Someone recently gave me an enlarger, some plastic developing trays and a few other odds and ends for darkroom work, but I have no idea how to go about setting up a darkroom let alone develop the film myself. I really would like to set one up simply because I think it would be interesting to learn. Does anyone know if there is a website devoted to darkroom procedures or B&W developing or both? Also, I want to shoot some B&W film with using a sepia tone filter. I'm a 19th century living historian and the "period" photos I often take of our camps would look better that way. If I and shooting with B&W film, does that mean it is still processed as B&W? I'm using an OLD 35mm SLR (which I just love) and professional films - Ilford and Agfa. I'll be using Ilford papers unless someone wants to suggest someone else. I'm always open to suggestions! Thanks.

Attached Link: http://www3.telus.net/drkrm/index.html

This looks like a decent site for beginners, and should answer many of your basic questions. *B&W film with using a sepia tone filter* Toning (sepia or any other tone for that matter) with BW films of today are done after the print has been made. Papers vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and really you should try different ones out to see what you like. Some papers are warm, some are cool. For RC I usually use Ilford, but I also like Kodaks Polycontrast III in the lustre finish is really nice IMHO.

Would be nice to have a darkroom. Thanks for the link, may need it in the future.

Thanks for the replies and the link! I am looking forward to setting things up.

One advantage of proper sepia toning is that it is more stable. The black in a B+W print is silver, andd can be slowly affected by chemicals in the air. Sepie toning, and others, replace the silver with something else, often a more durable metal. Colour prints don't have any silver in the final result, they use coloured dyes and will fade. Inkjet printers have similar problems with fading dyes. Don't worry about sepia toning yet, a lot of old photographs are basic silver anyway.