Experience with "outdoor lab"

Andreas · 2009-02-07T12:15:39+00:00

Hallo zusammen, ich möchte im Frühling auf einem Zeltlager ganz klassisch fotografieren und vor Ort auch gleich vergrößern (max. 13x18). Das sind natürlich...

Andreas

Hello everyone, I’d like to do some traditional photography at a camping trip this spring and print the photos on the spot (max. 13x18). Of course, the conditions are as bad as they get: Unpredictable temperatures, power limited to the car battery, no proper room, nothing. That might sound a bit daft, but that’s precisely where I see the challenge... After all, I’m not aiming for fine prints – not even reproducible results. It’s fine if everything looks very rough – that’s all part of the experience. A ‘darkroom’ should be feasible using black tent panels. Lighting will probably be by candle(s) and Duka filters. The tent will be lined with tarpaulin at the bottom so that no chemicals can seep into the ground. Film development will be done using an Agfa daylight tank. That’s no problem. The main problem will probably be lighting the enlarger. If necessary, a car battery with a 220V converter will have to be brought along. I’d prefer a completely mains-free solution, though. So either using daylight (with very variable results) or a gas lamp or similar instead of a light bulb. Has anyone ever done something like this before? Do you have any tips? Experiences? Ideas? I’d be grateful for any suggestions! Regards, Andreas

SCKStef

Hello Andreas, My experience of outdoor darkrooms comes from my time in the French Army, where we used to develop films and make prints while buried deep in the snow. To abstract it briefly: - Build a snow shelter. - Go out and take photos of the ‘enemy’ positions. - Heat the snow to around 25 °C using a gas stove. - Dissolve the chemicals in powder form. - Back in the snow hut, the films are developed in a daylight box. - The film is quick-dried in alcohol, and there wasn’t much water to go round... - The paper is exposed using the camera set to B (bulb), with light provided by a torch using a handkerchief as a diffuser. - The prints are then developed in the daylight box as well. As for the results, well, you could at least make something out of them.... So we managed to make prints using just a gas stove and a torch. Best regards, Stähane.

Andreas

Thanks so much for the tips! The idea of using a camera as an enlarger is brilliant. With today’s LED technology, you should get plenty of light... hmmm... Well, I’ll let you know how it goes!

Andreas_23

Thanks so much for the tips! The idea of using the camera as an enlarger is brilliant

Hi Andreas, it was actually available to buy as a manufacturer’s accessory for the Graflex Speed Graphic and Crown Graphic cameras. Have a look here: Graflarger Best regards, Andreas

uworischki

Hi Andreas, if it’s a KB, get hold of an old Aspecta Adjutar enlarger (complete in its case!) and, instead of the opal lamp, fit an LED torch (Zweibrüder, for example – they’re focusable) inside; then place a white plexiglass sheet over the condenser to act as a diffuser – you’ll have to give it a go. You might need to remove the condenser as well. But the conversion shouldn’t be too difficult, especially with KB (areas to be illuminated!). Regards, Uwe

cfb_de

Hi Andreas, if it’s a KB, get hold of an old Aspecta Adjutar enlarger (complete in its case!) and, instead of the opal lamp, fit an LED torch (Zweibrüder, for example – they’re focusable) inside; then place a white plexiglass sheet over the condenser to act as a diffuser – you’ll have to give it a go. The condenser might need to be removed as well. But the conversion shouldn’t be too difficult, especially with KB (areas to be illuminated!). Regards, Uwe

Sounds like a workable idea. I’ve just had a look at my Kindermann ‘Amato Firm’ – it looks quite easy to convert to all sorts of light sources (off the top of my head, I’m thinking of a small 21W car bulb with a pin base or an LED). And since the enlarger needs power anyway, the Duka lighting could also be fitted with LEDs. My experience with “outdoor labs” is limited to my Duka tent from the Bundeswehr (and that’s right on my doorstep), whilst my experience with makeshift solutions comes from the DIY enlarger I built in my youth. The German Armed Forces has (had?) light-tight tents for X-ray development in its field hospitals. Approx. 1m² floor area, truly light-tight, with ventilation and cable grommets. The only downside to these items: the 120kg weight is spread across two packages, one of which is about 2.2m long. The big advantage: sturdy, light-tight, solid base plate (a level floor prevents a lot of the chemical mess) and a table is included as well. These suitcase enlargers pop up every now and then on eBay for next to nothing, because nobody wants them. I would then repaint the lamp housing with aluminium bronze and use a car lamp. The small pin-base lamps (brake lights, indicators) have a filament small enough to serve as a spot light source (my DIY enlarger used them) and are content with just under 2A. You could use it for about ten hours of enlarging and the car would still start afterwards. In principle, you could use almost any enlarger with halogen lighting, but most of them require 8.25A and are unsuitable for the higher vehicle electrical system voltage (cars actually have more than 12V!). This isn’t the case with the filament bulbs designed for cars. I think I’ll convert my Amato. It’s just a matter of swapping the bulb socket. Best regards, Franz