Where can a person learn darkroom printing?

[Shelley-Ann]

I've been developing my own negatives for some time now, but I would really like to learn how to print my own pictures. I do have an enlarger, but honestly I don't feel comfortable using it on my own. Does anyone if classes are offered in Darkroom printing anywhere in the GTA?

Thanks.

[Pinholemaster]

Henry Horenstein's book is what my students use to learn basic darkroom. http://www.amazon.com/Black-White-Ph...9996216&sr=1-1

I recommend you get it.

Also look into local community colleges or community darkrooms that teach printing.

http://photo.net/black-and-white-pho...g-forum/00M0Gm

http://www.darkroomsource.net/rentals.shtml#stateCANON

[jamesgignac]

I heard of one highschool in Toronto that does allow adult students. You can specialize strictly in photography. The classes are free - you just pay for the materials you use...I'm off to see if I can find out what that darned school is called.

brb

..........

Central Technical School
http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/centraltech/

It was recommended to me by a 50+ yr old photography enthusiast I met at this year's Toronto Camera Show. He was a student...apparently they have great facilities, he nearly talked me into going...but that would be a heck of a commute

[PVia]

Check out Bob Carnie's Elevator shop in Toronto...they have workshops quite often.

In fact, Bob hangs out here.

http://www.elevatordigital.ca/

[Shelley-Ann]

Thanks, everyone.. I'll take a look at the options available.

[Mike Wilde]

Look into Toronto Image Works. I think they still have a wet darkroom option, but not sure about the tutorial options. The other option is to network a bit with people in the area. I sporadically attend the Brampton Photography Group meetings. The leader of that group has a whole basement set up for printing traditionally. While the focus of most of members is digital, I do not find that they bash my film based work or gear. The focus of the group is producing images, and getting better at doing so; the thechnology of the final print is immaterial, alothough it is cheaper for some to get comments on an image in progress on a laptop, but then they are doomed to hours of fiddling in Photoshop trying to tweak the final result to daeth.

I am in the south end of Mississauga, near QEW and Erin Mills, and I would be very happy to have you come down with your negatives to print in my darkroom, or at a second enlarger station I have set up in our blacked out laundry room. I would let you do your own thing, and be available as a resource to answer questions as you want to ask them. This arrangement could go on a for a few sessions, if we don't end up annoyed with each other right in the first session, until you feel you are ready to do your own thing.

PM me if you are interested. I will need to coordinate my schedule with what my kids are up to, or what my wife has on the go on any given evening or weekend. If you are around next week, I am planning a big darkroom session while I am on holidays, and could readily incorporate your efforts into the days.

Mike.

[Jan Normandale]

West Camera on Queen W @ Portland has a darkroom, I'm not sure if they provide classes. I'd check there and also ask if they know of classes if their answer is "no"

[Jeff L]

This goes back years when I worked at a Brampton camera store, but there was a club called the Brampton Print Group. I have no idea if they're still around. Darkroom is what they did,if I remember correctly.

[John W]

Having lived near Toronto for a time, my curiosity was piqued. A bit of digging around online indicates that there are some film and wet darkroom classes offered through the Toronto School of Art. It looks like these are held at the Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, which has its own set of workshops, including black and white film work, and offers darkroom facilities rental.

It also appears that Ryerson University has a Photography track in its Imaging Arts program, and it seems that traditional work is involved..?? but I'm unsure as the information provided is quite vague.

I hope some of that is helpful. Good luck!

[mooseontheloose]

When I wanted to learn how to print I ended up taking the continuing ed courses at Ryerson in photography. Twice a week, evenings...it was good. And I have to say, that although I learned a lot, it was not what I was expecting since the instructor had gone digital the semester I joined and was more interested in playing with his new toy than teaching us anything. Basically it was a lot of darkroom work and very little instruction or guidance. For those of us a little ahead of the game, that was quite good, but the beginners were really lost. But he was just one instructor, my impression was that the others were quite different in their approach.

I'd be sure to find out if the classes are strictly analog though. Although I was technically in a black and white (and later colour and advanced black and white) course, a lot of the students were allowed to shoot digitally and hand in inkjet prints, which sort of ran counter to the whole reason behind the course. That was a couple of years ago though, maybe things have sorted themselves out by now.