will be fiddling and adding proper light-traps at some point._

&#8211;Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?
_I've never used one. I've had small light leaks when putting film onto reels and not had any problems. They'd be good if you had a type of film which you had to be careful with when changing rolls in the camera (medium format) and you didn't have anywhere dull to hide when doing so._

&#8211;Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?
_Yes, me! :mrgreen: I wash the film in the dev. tank I use. _

&#8211;How do you store your chemicals?
_In a cupboard on the wall. Normally un-mixed._

&#8211;Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?
_Not for my set-up as I have all the paper in a big draw which I only open when the safelight is on or the room is black._

&#8211;What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?
_I don't understand. Which item should you spend the most on when building a darkroom? Which item do you really really need? Either way it'd have to be the lens in your enlarger. But also, don't forget that if the lens on your camera isn't as good at the elarger lens then the quality of the print will only be as good as the camera's lens._

&#8211;What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?
_Erm... I don't actually.  _

&#8211;Do you also have a digital &#8220;darkroom&#8221;? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?
_I do and I see problems if you have them in the same room. The computer, unless only used for digital work which seems a waste, would be used for, erm, other things as well. Most darkrooms aren't the nicest places when they're in light so using a computer in such as room would be horrible. Also if you're careful and it's dark outside your room you can leave the darkroom and look something up on-line or find information stored on your computer when you need it. If your computer is in your darkroom you can't use the monitor because the light would ruin your work._

*Digital Darkroom:*

&#8211;PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?
_PC. Because it's used for other things and my Windows based computer is more convenient for me. Plus it's a case of "stick with what you know" and "if it ain't broke don't fix it"._

&#8211;What is the best imaging software in your opinion?
_Depends. I got along great with Paint Shop Pro for years. I gave Photoshop a try and it does everything PSP does and more, just less use friendly. No qeustion, Photoshop is better. But it has so much the average person wouldn't need that it's almost too bloated. If that makes sense._

&#8211;What type of monitor do you feel is best?
_One which works. I've not used a varied set of monitors so can't comment._

&#8211;What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?
_The one which prints the best. Get copies of the highest and medium settings and compair to see which you like the most. Then look at the cost of ink. _

What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?
_Just in random files on the computer. If it crashes I lose them all and if I want a specific one I spend hours looking for it._


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## Torus34 (Apr 15, 2007)

&#8211;Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure?

I set up an area in my cellar. In the past, I used my bathroom. 

&#8211;What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is?

Black-out curtains made up of several layers of black plastic trash bag 
material. By limiting use to the nighttime hours, there is no problem in 
keeping the area totally light-free.

&#8211;Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?

I've never found it necessary to use a changing bag. I suspect that 
one might be useful in the field for someone working with 4x5 sheet film, though.

&#8211;Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?

I have a simple film washer, but could do without it if necessary. My 
paper washer uses an old Kodak siphon-type attachment clamped to a 
shallow tray and attached to the kitchen sink faucet.

&#8211;How do you store your chemicals?

I use 1 gallon milk containers and 1/2 gallon fruit juice containers for 
paper fixers, paper developers and stop baths. For film development, I 
split the batch of developer and fixer into individual 'Snapple'(r) bottles 
and discard each bottle of solution after a single use.

&#8211;Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?

Even the cheapest paper safe is better than wrestling with the original 
paper packaging in the dark. Mine are the cheapest available.

&#8211;What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?

Probably stainless tanks for film development. This is because they last 
forever, so the cost/roll processed drops to a very low level with time. Mine are original Nikkors - museum pieces, but as good as when first purchased. 

In second place would be a thermometer for ensuring that film 
developer is at the correct temperature. 

&#8211;What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?

Nothing special. I take pains in inspecting the negative in the enlarger 
holder under strong, slanting light and carefully free it of dust before 
placing it in the enlarger. You either spend time cleaning a 
negative before making an enlargement or spotting a print afterward. 

&#8211;Do you also have a digital &#8220;darkroom&#8221;? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?

The 'puter that I use for digital post-processing is located in a room 
upstairs. A cellar is not the best place in the world for 
electronic equipment.

Regards,

Jim/Torus34


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## JamesD (Apr 15, 2007)

*For Black & White / Color darkroom (traditional):*

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure? 
   I built my darkroom in 4X5 foot closet.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is?
   Mainly the door.  The slight light leaks around the door were never really a problem the way I had it set up.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?
   Only if you need it.  It can come in handy for certain types of photography.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?
   What's a film washer? I just used the sink.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]How do you store your chemicals?
   Airtight, light-proof bottles filled with enough marbles to bring the fluid level to the brim.  Or, in the bottles they came in.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?
   I just use an old paper box.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?
   Enlarger optics, and enlarger.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?
   I didn't really worry about it.  I kept a soft brush and some canned air handy.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]Do you also have a digital darkroom? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?
   No, although I use Gimp for adjusting scans for web display, or if I want a color photograph enlargenent, but I want to adjust it first.

*Digital Darkroom:*

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?
   Linux PC.  I already had it.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What is the best imaging software in your opinion?
   I use Gimp.  It's fast, it works well, and it's free.  I can't compare it to Photoshop, because I've never used it.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What type of monitor do you feel is best?
   A high-quality, high-resolution CRT, 17" or bigger.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?
   I have digital images printed at a lab.

 [FONT=&quot]What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?
     Hard drive, or better yet, a frame.


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## astrostu (Apr 15, 2007)

Dunno if I can help because I never didn't do digital.  But, here're my replies for the digital.

*Digital Darkroom:*

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?
Mac because I've used 'em since 1993 and they're the only way to go. :mrgreen: 


[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What is the best imaging software in your opinion?
I assume you mean for post-processing.  Assuming that, I say PhotoShop.  Been using that since version 2.5.


[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What type of monitor do you feel is best?
High-contrast ratio, bright, and big.  Since bigger is better, flatscreens as opposed to CRTs because of the physical size.

[FONT=&quot]    [/FONT]What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?
What they need it for.  Do you just need it to print, or do you need it to scan, photocopy, fax, etc.?  Then, I look at dpi (resolution), and also how loud it is.

 [FONT=&quot]What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?
Save them on my computer until I reach 4.38 GB and then they go on DVD.  I also keep a JPG copy on my computer in iPhoto for most of the shots.


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## Les McLean (Apr 28, 2007)

I hope this is not too late to help you.

Les

*For Black & White / Color darkroom (traditional):

*Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure?

ANSWER
Initially I converted a spare bedroom but had no running water. Eventually I had a 20ft x 10ft wooden shed constructed in my garden which has been moved three times. I hire a crane to lift it on to a wagon to take it to the new location. 

What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is?

ANSWER
I velcro-ed thick black plastic to cover the windows, it's easy to remove and does little damage to the surrounding walls.

Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?

ANSWER
Yes

Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?

ANSWER
No I do not own a film washer I have used the Ilford water change and inversion method for 20 odd years and have had no problems at all and it saves water. 

How do you store your chemicals?

ANSWER
In brown glass bottles in a darkened kitchen unit firred into the darkroom for that purpose

Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?

ANSWER
A paper safe is an excellent addition to the darkroom but a good one is quite expensive. You can construct a  light tight drawer which is very effective. Tim Rudman has a plan of such a drawer in his Darkroom Printing book some years ago.

What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?

ANSWER
An RH Designs Stop Clock Pro enlarging timer.

What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?

ANSWER
I vacum it ONCE every year. I work on the principle that dust will settle and generally stay in that place unless disturbed. I've done this for nearly 30 years and have no dust problems when printing.

Do you also have a digital darkroom? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?
ANSWER
Yes I do and no I would not put it in the same room as my traditional darkroom

*Digital Darkroom:*

PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?

ANSWER
Both. Started with PC but invested in a Mac a couple of years ago although I still use both mainly for teaching purposes.


What is the best imaging software in your opinion?

ANSWER
CS2

What type of monitor do you feel is best?

ANSWER
A Quato flat screen. Expensive but very good.

What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?

ANSWER
This is a very difficult one because printer technology is improving. I would not consider any make other than Epson.  Current printers offer 9 inks which provide a base for making excellent black and white as well as colour prints.

[FONT=&quot]What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT] 
[FONT=&quot]ANSWER[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I burn CD's because I am uncertain about DVD's having used them only to find that I could not open the odd one from time to time. I think I have solved that problem by purchasing a Terra Station which is 1000 gig of hard drive space spread across 4 disks. The person who suggested this and set it up for me told me that if one disk should fail the data stored ther is saved to one of the other disks.  It is unlikely that all disks would fail together unless of course the computer was completely wrecked in a fire or some other disater.



[/FONT]


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## jstuedle (Jun 24, 2007)

As part of my final English research paper, I must conduct an survey on my topic.  My topic is "Building a Home Darkroom".

I need to have at least 10 people take the following survey in the next two days (Actually, next two weeks!!!)   If you have the time, I'd really appreciate it.

*For Black & White / Color darkroom (traditional):*

Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure?

*Twice converted a room. 1st was my bedroom while in school 2nd was a walk in closet shortly after getting married and having first child.  The third was partitioned  out of a much larger room so it was new construction within an older  structure.  *

What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is?

*The first time I used heavy black leatherette to cover the 2 windows in the room. The second and third darkrooms had no windows. In the second I used towels to block light under the door, the last I used double doors 90 degrees apart to prevent light under the doors. All three rooms were 100% light tight. Only the third was truly safe and workable. It was a purpose built room.*


Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?

*If you have a revolving safe door, of a double door safe system a changing bag is not necessary. My first darkroom was used in the late 1960's and the 2nd was mid 1970's. We never used bags in school, never thought to use them in my own darkrooms.*

Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?

*I have and used one. I believe if using stainless reels it to be optional. I got just as through washing in the tank as with a washer IMHO.

* How do you store your chemicals?

*In brown bellows type bottles. One for fresh and another for used but not spent chemistry.*

Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?

*In my opinion a paper safe is required for smooth and safe work flow.*

What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?

*Enlarger/lens.*

What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?

*Electrostatic air cleaner.*

Do you also have a digital darkroom? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?

*Yes.*

*Digital Darkroom:*

PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?

*PC. I have built PC's since Christmas 1980. This is pre Mac, more like the Apple II or Apple Lisa days. Have too much cheap and capable hardware to change, 2 desktop, 2 laptop and a file server.*

What is the best imaging software in your opinion?

*We use Photoshop CS.*

What type of monitor do you feel is best?

*My main edit machine runs 2 19" LCD*

What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?

*Print quality, color stability and print life.*

 [FONT=&quot]What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?

*I backup files onto RAID mirrored external hard drives. (file server is for works in progress, not archival storage) Before deleting them from the edit machine they are backed up on DVD and CD. I feel CD's are less likely to fail than DVD's. But DVD is a handier format. This gives me 4 copies of all archive files. Another copy will linger in the server, but as already stated, it's not intended for long term storage.*

Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.

*You are very welcome.* 
[/FONT]


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## jstuedle (Jun 24, 2007)

Sorry, didn't notice I was Soooo late to this party.


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## ksmattfish (Jun 24, 2007)

For Black & White / Color darkroom (traditional):

&#8211;Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure?

Converted a bedroom (that had a sink weirdly enough) into a darkroom.

&#8211;What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is?

I used the lightproof bags that photo paper comes in for photo labs.  I just asked the local labs to save them for me, and then taped them together with gaffers tape to cover windows and line the door.

&#8211;Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?

It depends.  I find a changing bag handy for loading sheet film when I'm away from home.

&#8211;Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?

I built my own.  Proper washing of film is vital, but there are many ways to go about it that are probably better than many official film washers.

&#8211;How do you store your chemicals?

Jugs.

&#8211;Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?

I don't use one.

&#8211;What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?

Enlarger lenses.

&#8211;What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?

I keep dedicated darkroom vacuums, both full size and smaller.  these are only used in my darkroom.

&#8211;Do you also have a digital &#8220;darkroom&#8221;? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?

I keep my computers in my office, so that's where my "digital darkroom" is.  In general I don't think I'd want a computer in my darkroom.  They have lots of ways of making stray light, and I wouldn't want chems near it.

Digital Darkroom:

&#8211;PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?

PC.  More options, and cheaper for the same power.  

&#8211;What is the best imaging software in your opinion?

Adobe Photoshop.

&#8211;What type of monitor do you feel is best?

CRT.

&#8211;What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?

Epson.

-What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?

Hard drives, DVDs, and prints.


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## Chronicle (Jun 29, 2007)

Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure? 
I would always use a basement bathroom.  

What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is?
I used red tape from work to seal off any leaks, I also had large rolls of red plastic from high school to use on large leaks.

Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?
Definately, it is a must.

Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?
I never had one, I think it is uneeded.

How do you store your chemicals?
I stored them on a shelf in a basment closet, right next to the bathroom I used as a darkroom.

Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?
no.

What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?
Enlarger.

What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?
Put pantyhose over any vents, and store all equipment in plastic garage bags, always new as the new bags are a magnet for dust.

Do you also have a digital darkroom? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?
I no longer have a chemical darkroom and have gone digital.

Digital Darkroom:

PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?
Mac because I graduated high school in 1984 and macs were used by all the graphics people in publishing.  The first time I used photoshop on a mac I understood all the filters, they all are derived from a darkroom.  I just fell in love with them, ever since my first one.

What is the best imaging software in your opinion?
Photoshop

What type of monitor do you feel is best?
I like the 30" hd cinema display that apple makes.

What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?
The name Epson.  Epson images last longer, I have stuff I have printed over ten years ago and it has not faded.

What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?
I save them to my computer and back them up to dvd and my older computers.  I had used albums for my best negatives, manilla folders for the large negs and brown paper bags for the rest but the garbage bag all this stuff was in was lost.  

Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.


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## akyiia (Aug 8, 2011)

*Hey, I do realise it is too late..but I still could not resist; I just love talking about my darkroom..)
For Black & White / Color darkroom (traditional):*

Did you convert a room into a dark room (if so, which room?) or did you build a new structure? 
*I share a house with other students and therefore I built a darkroom in my room. I have my enlarger in the corner far from window; I use long board for my trays. This board is usually up against the wall, only when I develop I do use two chairs and I place the board on them.*

What do you use to keep it dark? And how effective do you feel your set up is?
*I bought black piece of fabric from silverprint which is fairly thick, but i still have part of my window sealed by cardboard. My door is fine, but i still seal the corners by black tape. The whole set up is quite good and does not take long unlike in my previous flat in Prague in which I had to set everything up and clean it after I finished my session. Sometimes it took longer time than the actual development.*

Would you recommend investing in a changing bag, even if your darkroom were perfectly dark?
*I purchased one myself as my darkroom is not completely light proof; if it was I would probably not recomend it as they are quite expensive. So unless you can rely on your darkrrom and you don't need to work in field (large format cameras) then I don't think there is need to buy one. *

Do you have a film washer? Is this really optional equipment?
*It depends on where you live. I have access to running water so all I use is a piece of silon as a filter. My third home is in Thailand and there is limited amount of running water (quality water) in such case it is necessity. Otherwise if I had one fully functional darkroom I would like to have one (though I think it is luxury)
*
How do you store your chemicals?
*I have expandable bottles which I keep under my desk; I know it is probably the ideal way but my space is very limited. New chemicals (undiluted) I store in my fridge.
*
Would a paper safe really be more convenient, therefore worth the investment?
* I don't think so.*

What one piece of equipment is worth getting the best on the market?
*Enlarger I think; many people sell out their darkrooms and I remember that enlargers vere very expensive pieces of equipment.*

What do you do to keep your darkroom as dust-free as possible?
*Nothing, just vacuum my room and use the rubber baloon to keep dust of my negs.*

Do you also have a digital darkroom? If so, would you advice against putting it in the same room as your traditional darkroom?
*I do have digital darkroom; the only problem may be the humidity and temperature. And making sure that if you work in paper darkroom, you wont leave your comp on so the light won't mess up your work.*

*Digital Darkroom:*

PC or Mac? Why did you pick that computer?
*I use PC at home, MAC at school. I've always been using pc's and mainly for the cost of the machine.*

What is the best imaging software in your opinion?
*I use mainly Photoshop; I am used to it. No other reasons.*

What type of monitor do you feel is best. 
*No prefence, as long as it is big enough, flat and provides quality image.*

What should someone look for when deciding on a printer?
*Resolution, ink quality and price of ink. Usually the best ones have the most expensive inks. I prefer Epson - though sometimes I think I would rether feed them with my own blood that pay for the ink.
*
What do you use to store your photos, or do you save them to your computer?
*I am quite messy person when it comes to my digital darkroom; although my previous experience taught me a lesson. Now I usually have three copies - PC, external HDD and one more back up on DVD.*

Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it. 
*You are most welcome.*


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## Overread (Aug 8, 2011)

Thread locked

akyii - welcome to TPF  however please keep an eye on the age of threads before you reply, top left of every post is a post date and its oft good to check this (esp when using search and going through older threads) to make sure you're not replying to a very old thread which has lost relevance.


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