The darkroom sparked my love of photography. The soft glow of a safelight, the magic of a print appearing on paper for the first time. The satisfaction of taking an image from conception to completion with my own hands. I have created a new darkroom space in my Madison basement (aren’t they all in basements?) designed not only to indulge my own photographic interests, but also to teach others the joys of analog photography. This was the birth of the Basement Darkroom Society.
While digital photography has its own unique advantages, I have found over the past decade that it also has lost some of the magic that once was central to my love of photography. The Basement Darkroom Society is my answer—to build a community of photographers who want to move more slowly, to create, by hand, images that inspire us to keep going, that create a more honest and reliable photographic record, that inspire us to appreciate the real world around us.
With photographer extrodinaire Cameron Gille, I will be offering classes, workshops, and one-on-one tutoring for anyone interested in developing their own analog images that will stand the test of time. We hope to grow a thriving community of artists who not only love analog photography but also want to continue to improve their skills in the darkroom and beyond.
Courses, Workshops and Tutoring
Intro to B&W Film Processing
In this one-day course, you will learn the basics of how and why to process your own black and white film. You will take your own film and learn how to load, develop, and dry your film, making it ready for printing or scanning.
Bring one to two exposed rolls of b&w film, preferably Ilford HP5+ or Kodak Tri-X, but others are welcome as well. The one film we cannot process is Ilford XP2, as it is designed to be processed via traditional color processors. The darkroom is equipped to develop 35mm and 120 film, but not sheet film. We will provide the chemicals for development.
Class size is limited to four students, with a minimum enrollment of two.
The dates for this course haven’t been set, so if you are interested in signing up, simply email and let us know. We will contact you as dates are announced
Intro to B&W Darkroom Printing
This one-day course follows our Intro to B&W Film Processing but you are welcome to bring store-developed negatives for printing as well. The darkroom is equipped to print 35mm, 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, and 6x9 B&W negatives.
In this course, you will choose one or several negatives to print on your own RC paper at 8x10 size. We will provide the necessary chemicals for processing your prints. With hands-on instruction, you will learn how to properly expose your film and make adjustments to time and contrast for a well-developed print. The course will also introduce you to dodging and burning of prints as necessary.
Class size is limited to four students, with a minimum enrollment of two.
The dates for this course haven’t been set, so if you are interested in signing up, simply email and let us know. We will contact you as dates are announced
Complete B&W Film and Darkroom Workshop
This 2-day workshop will introduce you to developing and printing black and white film. This course is very hands on; each student will take their own negatives, develop them using developing tanks and print using enlargers.
On day one, you will develop your own film to create negatives for use in printing. On day two, you will select one or several of your own photographs and print them.
You will need to come on day one with one to two rolls of developed black and white film. I strongly recommend using Ilford HP5+, as different films require different developers and development time. We will explain how development works and then you will learn proper techniques for loading, processing, and drying your film.
On day two, you will need to bring Ilford Multigrade RC paper to create contact prints of your negatives and enlargements. You will learn how to properly expose your film and make adjustments to time and contrast for a well-developed print. The course will also introduce you to dodging and burning of prints as necessary.
Class size is limited to four students, with a minimum enrollment of two.
B&W Film Processing & Digital Scanning
Some people love the look of film but don’t necessarily only want to create prints. Others want prints but also want to share their work online. This course walks you through the process of developing your black and white negatives and then teaches you techniques for scanning those negatives and creating digital files that you can either print digitally or share.
The dates for this course haven’t been set, so if you are interested in signing up, simply email and let us know. We will contact you as dates are announced
Intermediate B&W Printing
Once you have become proficient in producing a well-exposed print using standard techniques, then you’re ready for more advanced techniques and processes to create exceptional final photographs.
In this course, you will learn techniques to further advance your skill in the darkroom. Topics include:
Dodge and burn techniques
Split Grade Printing
Use of fiber-based papers
Toning
The dates for this course haven’t been set, so if you are interested in signing up, simply email and let us know. We will contact you as dates are announced
One-on-One Tutoring
Do you have specific questions about black and white photography? Our instructors have a wide variety of expertise in all things darkroom and black and white photography. Whether it is about taking photographs, darkroom work, building your own darkroom, or other photographic interests, we can help!
Feel free to email us with your specific needs and interests, and we’ll let you know if one of us has the required expertise to help you out.