Achieving a Personal Goal

We all should have personal goals to work towards achieving. It's what keeps us moving ahead on whatever we my be working on in life, be it performance goals in the corporate world (I DO NOT MISS THE CORPORATE WORLD ONE BIT) or personal goals. Many of us have goals of losing 10 lbs, or trying to stay organized, or spending more time with family, or taking a trip to some place exotic (REMEMBER TAKING TRIPS). So goals are important to have, and achieving them can be cause for celebration, well my friends - I achieved a goal this week that I've had for a very long time. In fact it's celebrated almost two hands worth of birthdays in trying to get it accomplished - so a very long time! That goal was to have a space that I could use as a printing darkroom. Those who know me and are reading this may think - "Pete - your a film guy you surely have to be kidding that you are just now getting a darkroom?", but you missed an important adjective "Printing" darkroom. Where I can make optically enlarged prints onto paper using light and photographic chemistry vs. photoshop, a computer and printer.

So how did this all come about? Well looking at it now it's hard to believe, but everything I needed has been available to me for years - YEARS - I repeat YEARS!!! What I seemed to be missing was the COURAGE and MOTIVATION to do it. See I had all of the stuff - Enlarger - negative carriers, print trays, tongs, chemistry bottles, PAPER LOTS & LOTS of paper - courtesy of my friend Ernie Ross from a few years ago. However, what I was missing was some self courage to make it happen and that's where my beautiful bride, Molly, enters the picture. I've had this collection of stuff (ok precious equipment - STUFF) sitting in an area of our home for a very long time, YEARS, and much like like Newtons 1st law about an object staying at rest will remain at rest - well that's how all this equipment was AT REST with no outside force acting on it. That it is until my beautiful bride moved her office home and thanks to COVID she's now working from home for the long term - which is a good thing. What that meant is all my stuff that was observing Newtons 1st law was about to meet an unbalanced force - Molly - and would need to be used or have to "find a new home". YIKES!!! It seems that a old vintage 4x5 enlarger just doesn't make for great decor for an employment lawyers office :-), and I knew that this stuff had a good home so it was time to make things happen. Of course I've also been practicing mindfulness since the first of the year, and I could attribute being present and mindful also have played a role into achieving this goal - and I'm sure it did, but getting my stuff OUT OF MOLLY'S WAY was more of a priority!

Attached are some photos of where I started this project, some progress pictures, and finally pictures and prints from the maiden voyage I took this Printing Darkroom on last night! I'm so excited about where this new set of skills I'll be using will be taking me, and more importantly that I can offer my clients truly one of a kind hand printed photographs from my own custom built printing darkroom! Here's to accomplishing long term goals!

Cheers!

Pete

Film Processing Darkroom

The mess I started with and failure to see what could be!

Day 1 progress

While everyone was enjoying the Super Bowl - I was enjoying seeing a dream start to take shape! The enlarger in its new home!

Day 2 progress

Figuring out what I needed for shelving, but also thinking about how I might be able to make large darkroom prints. It occurred that I could go vertical if the need arises to make large prints and I can make 16x20 prints in the future.

Day 3 progress

I contracted a drop down work table, or where my processing trays will be laid out for the wet side of the dark room. Then it easily lifts out of the way when not in use.

Day 4 Progress

Cutting down reflections and keeping the area around the enlarger dark. Foam core and Velcro to the rescue! Also the work bench in it's storage position & drying line for processed film. Prints will dry on a screen rack above the drill that is shown

Final Day Progress

Almost ready to print! Got the power cords run and lit up the enlarger and loaded what will be my first negative to print! Needed to see if I could focus it and confirm timer worked! Check and Check

Print Day is finally here!

Everything is set for the maiden voyage of the new printing darkroom, which also can still process film too!! Everything is set!

Print Session

First prints made in the new printing darkroom sitting in the wash water!

Goal Achieved

My first tangible print made in the new darkroom! No computer needed to make this tangible photograph. It started with silver based film, and was printed on silver based paper! It's beautiful and marks the start of something special for my clients!

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