Right, I’m back in my darkroom and I’m excited to try out a new enlarger head! I wrapped up a 35mm roll on my half-frame Olympus in December. I thought it would be a good idea to print some family photos as a test. First off, I want to say that the film was Ilford HP5+ 400, processed in Rodinal. I think I have made a mistake during development. The film didn’t come out as clear as I hoped. I think the fixer can have been the issue. But hey, what can you do? Next time, I’ll definitely test the fixer before using it.
Testing new enlarger head
I gave the enlarger a quick test when it arrived, so I know it’s working. I started with some family photos, dialing the red filter to get some contrast. It was quite easy to use the head. Previously, I had to change the classic gel Ilford filters above the lens. This was somewhat of a hassle. So far, so good, right? I made another mistake and that was not checking the prints on proper white light. I inspected the prints and thought the contrast was good. I also thought the blacks were as they should be. Well, I forgot about the drying down. To cut this short, all the family photos came out gray, lacking contrast.
Then it struck me to make some contact sheets from my negatives. It was a rather good idea, but I’d never actually printed contact sheets before.
I tried three different films and only one contact print has proper contrast. I am still not sure what I am doing wrong. But I am still learning. And will try and try again until I can print stuff the right way.
Do you have any advice for me on how to improve my darkroom game?Please hit me up let me know below.