How much?!

[Goodyear]

I really want to get into wet printing, but we don't have space for a darkroom at home. However, I have found a place with relatively affordable darkroom hire in town. (Emphasis on relatively.)

But I need someone to teach me.

Their courses are all-in shooting to printing type stuff, when I just want someone to show me how to print. Besides I work shifts anyway, so a week by week course thing isn't much use to me.

So the nice lady said they would probably be able to offer me 1:1 tuition, which sounded perfect until she mentioned cost...

6-12 hours projected, at £30 an hour!

Which I guess isn't that unreasonable for 1:1 tuition, but that's an M2!

Any ideas? I have completely failed to find a darkroom course anywhere else within reach of me. I can't even just go and muddle through and learn that way, as they won't let you in until they think you know what you're doing.

Help!

[wlewisiii]

Given your circumstances, I'd suggest getting a _good_ book (my favorite is the "The Ansel Adams Guide : Basic Techniques of Photography - Book 1 by John P. Schaefer" which is an edit of his three books "Camera", "Negative", and "Print" into a single volume. Others may suggest different ones.) and then just spend the time in that dark room practicing. You'll make mistakes, but it's the only other real option to tutoring.

William

[f/stopblues]

I'd second William on that. The basics of actually producing a pring in the darkroom isn't hard. Mastering it is where the real meat of learning the darkroom lies. Reading a good book or two and getting in there to try your hand would be the best way to go about things given your situation. The perfection of the print will come gradually. Good luck! Beware, it's addictive, fun, and frustrating! Good times :-)

Chris

[Gabriel M.A.]

My twopence: all the basics I know about photography I learned from this book:

"Photography", by Barbara London and John Upton. It is used by some for-credit classes in the U.S., don't know about the U.K. It's not even my book, it's my girlfriend's. You need practice practice practice. You also need a peer to get feedback. It's up to you if it's worth 30 sterling pounds/hour.

[back alley]

even with private tutoring, you will need lots of practice time to get good at printing.

that being said, after a couple of sessions in the darkroom you will be better than most labs in most towns.

get a good book, read like hell and then go in and practice, practice, practice.

joe

[Goodyear]

I am very much a grab-a-book-and-go-for-it kind of guy. That's how I've learned to do most things that I do.

Beleive me, the idea of paying a guy £30/hr to teach me doesn't really light me up.

But the darkroom won't let me in until I'm already experienced. And they do require you to demonstrate this.

Bit of a catch 22, there. I haven't found another darkroom available. And I've been looking hard.

[wlewisiii]

Smells to me like they're subsidizing thier usage by the lessons. I'm presuming this is a private group? If so, look for a vocational school or a student union at a local university. Often they have dark rooms for thier students that can be rented for reasonable rates. Other than that, I'm not sure what to suggest.

William

[dim]

I also started with books.

First I bought "Creative Black & White Photography" (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0715314483/qid=1126886433/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-4461391-7248847?v=glance&s=books) by Les McLean

and then "The Photographer's Master Printing Course: In Association with Amateur Photographer" (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0240804570/qid=1126886409/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-4461391-7248847?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) by Tim Rudman


I prefer Mr. Rudman’s book. Not that Mr. McLean’s is no better, but Rudman’s way of thinking suites me most.

[pshinkaw]

I learned the basics from my father and picked up the finer points from a volunteer job I had as a high school student in a hospital photolab. In the US a lot of community colleges have extension programs (non-degree curriculum) where black and white photo printing can be learned. Usually they are part of the fine arts department. Do you have anything like that in Great Britain?

I think it is not too difficult to actually learn everything from books. There may be some vdeo tapes out there too.

-Paul

[Kin Lau]

So the nice lady said they would probably be able to offer me 1:1 tuition, which sounded perfect until she mentioned cost...

6-12 hours projected, at £30 an hour!


Does that include the darkroom time? If it does, then it's not too bad. Are the chemicals also provided? Sounds like they have good quality equipment capable of handling medium and large format stuff too.

[zpuskas]

To make a great print, start with a great negative.
I would think you could get an enlarger/lens combo relatively cheap nowadays. A few trays and you're all set. Work when you want. See how that works and then if you like printing, spend the money to use their darkroom.

[Goodyear]

Does that include the darkroom time? If it does, then it's not too bad. Are the chemicals also provided? Sounds like they have good quality equipment capable of handling medium and large format stuff too.
The impression I got was that it was all-in.

I didn't mean to suggest that I thought it was overpriced (1:1 tuition itself can be very costly - justifiably so if the tutor knows their stuff). Just slightly more than I had envisaged paying. And at that price, if I decide to take them up on it (actually tempting, going on the theory that it would be a high quality introduction and should set me well on the road to being a competent printer)... well, let's just say it won't be tomorrow :)

I'm torn. It's tempting me. But equally, I'd love to find someone who'd just let me loose in their darkroom for a weekend.

[zuikologist]

Try your local adult education college or photography club - both should have more reasonably priced courses or members willing to teach the basics, although perhaps not 1 -to-1.

[RObert Budding]

Too bad you don't live in Boston. We have a wonderful school here, the New England School of Photography, that offers evening workshops with darkroom access. I took a zone system course there and am now enrolled in "Creative Lighting." Yes, I have spent a good deal of money on classes, but I'm very happy with the results I'm getting. Don't think of it as giving up a nice lens or camera body. Think of it as learning to put your current equipment to more effective use.

Perhaps there is a similar school near your home. It's worth the search!

Robert

[RichardS]

I really want to get into wet printing, but we don't have space for a darkroom at home. Help!

If you're willing to set up everything when you use it and take it down after you're done, you don't need much space. Either the kitchen or a bathroom will do fine, although you'll probably have to work in them when it is dark.

Or if there is another room, you could use that and use the kitchen or bathroom sinks for washing the film and prints.

Dick

[hugivza]

Not sure if it is the same in the UK but I started with a weekly evening course at the local tech - you just provided the film, paper, and any specialist chemicals needed. the scoll provided the darkroom, enlarger and most of the chemicals. The lecturer was a former newspaper tech. It wasn't one on one, but there was a chance to make mistakes which was valuable - as iterated foregoing experience costs money. It might be worth checking out what's available locally.