I had a darkroom in my basement when I was in high school.

My dad had some old photographic equipment, and I bought the rest of the stuff at the local photo supply store. I built it myself, so it wasn't perfect, but it had phone service, electricity, ventilation, and kept the light out. :)

I was inspired by Harold Edgerton (see "The Man Who Stopped Time" cover story of Volume13/Number 1, American Heritage of Invention & Technology) - a photographer that took pictures of bullets passing through playing cards, light bulbs breaking, etc.

I build a sound-activated photoflash unit from a design that appeared in "Popular Electronics". I heard it was in a back-issue, so I went to the library and looked through ten years of back issues until I found it! My photos aren't as spectacular as his, but then again, my skill and budget weren't as spectacular either. :)

A photo of a firecracker exploding. This scan is awful and you can't see a thing.

A photo of a balloon bursting. Childhood friend Troy Kelley applying the required pin prick.