Being stuck indoors because of the extreme heatwave and heat stroke I
sketched out this story. Some readers may find it amusing.

Saturday evening, out of boredom I measure the temperature of the air
blowing over ice water from the portable air cooler I brought into the
house from my darkroom. It remained at a steady 38 degrees Celsius
(100F). The third day of the heatwave, fires burn around me, for the
first time in decades the fires put me on edge, I pack a small escape
bag should I need to make a run for the river. My negatives, computer
backup, medication, change of clothes. I keep my wallet in my back
pocket at all times.

It was Wednesday, 12 noon, when the temperature on the enlarger bench in
my darkroom reached 40 degrees Celsius. The ducted air conditioning
inside the house had already broken down. Air conditioners often fail in
this sort of heat. I have four sheets of Efke 25 still to develop in
Rodinal 1+100. The coldest water available is 32 degrees Celsius. I
become so distracted by the need to add ice cubes to an eight litre
bucket of water to bring the temperature down to 24 degrees that I
forget to add the Rodinal and end up with four clear sheets of plastic. 

Luckily I can reshoot and set the monorail up again on the Gitzo Studex
and repairs to the still life I was shooting make it look even better
then the first failed attempt. The temperature in my studio would now be
over 40. I again add ice cubes to a bucket of water and get the
temperature down to 25 degrees which soon rises to 26 degrees. I am
willing to chance this and proceed. The negatives look good but I
suspect this higher temperature lessens some shadow detail normally
expected of Efke 25. In winter I do the opposite when the cold saturates
everything so I know eight litres is enough for six sheets in a HP Combi
daylight tank, including washing the film.

In the afternoon I pack the darkroom up for the coming heat wave when
temperatures could easily exceed 50 degrees C in the sun. I take my
lenses, fibre based paper and film indoors and stash them in a closet
where I keep the rest of my film which will only reach 38 degrees C. I
leave the chemicals on the shelves under the wet bench. I know Dektol,
ID11 and Rodinal can survive this heat, as does stop and rapid fix. I am
curious to see if HC-110 does likewise since this is the first time I
have used it out here. I leave the 10X8 resin coated proofing paper and
a couple of rolls of exposed Pan F Plus on the enlarger bench, since the
heat will do little harm to them. The enlargers will not be bothered by
this heat, both condensers, a Meopta Opemus 4 and Fujimoto 450M-D.

The effects of heat on black and white film and chemicals and even
colour film is often over rated, as I was told when I first started out
as a photojournalist. I do keep a few rolls of colour film in the fridge
but more as a convenient storage space, given the milk had curdled this
morning. After 30 years on and off photographing in the inland what is
new to me is running a darkroom in this climate of extreme saturated
heat and a sort of saturating cold even those from Northern Europe
complain about. Very different to the professional darkrooms I designed
in Sydney, two of which had open light trap doors and could share the
air conditioning installed outside the darkroom.

One thing I can say about my latest darkroom is that it remains dust
free, even with the continuous red dust storms out here. Around two
hundred or so kilometres west from here feral goats have eaten out all
the vegetation and the ground is becoming shifting dunes so the air here
is rarely dust free, except for the occasional decent rain. 

While I had my heart set on a Crown Graphic, this heat wave reminded me
that this is no place for a wooden camera. It is difficult to describe,
but somehow the dry heat and cold can damage a wooden camera beyond
repair. Perhaps a hobbyist may get away with it, I speculate. While I no
longer put anywhere near the sort of demands on cameras I did as a
photojournalist, even as an occasional art photographer I do expect a
lot from the cameras I use. And I don't have the spare cash for a Crown
so must be realistic.  My Mamiya C330f and lenses survive quite happily
out here. With regular servicing so will a Hasselblad 500CM, from what I
am told. For large format, Cambo SC has the reputation for survival and
I use the current incarnation, a Calumet 45N, which seems unworried by
heat and dust. An expensive metal field camera is not worth the stress
and emotional toll it would inflict on me and the Calumet is light
enough for field use should I need 4x5 and movements. Recent plastic
film holders always stored in plastic bags are surviving well enough. As
for myself, that heat can kill more quickly then one would think, so I
stay indoors in front of the hot air cooler.