I had a long history of using computers to alleviate the "dog work" of photography. Anyone who's ever spent long evenings in the darkroom not only has lungs full of Dektol fumes, but also can attest to the fact that there's a lot room for automation. And so the same calculator that got me through my Engineering degree also saved me time in the darkroom, free to concentrate on the creative aspects.
Using similar techniques to the camera controller above, I was able to have my calculator turn the enlarger on and off. But it didn't end there!
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| First it turned on the enlarger so I could frame and focus accurately. |
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| Then using a light-sensitive mouse (which I affectionately called a RAT), I took light readings from the brightest, the darkest, and the "18% Greyest" part of the negative. |
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| The calculator would recommend an exposure time and a Polycontrast Filter # based on the three readings. I would pop in the recommended filter and then press a button, and the enlarger would turn on for exactly the right amount of time. |
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| Then the print went into the chemical baths, and the calculator would give distinct audible signals when it was time to move a print from one bath to another. No longer did I have to watch the clock to see when it was time to change! |
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| It also gave a visual count of how many prints were in the fixer and how many were in the wash. |
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| Be proud of your results, which was produced using a minimum number of steps! |
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| The guts! No too complex compared to other inventions. |
