Black and White Darkroom Practice
© Norma C. Smith
This class is designed for anyone who loves black and white silver prints and would like a hands-on workshop in wet darkroom techniques to improve existing skills or to learn a new craft. Limited to 8 participants, the workshop’s goal is to provide students the necessary knowledge and experience to acquire tools leading to a print that expresses that magic feeling visualized at the moment the shutter was clicked. The first class will be dedicated to looking at existing work and discussing what areas could be improved. (If you have never printed previously, don’t worry, simply bring your negatives and a proof sheet or proof prints.) The next four classes will find the student working on their images in the darkroom. During these sessions, the process will be explored as it relates to the student’s needs. Our final meeting will give an opportunity for print critiques and suggestions for further work as well as a question and answer session. Keep the craft alive!
First and last class sessions will be held at Freestyle Photographic Supplies in Hollywood. All other sessions will be held at Emulsion Darkroom (www.emulsiondarkroom.com) in North Hollywood. On Feb 16th, students will be required to pay a $175 lab fee to Emulsion Darkroom for use of the facility.
Norma C. Smith is an artist and an educator and has been working in the field of photography for over 30 years. Platinum/palladium printing has been one of her favorite ways of making prints since learning the technique in 1985. Her treatise on making enlarged negatives for platinum/palladium printing was referenced by Dick Arentz in his book Platinum & Palladium Printing. Her current work concentrates on still life and landscape using both large and small format cameras. An advisory board member for Freestyle Photographic Supplies, Norma currently teaches photography at Art Center College of Design and curates the gallery at the 24th Street Theatre in Los Angeles.
Dates / Times:
Six-week workshop
February 9 — March 15
Saturdays — 11 am-2 pm
WORKSHOP FEE: $415 + $175 darkroom fee
CLASS LOCATION: Hollywood, Freestyle Photographic Supplies
North Hollywood, Emulsions Darkroom
ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 8 students
