looking for a job working with film

[carmenloofah]

Hello

I live and work in London and have been studying at London College of Communication as a mature study and career changer. I am only interested in film photography and I would like to find a job as an assistant or in the darkroom/lab. Can anyone give me some advice or pointers on how to find work experience as everywhere I have looked so far expect digital skills. I work Tues to Fri in an office job and I am free on Mondays when my course ends in June to use for work experience, paid or unpaid. I am particulary interested in art and reportgage photography, historical printing techniques and lith printing. I am a glutten for knowledge and a very hard worker. Thanks in advance for any advice or contacts...

[Pinholemaster]

You'll need to ask around studios, and drop in on Museums that have wet darkrooms. There should be a few specialty darkrooms still providing these services. Most large photo services providers are mostly digital now, but there should still be a few who provide film development and printing along with their digital capabilities. Your professors should be the first people you ask for guidance.

[carmenloofah]

thank you, I had not considered the museums

[Mike Crawford]

I would think most museum departments are predominantly digital though I know that the Imperial War Museum, just a short stroll from the LCC, still operates working darkrooms.
http://collections.iwm.org.uk/server...bc36519f8436c5
All the best
Mike

[carmenloofah]

many thanks Mike, that's one museum I would not have thought of!

[Kino]

Don't forget the cine labs in London! Not exactly the same as still photos, but it gives you valuable experience in film to film copying and concepts of maintaining the gamma chain through production; a good experience regardless of where you want to go!

http://www.filmlondon.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=925

One nice thing is, if you work there, you will handle a LOT of film, thousands of feet a day.

If you have a hesitancy about handling film, you'll loose it very quickly.

[bowzart]

I wonder whether skills in the darkroom will be better remunerated now that the commercial world has gone digital.

When I started working in labs in the late 1960's, the money wasn't too bad. I stopped working as a printer in '71, went back to school, and then in '73 came back into the field of necessity. I then found that automation had eliminated many of the better jobs, and because there were so many qualified workers, there was a terrible decline in both the working conditions and the pay.

Again, it seems that work with film and real paper may be a specialty field, and since the herd has moved on, there may be a recovery for those individuals still interested in doing that work.

Anyone else have thoughts of information about this?

[carmenloofah]

yes I agree and I am very keen to learn from the experts remaining....I do think these skills will be very much in demand over the next few years.....I have looked at printing courses and I do not see one for traditional darkroom training with film and would also prefer to learn from the bottom up in the darkroom....

[carmenloofah]

thank you Kino....I can only imagine the level of competition even to work for free...it's oh so difficult to get experience....

[Christopher Walrath]

Welcome to the group, Carmen. I wish you well in your search. Good luck.