Red through to brown

The piercing pain that is the pressure of a looming deadline is at present compounded by the persistent pitter patter of heavy rain that punishes and enforces me to work indoors when I am desperate to be out taking footage to finish off my film collaboration. Another sixty seconds of blustering angry seas is all that is required.

It is not as if I do not have plenty of other tasks to address.......my thesis for example. Yet I am still managing to avoid the inevitable task of 10,000 words. And why? I am not sure. It's not as if I don't have a question to answer or a structure build upon. And yet today saw me hiding in the darkroom and working on my argyrotype series of prints.

As with everything alternative and darkroom, processes and good results always take twice or thrice as long as you expected. However, the extended time spent in my dimly illuminated darkroom is peaceful, happy and contemplative. Nothing is rushed and results are always analysed before the next image is begun. This is especially important for three reasons:

• the chemistry is expensive
• my timetable for making is short
• methodical practice means results can be replicated

By mid-afternoon I had a number of prints that I was happy with. The rain has stopped too! Time to venture forth..........