This story is part of the “Theory of Creation: The Ithacan’s 2026 Arts Insert,” which can be found in the April 2 issue. All inserts can be found online here.
Like the most popular A hub of creativity, the Ithaca community is all about celebrating artistic ideas. The local community takes advantage of physical media, which has been prevalent in the art world and is evident in big about vinyl record and movie camera sales.
At Ithaca College, film photography has been part of the curriculum for decades. All IC photography classes were taught in the darkroom before the transition to combining analog and digital photography courses in the 2010s. Although the college does not have a professional photographer, students have the opportunity to take photography classes as part of the Television, Photography, and Digital Media photography concentration or with a minor in Still Photography.
IC offers two optional darkroom courses: Dark and Advanced Photo Darkness. Both can accommodate 15 students. There is one Darkroom class, which can accommodate 15 students, and one Advanced Photo Darkroom class, which can accommodate 12 students.
Young Ivan Cvetanoska carried two sets of darkroom photography and Advanced Cinema Production: An Experimentwhere he did analog film processing. This is a process in which physical film is used to create a sequence of images, resulting in a film. He said the darkroom classes he took included artistic, interesting techniques that pushed him as a photographer and filmmaker.
“It makes you think beyond the photo itself, but rather how you produce it, how you print it, how you place it, how you restore it and change it,” Cvetanoska said. I used to print on fabric, ceramics and wood. … I think digital photography doesn’t allow that very well. It goes beyond your imagination, and really makes you think outside the box. “
The process of creating a photo in the darkroom is different from creating digital photos with the necessary photographic equipment. To follow junior Shelby Riley-Cherubinthe a dark room the group is collaborative and hands-on, creating a sense of community for students.
“We spend a lot of time together in the darkroom working on our film,” Riley-Cherubin said. “I feel like we can all lean on each other because of how long the process takes.”. … It works really well.”
To a dark room of course, students learn techniques that involve analog photography processes. They learn how to expose and work with 35mm black–and–white film, and the process of printing in a dark room. Film photography has evolved because of its good looks and realistic feel. For example, the Academy Award–winner for Best Picture, “One Battle After Another,” it was shot on 35mm film use the VistaVision method. Learning about film photography helps you understand camera functions, such as exposure and shutter speed.
The chemistry behind the darkroom photography process is fascinating to students and encourages them to spend more time on their work in the classroom, according to Riley-Cherubin. He said it is exciting to be involved in a process that brings him back to the roots of photography.
“It’s a different feeling to hold your photos and hold your flaws and you have the power to change the look of it in terms of science and chemistry,” said Riley-Cherubin.
The darkroom and film loading area is located on the first floor Roy H. Park Hallin the photo lab in room 184. In the film installation area, students develop their film using various chemicals. They put their negatives in a developer and get confused in order to see their photos, then in the camera to stop their film from being exposed or affected by light. The students then wash the film and remove the chemicals before leaving it to dry for about an hour, although this can vary depending on the humidity and the location on the drying rack. They then create a contact sheet from their negatives on photo paper and select the negatives they would like to enlarge and print. Students can be found developing their film in the same cans and drying their flaws together. As their photos grow, students tend to spend time together at the movie download site.
When students go into a darkroom, they use a magnifying device to expose their imperfections on photographic paper. Addition is used to make prints, which are produced in the same way as negatives. They then place their photo paper in the developer for two minutes, then in a stopping bath for 30 seconds to bring the paper back to normal PH levels and prevent further development. Next, it is placed in a fixer for four to six minutes before being placed in hypoclear, another type of fixer, for five to six minutes. 10 minutes, and with a final rinse of 20 minutes. The paper is then placed on a squeegee plate to remove excess water. After that, they leave the paper to dry on a drying rack for several hours. Students share space, and because of how long the process can take, they often see each other outside of class to work on their photos.
The cost of taking a darkroom class can be intimidating for students because there are many materials that students need to purchase for the classroom. According to Selected Topics in Photography: Darkness Canvas site, students buy monochromatic film, dark photographic paper, negative 35mm sleeves to preserve their limitations., and buy extras for them like gloves and aprons. Students can rent a 35mm analog camera from PPECS, but some students purchase their own cameras, which increases the cost of taking the course. Movie cameras vary in price, most of them sell for several hundred dollars. Riley-Cherubin he said he spent an additional $300-400 for the course, but this price can vary depending on the equipment required and recommended.
Senior Ava Pennell he said although some people want to be on top artificial intelligence as technology advances, there are photographers who crave physicality in their work.
“A lot of people are very impressed [darkroom] and they have this interest, so for them, the financial investment is important,” said Pennell.
The dSelected archroom topics are not required for photography students, but see are optional courses that students can take to fulfill their requirements. Pennell he said that the experimental part that can be analyzed in a dark room is something that suits his style of photography, and it is something that attracts him to this kind of work.
“In a dark room, [each photo is] “It’s kind of a mystery until you bring it up, and you still don’t know if it’s going to come true,” Pennell said.
Taking photos in the darkroom in Ithaca is more than the IC campus. The Ithaca Darkroom, a new facility dedicated to film photography, opened on February 28 nearby Artist Alley at South Hill Business Campus. The site has tanks that deal with movies, black–and–white printing equipment and 24/7 access to the darkroom. Additionally, there are workshops and classes that people can take to learn more about the process, film processing and analog printing.
The Ithaca community and IC students have access to analog arts and media through this site. A monthly membership, with 24/7 access to the darkroom, costs $75 every month. Moreover, new members must attend a $25 training session. Annual membership costs $810. There are additional prices for renting lockers on site, and photo paper and film are not included.
David Keslick is the founder, owner and manager of Ithaca Darkroom. He said one of his hopes for the site is to help connect more people in Ithaca and get them interested in this type of photography.
Keslick said: “I think the workshops are important, to get people back into filmmaking, printing and teaching people who have never done it before.”
Although the IC course provides an entry point into this field of photography, The Ithaca Darkroom allows students to further their study of this profession. This site also connects people to a wide network of photographers and artists. The Ithaca Darkroom is located at Artist Alleyhome to Clay School of Ithaca, Metal Smithery and other areas of creativity.
The Ithaca Darkroom and darkroom workshops at IC both host spaces for community members and students to create images through the medium of photography. Pennell he said the classes opened his eyes to many of his peers‘ work and you have created an encouraging environment.
Pennell said: “I’m looking at these beautiful pictures that make me happy to be with another team. “That’s right, ‘Wwell, thank God, I can look at their work for a long time.’ … I just love so many of the photos they take. It’s a great privilege for all photography groups, to always see great photos taken by your peers. ”
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