Well living in the sticks sure gives one time for playing in the darkroom. With very little to distract, all focus is directed in the printing or processing of images. I cannot believe how much time is saved without the interruptions of phone calls and emails. My current routine, as my solar set up is still unreliable, is to drive the 7 minutes to the top of my hill and check my communications via an iPad. This is extremely time efficient!

It has been about 3  months now since I have relocated the darkroom and it is reassuring that the online sales continue to tick over.

I am contacting Foma to order fresh films for Christmas as well as looking into the possibility of manufacturing GRADED printing paper, as their FomaluxSP 111, an AZO type paper,  is no longer being produced due to lack of demand. Surprisingly though I have had a number of enquiries regarding this very special paper stock…

I shall be running lessons in the new year with students having the options to stay overnight in the studio.

It really is pretty special watching the sun set over the valley and waking to the sound of bird call. Although the 5.30am start takes a little getting use too! Anyone interested can contact me in the usual way.

And lastly, for all my Victorian customer, Michaels Camera Store in Melbourne are interested in stocking the FOMA range. I shall keep you’all posted on progress…

So finally after several weeks of cleaning and repairing the machines I have managed to get my hands wet. As usual when I have any sort of absence from the darkroom, I had the fear of “what if I have forgotten what to do!”, but thankfully this was not the case.

I have been working on several exhibition jobs over the last couple of weeks and to have so much space (approx. 55 sqm) has been such a luxury compared to the cramped conditions I had in my previous location. Although the darkroom is still a work in progress I really do feel I am getting there. I still have had a few off grid issues like the solar power, seems I have a faulty battery, so I gotta print while the sun shines. And the little genie I have had for years has finally seen some service.

Between the 19th – 24th of this month I shall be teaching down at Gold Street Studios, so there will be no online sales for a few days. I am looking forward to the drive, it is always so inspiring hanging out with Ellie & Alan.

In some other news… The last exhibition I printed in Alexandria was for Ashleigh Garwood. The prints I made were via the De vere digital machine, a digital to analogue enlarger and the only commercial machine in the country. It really is an excellent piece of kit. For more info please hit this link

The first exhibition off the rack at the new darkroom was for Chris Byrnes. Most of these images were also printed via digital enlarger.  “Circles of Light” is the title of the exhibition by Chris for the award of Master of Fine Art (Photography) at the National Art School Sydney.  Opens 2 November 6-10pm at the National Art School NAS Gallery on the Darlinghurst campus.  Then Runs and is open to the public 3-12 November 11 to 5pm. I made the photo of Chris small as she is a little shy 🙂

Well that is about it from me. I shall leave you all with a photo from the blank studio which I hope to jam pack with photographs and my printing press and UV exposure box. All I need is a little time to play…

The new darkroom is almost complete, just the wiring and install to go. Next to the door will be in the light trap and the digital enlarger and against the window wall will live the 3.5 m and the 3.0 m sinks. I’ll be covering the window externally with red perspex so I can still have a view of the great Australian bush… Getting pretty excited to be printing in the last darkroom I’ll ever need to build.

Cheers, Chris

Well I may be in between darkrooms at the moment, but old friend Tom Williams from the University of Wollongong offered me their darkroom to process a bunch (150+ rolls!) of film for their students. I was a little anxious to be honest as I hadn’t dev a film for 10 days, but it all came back to me… Yesterday’s efforts seen me dev 64 rolls and today I’m looking at 80+ rolls. Thankfully my son who is studying teaching there has the day off lessons and will be helping me out with the cutting and sleeving. It’s going to be a nice day in the dark….

So it is that time of year again when I head to the bush. I’ll be back on-line and in the dark from Monday 18th September.

On-line sales may still be made, but goods can only be posted on Tuesday & Thursday…

There will also be a number of changes happening at Blanco Negro and I’ll be updating these changes as they occur…

Best wishes, Chris Reid

Well it has been a few years since Blanco Negro has increased the cost on the Foma products.

Since some products are now deemed “Dangerous Goods” by the U.N. the increase in shipping has been +200%!!! Not only for the sea transport, but also upon arrival in Australia. So it is with a touch of sadness that costs over most products will increase between 10 – 20% from this Friday 7th July.