Definition

Noun: A room that is completely dark or lit only by a specific, safe light, used for developing photographic film and printing photographs.

Usage

A darkroom is a controlled environment where light-sensitive materials, such as photographic film and photographic paper, are handled and processed. The room must be sealed against all external light to prevent the unintended exposure and ruination of these materials. Special safelights, which emit light in a color spectrum to which the materials are not sensitive, are often used to provide limited visibility for the person working.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The photographer spent hours in the darkroom developing her black-and-white film.
  • Before digital cameras, every serious photographer needed access to a darkroom.
  • The school's art department has a fully equipped darkroom for students to use.

Advanced Usage

• "To work in the darkroom": To be engaged in the process of developing photographs.
  • He learned to work in the darkroom from his grandfather, a professional photographer.

Variants and Related Words

• Darkroom technician (n): A person whose job is to develop and print photographs in a darkroom.
  • She worked as a darkroom technician for a portrait studio.

Synonyms

• Processing room: A room specifically designed for processing photographic materials.
• Lab (short for photographic laboratory): A broader term that can include a darkroom as part of its facilities.

Noun

1. a room in which photographs are developed