![]() The enlarger is an Omega D2, capable of enlarging 35mm through 4x5-inch negatives. The room also served as an office, hence the desk and light box at left. The sink had hot and cold running water and a temperature control unit, plus it could hold four 11x14-inch trays. You are unlikely to encounter these in a school darkroom.One of the author’s early darkrooms, using the plywood sink design. In the past, chemicals of considerable toxicity were used in photography, for example amidol print developer, caustic soda high-contrast film developer, potassium cyanide fixer, mercury sensitiser and intensifier, etc. Keeping food out of the dark room is not only a good idea but absolutely essential. Colour chemicals are more toxic and greater care should be taken with these. It is always advisable to have good forced ventilation in a dark room, since breathing in chemical fumes without adequate ventilation may lead to chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane and rhinitis. If you are doing any quantity of printing, it is well worth using a vertical slot-type processor, which provides secure print handling while minimising skin contact. ![]() The use of print tongs can also be valuable, but it is difficult with these to pick up large prints. It is good practice nowadays whenever carrying out manual work with aggressive substances to wear latex gloves, which allow the hands to be washed and dried as often as desired without skin damage. Ingestion of black-and-white chemicals should be avoided but is likely at worst to lead to vomiting rather than poisoning. Almost certainly your print developer will be a phenidone hydroquinone formula, which is safer than the older metol hydroquinone type, which can lead a small percentage of users to develop hypersensitivity and persistent skin rashes due to so-called “metol poisoning”. Occasional contact with conventional black-and-white chemicals followed by thorough washing of hands is unlikely to do harm. ![]() Selenium toner, and mercury intensifier you should be more careful with. There are some chemicals used in special cases that are more poisonous. Wearing glove is rare in photography, but some people do it. Ĭolor chemicals are harder on skin, so try harder to keep those off. As noted above, some might be sensitizers, which will make some people sensitive to them with repeated use. The exact chemistry of the commercial developers usually isn't listed, but the common ones won't hurt you if you wipe them off within about 10 seconds. ![]() Some seconds won't hurt, but try not to leave it on too long. Mostly I don't have much problem with printing, but film tanks always leak just a little bit, and some gets on your hands. Try to wash with water before you touch film or paper, though, and wash well at the end of the session. I always keep a towel nearby, which is good enough. įor all the black and white chemicals, you should try to keep them off your hands, but they won't hurt if you get them on and wipe them off fairly soon. There is a system some use for print developing where you rub a spot with your fingers to warm it up, and speed up the development of that spot. It is a routine, like wearing clogs or my watch.Needless to say my kids are forbidden to enter alone in the darkroom, and all chemicals are kept out of their reach. Right now I`m more than forty years making a life in my lab with chemicals, and I`d not use them with latex gloves (most times nitrile), even if it is common salt. If you will be working with chemicals consider it seriously, latex or nitrile gloves are quite cheap (aprox. That is, gloves when using fluids, a respirator when using powders, eye protection if there is a splash risk, and ventilation if there are vapors to be inhaled. For hygienic reasons I use to say everyone should ALWAYS wear protection when working with chemicals. Even if they are at very low concentrations, they are non-healthy compounds, and should be used with care. A single exposure is nothing compared to the yellow stained fingers of a whole life working, retired photographer in the sixties. Very likely its not your case, I suspect you are using the cheapest and most common version, which use to be a highly diluted Metol-Hidroquinone version it has been widely used by photographers in all ages, with no problems at all. In the other side, some developers have highly toxic, even poisonous chemicals. Many well known "classic" photographers used to handle the prints wit bare hands, up to the point of having stained fingers. When I was a youth I used to check finger contamination by licking my fingers forty years later I`m obviously alive, but I suspect with some effects.
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