subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 9 November 2019 27
HOME DARKROOMS
‘WEHADourdarkroomcustom-builttofitthe
footprintwealreadyhad.It’sstandaloneandsituated
oppositeouroffice– a shortwalkfromthehouse,soit’s
easytowalkfromonetotheother.Thespaceis well
insulatedandfittedwithplentyofpowerpoints.It was
madespecificallyforcreatingourplatinumpalladium
prints,butwealsoinstalledtwoenlargersforsilver
printing.TheUVboxwasbuiltspecificallyforthe
darkroom.Intermsofthelayout,it’sprettytraditional- theonlydifferenceis theareaforcoatingthepaper
forplatinum/palladiumandthevariousbrusheswe
use.Weworkinthedarkroomtogether,andthereis
roomfora fewmorepeopleif weeverdecidetoruna
workshopinthere.WealwayslistentoClassicFM– it
neverstopsplaying,evenwhenthedarkroomis notin
use!If wehadtodoit alloveragainwewouldn’tchange
a thing– it’sexactlywhatwesetouttoachieve.’
Trevorand
Faye’stoptips1
Makesureyou
haveaccessto
essentialsupplies:
water,electricityetc.
Createa spacethat
willnotonlymeet
yourexpectations,
butalsoserveyour
ongoingneeds.2
If youinstalla
sinkmakesure
thatit’slargeenough- there’snopoint
installinga smaller
sinkthendeciding
laterthatyouwantto
create20x24inprints!
Trevorhasreceived
manyaccolades during
hiscareerincluding
Fellowshipsof three
majorphotographic
bodies.In 2014he was
madea Fellowof the
RoyalPhotographic
Society.Fayeis a well-
respectedphotographer
andstylistand, together
withTrevor,has won
countlessawards for
portraiture,classical
nudes,wedding and
avant-gardework. Visit
http://www.yerburygallery.
com.Matt Walkley has spent
the past five years
learning photography,
and admits that he will
probably spend the next
50 perfecting his skills!
‘Ansel Adams was my
biggest inspiration in the
beginning,’ he reveals.
‘His images spoke to
me and sparked my
desire to produce prints.
I shoot a mixture of
film formats as well
as digital.’ Visit http://www.
shootprocessrepeat.
com or follow him on
Instagram @shoot_
process_repeat and
@mattwalkleystreet.
Matt’s top tips
1
I use a microwave to dry test
prints! Prints can look beautiful
when they are wet in a tray, but once
they dry down they can look dull and
lifeless. By drying a test print I get a
better idea of how the finished print
will look, which allows me to make
adjustments, saving time and money.2
If you’re setting up your own
darkroom try to keep things
as simple as possible and do your
research. Speak to people who
already use a darkroom – they tend
to be passionate about their space
and will offer advice freely. eBay is
a good source of cheap equipment,
but prices are rising steadily. Process
Supplies in London has a great range
of darkroom equipment. (Turn to
page 38 for more advice on kitting
out your room on a budget.)3
Print on RC (Resin Coated) paper
first, and start small. Everyone
wants to make big, beautiful
fibre-based prints, but the cost
increases the bigger you go, and it
can be easier to make a mistake
when you’re handling bigger prints.
Get comfortable with using different
techniques, such as split-grade
printing, and ensure you are happy
with the results before moving on to
the expensive stuff.4
Never stop researching or trying
to expand your knowledge.Trevor and Faye Yerbury
Trevor recently
made this platinum/
palladium print in
his darkroom on
Arches Platine paperOne side of Matt’s
darkroom is used for
tray processing, while
the other is home to
a computer, printer,
enlarger and paperTrevor and Faye’s
darkroom was set
up specifically for
creating platinum
palladium prints© TREVOR YERBURY
© TREVOR YERBURY
© MATT WALKLEY