How to create a contact sheet in the darkroom

Instructions -

You will need a pair of scissors or a guillotine, a soap dodger which does not let the light through, the lights have to be off and safelight on, 8″x10″ of glass, trim a 8″x10″ piece of photographic paper in to smaller strips, 8" x 10" photographic paper and a normal piece of paper, most importantly your black and white negatives.

1. Make sure the film carrier has nothing in.

2. Place your normal piece of paper on the surface and move the enlarger down till the light completely covers the paper.

3. Change the aperture on the enlarger to f/11.

4. Turn off the enlarger light and place a test strip on top of the ordinary piece of paper, followed by the film negatives (emulsion side facing the paper) and then place your 8″x10″ photographic paper and then your piece of glass on top. Make sure your film negatives line up with the photographic paper.

5.Cover all the negatives with the soap dodger and reveal one of the film negatives so it is visible.

6. Turn on the enlarger and expose it for 3 seconds.

7. Reveal the next negative for 3 seconds, now the first negative has been exposed for 6 seconds.

8. By continuing to revealing and exposing the negatives  if you will have 5 negative frames, you’ll now have one frame exposed for 3 seconds, one for 6, one for 9, one for 12, and one for 15.

9. Develop the test strip as normal.

10. Find the time frame which you think is suitable and

you have the correct exposure time.

Cut your photographic paper in to strips for test strips to save money.

Click here to see how to enlarge a black and white photo; http://aapbtn.blogspot.com/2015/01/how-to-enlarge-black-and-white-photo-in.html
Click here to see Darkroom Health & Safety;
Sources; http://www.guidetofilmphotography.com/black-and-white-photography-contact-sheet.html