Film Developing and Printing Workshop
Details
Film Developing and Printing Workshop
This is a workshop on REAL Film and REAL photo printing.
Where: 581 Mobley Road
Cedar Hill, TX 75104
Google Map: http://goo.gl/maps/iUOuH
Time: 9:00AM - 4:00 PM
Cost: $42.00
Limited to 6 people - This will be held in Davids Darkroom so space is limited to the number of people that can fit in the room.
Over the past few weeks, many people in the group say they use film.
So with that in mind, David Brown has offered to teach a workshop on the subject of developing film and printing.
I am offering a darkroom workshop to provide new film shooters with the basics of developing and printing their own black and white film. With newer photographers, I often hear that film is dead, and/or that it’s too hard to do your own darkroom work. Neither is true. Film is very much alive and black and white darkroom work is accessible, affordable, and very rewarding! Color isn’t impossible either, but that’s another workshop.
There are plenty of other classes and books for DIY. However, this workshop is a one day explanation and demonstration of basic darkroom workflow. Then, if one had enough interest, there are the community college classes, other workshops, and a zillion books. But, nothing beats OJT.
The workshop will be from 9 to 4 on a Saturday with lunch and breaks. The morning will consist of an overview of the processing steps for film, and explanation and demonstration of the minimum tools needed to develop film. Then, a step-by step demonstration by actually processing some sample film. After lunch, we will do basically the same thing for prints. (Lunch would be at any number of local, inexpensive restaurants TBD) Plenty of time for Q&A all along the way!
Outline:
• discuss essential darkroom chemistry and what it does in non-technical language • discuss basic and minimum tools needed for processing film • demonstrate loading reels for roll film and 35mm (and sheet film if there is interest) • demonstrate film processing by actually processing some rolls • demonstrate basic contact printing and enlarging • demonstrate print processing • discuss the equipment needed and not "needed", but nice to have, and costs • discuss setting up a darkroom – both permanent and temporary (the bathroom) • discuss gear and supplies and where to get it – and how much it costs
I will provide the attendees with copious handouts showing the basics of everything, so they’ll have plenty of material to help remember what they saw, plus a list of references for more info.
My darkroom is located behind my house in Cedar Hill, which is in the southwest corner of Dallas County, at Beltline Road and US Hwy 67. The darkroom is 12’ x20’, and so can accommodate 5-6 people comfortably. (It is also heated and air conditioned.)
While we will be able to sit down (I’ll have folding chairs) for some of the time, there will be some standing during the demonstrations. It should also be noted that the darkroom is on the second floor of the building and is not handicap accessible.
The cost will be $42, and limited to 6 participants plus the instructor(s). The cost will cover materials, supplies, handouts and refreshments. (Lunch will be on their own, of course) I may have another experienced photographer to help out. The two of us probably have about 60-70 years of combined experience in the darkroom, so we’ve learned one or two tricks and can answer just about any question.
Who is David Brown?
I have over 40 years of experience in the darkroom, and have done both black and white and color film processing and printing. For a number of years, I was employed by a security company maintaining bank surveillance cameras that used 16mm and 35mm film. Our clients consisted of 95 banks and S&L branches, plus jewelry stores and other high security facilities. In addition to maintaining and constantly testing the hundreds of cameras installed at client locations, I designed the in-house darkroom for the company and processed, printed and archived 10’s of thousands of feet of film.
In my own photography, I have been a wedding and commercial photographer, and most recently participated with 4 other Texas photographers on the Texas Church Project: a collaborative effort documenting historic church buildings using film and darkroom prints. In 2007, we appeared in a segment of the “Texas Country Reporter” TV show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrrDMvDKEgA
Recent exhibitions have included:
University of North Texas 2007
Abilene Camera Club 2008 (with presentation)
Jeanette Kennedy Gallery, Dallas 2009
Texas Tech University School of Architecture 2009 (with lecture presentation)
I am now retired, and photography is just a hobby that I hope to pass on to others.
My website is located at: (tbd)
A blog documenting the construction of the current darkroom can be found at: http://newdr.blogspot.com/