mandag 11. september 2017

The Darkroom Cookbook

I've heard words spoken and written about it for years, the Darkroom Cookbook. Written by Stephen G. Anchell, published 1994 it seems. It's more or less full of weird recipies for more or less anything photography related. Developers, fixers, toners and stuff nice to have inside the darkroom. In other words there seems to be some interesting reading in there, as I'm now the owner of an example of this book. There's a few general darkroom chapters in there as well, as far as I can see without starting searching for my glasses and such.
You see my cousin once used to be a quite promising(ish) darkroom scientist, but at some point he just gave it all up. The pixelating age, a bunch of kids, a house and a million things to do... you know the story.
He got rid of most of his equipment, but somehow managed to find a bunch of darkroom paper (Agfa RC) in addition to The Darkroom Cookbook hidden way down in between the layers of things having added up down in his basement over the years.

A half-frame snap from the Olympus PEN. Nothing too interesting, perhaps, but there might be something for the right kind of person. Not sure about the film, but it could be Kentmere 400 or maybe something else. Ilford PAN 400 or something, maybe.

Long story a bit shorter he decided to donate the Cookbook and the paper, and will continue to dig for more interesting stuff down in that basement. I was trying to give him a hand during the searching for the Cookbook, and to be honest I think he'll be better off bringing in a (rather large) team of archeologists to go through that basement.
It's going to take some time. Let's just simply put it that way...

Half-frame snap from sludge delivery and provision carrying in Peterhead harbor last trip at work. I was working with the sludge while a bunch of the rest carried the provision. I snapped them with the Olympus PEN. It's a small and great camera to carry on deck inside a pocket.

There's going to be chemicals needed to get anywhere with the recipes, of course. Luckily the same cousin is very different to most of us, and would (don't ask me how and why) be able to supply whatever you may need in that respect. I might try one or two of the toners or something like that, but don't think I'm going to be making my own developer and such. Maybe...?!
I will read the book though! I'm putting it inside my bag right here and now, as I just got the message I'll be leaving for work tomorrow. That's two days early even though I got home one day late, which means three weeks and a few days at home. Too short a time off, just saying!

One of the piers on The Clyde, Glasgow. Half-frame again.

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