Beginning Black & White Photography and Darkroom Processes

Class Description

This class will be taught in three sessions and will introduce students, ages 15 and older, to the B&W Photography and the Silver-Gelatin process used in shooting, developing and printing from black and white film. Session One: The first session will involve a brief discussion of basic exposure principles, history, and classroom overview of the process of developing negatives and making B&W prints from them. After this introduction, students will introduced to the darkroom and a demonstration of loading film onto developing reels. Students will leave the first session with two rolls of B&W film to shoot before the next class. In addition, students will leave the Center with a film processing reel and exposed film to practice loading filmin the dark. Session Two: The second session will familiarize students with setting up chemical baths to temperature, loading their exposed film onto reels and developing, washing, drying and archiving their film in protective sleeves. Session Three: The third session will familiarize students with the process of printing in the darkroom, first contact sheets and finally a print or series of prints to take home. We will cover the basics of dodging and burning to the degree that there is time and interest.

Topics that will be discussed and demonstrated:

Students will experience the fascination of photographing in film, processing and printing their images in the darkroom.
Students will learn how to use a film camera.
Students will learn how to process film.
Students will learn how to print in the darkroom.

Class Requirements

No previous knowledge or experience is necessary for this class. This an introduction and all are welcome.

Students should have at minimum, a 35mm SLR capable to be set in “manual mode”. If you have any questions about the camera you have or need to have for the class, feel free to contact the Center by email or phone. The Mpls Photo Center has film cameras to rent for $25/ per three day class.

A Lab Fee of $35 is included in the class tuition and includes, two rolls of Kodak Tri-X 35mm film, film sleeves, all chemicals and five sheets of 8x10 photographic paper

Class Schedule

Date	Start Time	End Time	Location
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010	7:00 PM	9:00 PM	Center Darkrooms
Saturday, November 6th, 2010	9:00 AM	12:00 PM	Center Darkrooms
Sunday, November 7th, 2010	9:00 AM	12:00 PM	Center Darkrooms

About the Instructor

Aaron Fenster: Aaron Fenster is a self-taught photographer living and working in Minneapolis. He graduated from UW-Madison in 2005 and since then has focused countless hours on his photographic pursuits. Having learned the principles of photography using digital cameras, Aaron has spent the past year exploring the beautiful world of film and the darkroom. The Minneapolis Photo Center has been a photographic home to Aaron for the past two years