New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-15
THE YORK OF AMATEUR PHOTOGR4PHERS
SOME HINTS on THE DARK ROOM AND THE
HANDLING OF DEVELOPERS.

SOME HINTS on THE DARK ROOM AND THE
HANDLING OF DEVELOPERS.
What has been termed by some writer's on photo
graphic subjects the "mystery' OF the Dark room
should be- termed the misery" ~ the ROOM IL IL Is
intended 70 appIv TO the experience which so many
amateurs have passed through. That this Is so Is
duo In large measure to the mass OF writing on the
subject which, instead Of placing few simple fac's
I'm the way Of The worker, only increases The tronpie
by leading him into n tangle OF explanations WHICH
explain nothing. and attempting TO point OUT roS'i
road whore exists. When scicnt'hc "ri'er'
some time ago. made the statement that no ma.'er
how short the exposure given. the plate received
full impress Of the subject, and that II the develop
ment was properly handled all the details wohh ap'
pcar-,hcv were there whether they came out or NOT
he ding pitfa into which many an amateur Has
tumlcd 10 his sorrow. Facts ana the pho'osr"p"''
who Is full Of free Information are both stubborn
things and the yro who Is working 10 achieVo succe''
Is much safer and much more likely to accomplish
what he desires by working faithfully within certain
well-dcnn.d lines than he Is by listening 10 anu lo'
lowing the counsel OF those who assert 'h'ir pericc
lion In the art md declare they "know II all"
or one thing the amateur may be sure. There can
10. no more. brought ont OF plate than is on the
plate, and while with more experience thah ar
other nav obtain more from an undrreXposed pa'e'
the hopeful amateur must learn THIS fact-'hat ue-
velopmnn is a simple easily controlled process when
rxppure is made, ali the mixing of developers all
um@ 1t vii, NOT dve ;he perfect result
tll plate makers send out In their boxes eAphct
@ Sscd 'q aS as DOWN DC ~ hard u fast
,lc attempt made TO tell the amateur p wnS
involved 10 doing It. II IS not the intention 10 give
here any set tormu las; there are more 'haM enough
already I'm print bewder the searcher ior success
but there are few points which cannot be repea,ro
too Often and careful study OF them VIII SET W.,
,matrur on the path which leads 10 regularly good
Tlp linn The
The loss number Of bottles to BE- handled me less
chance of error and disappointment. concentrates
powerful that drops must be counted bromues are
necessary and erre are few 9as'S o wers dsy.opT
aEsn up Keep at It. mn IT !; c m"StsTsd Lfrs
multitude Of developers leads to failure. A one-soin
ton developer as rule Is more difficult to handle e
than twosolution. and beware OF the n!uld wl o,
/, guaranteed 10 produce perfect negative on any
brand Of plate and under any length Of exposure
are nv yc T day produc"F ju,i as good as i 70, be
suits than Of the late-t trumphs OF chemical
Science. and while par'amdorheol Is NOR" poweri
handled and understood simplicity ana dlrecthesS
'nrcr way l." turn ont good negatives than to have
TAX. platn which received an instantaneous expos
and Of IA well-lighted SUBJECTIVE subject iuii OF
detail he plate rapid NE snap gye az n ,re a n,
potash. The potash brings out he detail and the
pyro gives density BY giving the plate lyr minnei
,@ried, The amount OF pyro to b. n,e, should be
In GRADUATE" and The potash shonid De- pI',ed ron fm
Then u gradual supply Of the diluted pyro To The
plat" VIII Civ" full control OF th% d",iopm",, c lUp
Dee stopped and II the negative Is thin II can be III
creased may be necessary To let the pate STAY
ne density and siyng ul IT, longer Tine and
n w 0 IIr pa :" and remoy IL when de-
vclopm'n has gone far enough han TO ,, make tue
d.,.1a mad I(v
bromidrs for restraining Is rendered unnecessary.
The object In supplying tn" pyro @d, no d n.y.
vcloper Of normal strength for the first plate. and
save the trouble OF Increasing or reducing htrwapG
The detail IS provided for and the density can be
The nNnc process should be as carefully looked
after as The developing. Do not b. IN a hurry TO
all disappeared. \ stay Of five minutes or ten min
qlcs VIII help r" h"N woIdSy Il Twin times aRS nr"
~ soda chrome alum and sulphurlc acid are cheap.
and II i poor economy to keep Il solution after II
change the water every ten minutes. IL running
TP y . tread and must @Sw gently sr or wds H m v p
OF absorbent cotton should be lightly passed over the
h"yc adhered TO the MIN whlc Washing and II may
then be placed I'm rack 70 dry.
The use of ruby shi in the ARK r room Is hnrfu
ly using double thickness Of "poSoffce paper"
fastened over tn" face Of Lantern in e place h OF the
white light Is shown. There should BE- little neccs
sty ruby light I'm the dark room except for oc
caSlonallv looking mt the plate. Tn" developer can
be mixed and trays arranged by whit" light. and
everything prepared before the dcOr Is shut.
properly arranged dark room-whcthcr II Is closet.
bathroom kitchcn-Should hay" everything In lis
proper place az all times, no tray should be left
s-ll"d: the developing tray should never have hypo
placed in II the lantern graduates. bottles etc. should
always he clean. and tho amateur should De able 10
go into the I'm the dark and find anything he
wants without trouble. simplicity. cleanliness.
patience ard care will save many plates which would
otherwise De lost. and II plate is spoiled do not
keep II: II Is mistaken idea that the presence Of
failures IS incentive Ia greater watchulneSS. for In
most eases II only causes nervousness and anxiety
which will lead to OVERRIDING that which was left
undOne, and still more Irritating failure.