The Importance of Dark Room Photography

Blake High School is an arts-centered school, giving students the tools and technology to let their creative passion roam free, stemming from the help of teachers who share their passion in each class period. Dark room photography is the perfect example of this. It’s an important class to take because, with new technology, it becomes easier for students to just snap a picture and call it a day. In Darkroom Photography class it requires a good eye, steady hands, and a better understanding of the use of light. 

“No matter how advanced we get with technology, and every image is at the click of a button, that’s what makes darkroom photography special.“

– Ms. Mellisa Matthews, Blake Photography Teacher

Darkroom photography is a traditional method of developing and printing photos using a light-proof room known as the “darkroom”.  In this process, exposed film is chemically developed into negatives, and then negatives are used with an enlarger to project an image onto light-sensitive paper. The paper is then developed through a series of chemical baths, such as a developer, stop bath, and fixer, before being washed and dried to produce a physical print. The process of developing photos can be a very sensitive and repetitive process without understanding. This course is more than just a grade; it’s a form of expression like any other creative arts elective. 

The development of photos in the darkroom is a very careful and tedious process. It requires a skill of measuring the brightness/dimness of light being used, and correct timing on how long the photo’s negatives should be projected. Although the process can be repetitive, trying to get the correct number of seconds for the photos, the feeling of achievement after seeing a well-made photo is indescribable. During an interview with the darkroom photography teacher, Mrs. Matthews, she says, “I think it’s really important that people your age get to experience dark room photography, cause that would be something you would never even know about.”