Safelights Complete your Darkroom

Safelights
A room used by photographers to process mainly black and white film without the worry that light will destroy it, is known as darkroom. These darkrooms are closed from every inch of light and can be of any size according to the need of the photographer and his equipments. Any light from outside can spoil the negatives and the image that is why the rooms remain closed while the photographers are in the middle of the film processing. Portable darkrooms are also available in the market. Some photographers make their own portable darkrooms according to their requirements. Every dark room needs to include easels, work tables, film processing tanks, safelights, and sinks whether fixed or portable, for both processing.

Safelights are designed for a photographic darkroom and are light sources with limited spectral composition used to provide illumination in a darkroom. Safelight can also be defined as the room light illumination that will not fog photographic products during the time period required for normal handling and processing. Safelights are required to give just enough light that is needed. The more light that is given the more damage to the quality of your photos are possible. Safelights also need to be located in selected areas of the darkroom as to keep people from running their product line. Safelights are going to be used as long as there are darkrooms. A safelight normally consists of an ordinary light bulb with a colored filter; however it is also possible to buy special bulbs and fluorescent tubes which are coated with a filter on the glass.

Fluorescent safelight offers a shadow free illumination over incandescent, improving the working environment of the darkroom and reducing eye strain. The safelight color is chosen so that its spectral density is lowest. For example, an amber filter is used with blue sensitive film. The amber filter only allow light having wavelengths greater than approximately 550 nm. Safelights should only transmit light, which is outside the color-sensitivity range of the photographic materials. Safelight filters by Kodak provide maximum transmission of those colors that the film emulsion has relatively low sensitivity. The safelight filters have been designed to exactly match the color sensitivity of the photographic products. A safelight is consisting of three basic parts. The lamp house holds the filter, the bulb and the wattage depends upon the sensitivity of a particular material. The filter of the safelight absorbs light of some colors and transmits light of the others. 

The bulb power is dependent on different things such as filter illumination, lamp housing and the distance between the safelight and the film. To use safelights properly the user should place it at least four or five feet away from the exposed film, or follow the manufacturer's guidelines. Use only the specified bulb wattage and size. Bulbs gradually blacken and give out less light. In order to keep the illumination level consistent, you should plan to periodically change the bulbs. Safelight filters eventually fade with use. This means that they transmit more light of the colors that they absorb when they are new. If you are planning to have safelight for your darkroom then it is better to visit the local camera store or the internet. Search from amongst the available make and model and bring home the one that is suitable for you.