WORKSHOP: Intro to 35mm & Darkroom Printing
Saturday, November 14th, 10am – 5pm, 2026
$260 Non-Members
$235 VCP Members
(Register online below)
Overview
Get your hands in the chemistry and your eyes behind the lens in this full-day crash course in analog black-and-white photography. From loading a 35mm camera to pulling a finished print from the developer tray, you’ll experience the complete darkroom process in a single intensive session — no prior experience required.
What You’ll Cover
- Introduction to 35mm cameras, exposure, and composition
- Group photo walk to shoot your roll of film
- Film development: chemistry, timing, and technique
- Contact sheets: editing and reading your negatives
- Silver gelatin printing: test strips, exposure, contrast control
- Darkroom refinement: dodging, burning, and print evaluation
What You’ll Leave With
Every participant goes home with developed negatives, a contact sheet, and at least one finished silver gelatin print — made entirely by hand.
What’s Included
1 Roll of film and all darkroom materials are provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own 35mm camera; a limited number of loaner cameras may be available upon request.
Who It’s For
Whether you’ve never set foot in a darkroom or you’re dusting off skills you haven’t used in years, this workshop meets you where you are. It’s built for complete beginners and returning practitioners alike. It will serve as a solid foundation for some, a welcome reentry point for others.
About the Instructor
Photo by Grant Gulla
JACKSON PORTER HARDIN is a Hudson Valley artist and educator. He is preoccupied with making sense of humanity as an ecological condition, through images, artist books, installations, and video. His work has been exhibited by Red Barn Gallery, the Society for Photographic Education (SPE), and Humble Arts Foundation. Hardin teaches at SUNY New Paltz, and serves as the Book Press Coordinator and Darkroom Manager at the Center for Photography Woodstock in Kingston, NY.
Find a complete list of upcoming workshops and events at VCP here.