10 articles

Notes from the darkroom

Practical writing about film, chemistry, printing and the habits that make a process repeatable. No gear reviews, no sponsored content.

Featured Beginner 4 March 2026 9 min read

How to Start Film Photography: A Beginner's Guide

The four decisions that actually matter when you start — camera, format, emulsion and how you will get it developed — and the seven that do not.

Mira Halvorsen · Darkroom technician Read the guide

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Darkroom 18 February 2026 8 min read

Loading Film into a Developing Tank

The single most common failure in home development, why it happens, and the practice routine that makes it impossible.

Mira Halvorsen

Chemistry 6 February 2026 11 min read

Understanding Film Developer: D-76, Rodinal and XTOL

Three developers that between them cover almost everything. What each one does to grain, speed and tonality, and how to choose.

Ada Kowalski

Chemistry 22 January 2026 10 min read

Stop Bath, Fixer and Washing: The Complete Process

The three steps after development that decide whether your negatives survive. Times, temperatures, and the one test that proves your fixer still works.

Ada Kowalski

Darkroom 8 January 2026 12 min read

How to Set Up a Home Darkroom

A darkroom is a lighting problem, a ventilation problem and a plumbing problem — in that order. How to solve all three in a small space.

Jonas Devereux

Printing 12 December 2025 11 min read

Enlarging Basics: Focus, Aperture and Exposure

How to make a print from a negative in six repeatable steps, and why f-stop printing beats counting seconds.

Jonas Devereux

Beginner 28 November 2025 13 min read

The Zone System Explained for Film Photographers

Eleven zones, one grey card and a way of thinking about exposure that makes every frame predictable.

Jonas Devereux

Chemistry 10 November 2025 9 min read

Push and Pull Processing: When and How

Pushing is not a way of making film faster. It is a way of making the most of a negative you underexposed on purpose.

Ada Kowalski

Safety 30 October 2025 10 min read

Darkroom Safety: Chemicals, Ventilation and PPE

The hazards in a darkroom are real, manageable and mostly ignored. What to protect against, and how.

Ada Kowalski

Printing 12 October 2025 11 min read

Archiving Negatives and Prints for the Long Term

A negative is not permanent by default. What actually destroys photographic material, and the storage system that prevents it.

Ravi Tan

Notes from the darkroom

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