Observation

This question was unpopular among the candidates and most of them were unable to separate the equipment in the dry and wet sections of the darkroom and as such lost significant part of the marks. Candidates were expected to state some of the following:
                (a)
                        (i)     Enlarger;
                        (ii)     Easel;
                        (iii)     Paper storage;
                        (iv)     Light box (not same as light-tight box);
                        (v)     Contact printing frame;
                        (vi)     Scissors;
                        (vii)     Dryer;
                        (viii)     Focusing magnifier;
                        (ix)     Film drying cabinet;
                        (x)      Wall clock;
                        (xi)     Trimmer/paper cutter;

• Safelight;
• Camel hair brush;
• Clips/pegs.

(b)       
(i)         Enlarger

• Used in projecting light on the negative onto a photo paper.
• It is magnifying equipment used for printing photographs of different size.

(ii)        Easel

• It holds printing paper flat on the enlarger’s baseboard for enlargements.
• It has adjustable sides for eropping the image and creating white borders.

 

(iii)       Paper storage

• It is used temporarily to store recently exposed papers.
• It is used to store printing papers.

 

(iv)       Light box

It provides illumination for selection of negatives for printing.

(v)        Contact printing frame

• It allows a photographer make a print of an entire 36/selected rolls of a negative on a single paper.

 

(vi)       Scissors

• It is used in cutting the film tongue before it is inserted into the plastic/stainless steel reel/spiral spool.
• It is used to cut negative unto strips after processing.

(vii)      Dryer

• A machine used in drying the processed prints.
• This is a heated, i.e. flatbed, machine where the new print is given quick drying.

 

(viii)     Focusing Magnifier

• It is used to check the sharpness of the projected image in the enlarger.

 

(ix)       Film drying cabinet

• It is an equipment designed for drying negatives at a controlled temperature.

 

(x)        Wall clock

• It allows time monitoring in the dark room especially when the photographer is not working on the enlarge or processing film.

(xi)       Trimmer

• It is a device used in cutting printing paper into desired sizes.

 

(xii)      Safelight

• It is used to provide safe illumination in the darkroom to enable the photographer observe the print during processing.
• Its low intensity and colour make it suitable for dark room operations as it does not affect light sensitive material negatively.

 

(xiii)     Camel air brush

• It is used in removing dust from dry negatives.

 

(xiv)     Clips/Pegs

• It is used to hang negatives on the drying line or within the film drying cabinet.