Black and White Darkroom Printing Workshop

If you have been using an analogue camera and are interested in printing photos from black and white negatives, this workshop is just for you. The sessions will take place in our well-equipped b/w darkroom and will introduce students to the fundamentals of black and white printing. Whether you are a beginner or have already have some experience printing in the black and white darkroom, you will be able to work at your own pace and improve your skills. You will build on the printing skills according to your level and produce good quality b/w prints. The course will include topics such as photograms, test strips, contact sheets, printing on multi contrast resin-coated paper using filters (and fibre-based paper for advanced users), as well as dodging and burning techniques. As the course mainly covers printing photographs from already processed film, participants should bring b/w negatives that they can use. In case that you wish to process your black and white film here, you would have the opportunity to do so, but not in the first session.

Class format and activities

This is a hands-on course and will be delivered in our well-equipped B and W darkroom in Chelsea Centre. You will learn actively and will practice the demonstrated skills during the sessions with continuous support by the tutor

Learning Outcomes

01: Produce well-exposed b/w prints
02: Use filters to achieve the desirable contrast in your prints
03: Review test strips and decide on the correct exposure time, and filter to produce good quality prints
04: Review different types of b/w paper for best results
05: Produce good quality b/w prints

Course entry requirements

The course is suitable for beginners, and those who have had experience in B and W printing

What you need to know before you enrol

If you have a passion for B and W Darkroom printing this workshop is just for you as you will develop printing skills at your own pace

What to bring to class

You will need to have your own B and W negatives to use. You will also need B and W paper to print, however you could purchase that in in the darkroom on the first day of the course

What you can do next

You can join the Photography skills for improvers, or the Create a photography project into a photobook course

Timetable

This course takes places on the following dates and times:

Date	Start Time	End Time	Duration
Tuesday, 2 June 2026	6:00 PM	9:00 PM	3 hrs
Tuesday, 9 June 2026	6:00 PM	9:00 PM	3 hrs
Tuesday, 16 June 2026	6:00 PM	9:00 PM	3 hrs
Tuesday, 23 June 2026	6:00 PM	9:00 PM	3 hrs
Tuesday, 30 June 2026	6:00 PM	9:00 PM	3 hrs

Tutor profile

Elspeth Ross

Tutor biography coming soon.