Students Return to Non-Digital Media with CC Darkroom Club

Taking pictures is not new to this generation of CC students; in fact, many of them have grown up being able to snap a picture in an instant. What they may not have had much exposure to is non-digital media. The CC Darkroom Club is working to change that. Twice a week, a handful of students meet in a darkroom inside the Bemis School of Art and learn how to take photos and develop film.

“Craft-based art practices like film keep us in touch with older techniques that can be refreshing in such a fast-paced, technologically advanced world,” says Talia Cardin ’26, who joined Darkroom Club in 2023 and became a co-chair this year. “The darkroom is a liminal space where time slows down, where you can get lost in developing and making prints. It also depends on generational learning and peer-based community learning. This is a rich practice that you can’t just learn online. Craft counterculture in the art world is so important for slowing down and being intentional in your artmaking practice. The photography canon is deeply intermixed with the colonial project, and I appreciate how intentional photography practice can support decolonial counter-narratives and unsettle the hegemonic canon.”

Cardin, who joined the club as a beginner in non-digital media, especially enjoys learning about pinhole photography, double exposures, and sepia toning. They now use the darkroom to work on class and club assignments, as well as personal projects. This year, they are working on sepia toning, which the club plans to teach in upcoming Darkroom Club workshops. They also use double exposure frequently, which is a technique where the same exposure, or area of film, is exposed twice, so the images become overlayed.

“Film photography and non-digital media to me feels more imbued with artistic practice and generational learning,” says Cardin, a Studio Art major and History and Book Studies minor. “I appreciate that this is a medium which there are processes and techniques that must be taught through human connections and networks of learning. There is so much nuance and depth to every stage of the process. To me, film photography holds so much depth of emotion and texture that I do not find in digital media. I am so grateful that CC has the facilities for people to learn this craft, as there are many barriers to participation.”

“I fell in love with the darkroom in high school, and have been almost exclusively shooting, developing, and printing my own film for eight years now,” says co-chair Liv Normandeau ’25, an Arts major who has been part of the club since sophomore year. “Last year I was a co-chair as well, and this year has been a fun challenge leading with increased interest in the club.”

Club members say that utilizing non-digital media is important, specifically for this generation of students.

“We are constantly surrounded by photography online, on our phones,” says Cardin. “I, for one, have thousands of pictures on my phone, but the darkroom is more of an artistic form of photography for me, where I can push myself to try new techniques. Having darkroom prints and negatives feels archival. There is a presence and a weight to all of these old techniques and technologies that I am so glad I can have a part in maintaining.”

Cardin, Normandeau, and co-chair Laila Faruki ’25 run the darkroom during club meetings, and photographers Angela Crews and Richard Rinker serve as staff advisors to the club. Crews and Rinker assist with special sessions and help mentor the students in shooting and developing film and making prints in the darkroom.

“Richard and Angela are our advisors; they are invaluable sources of knowledge and support; they know everything there is to know about this craft and are instrumental in keeping the club running,” Cardin says. “They help us manage the club budget, equipment, and supplies. They also help us with special club sessions when we want to do specific techniques or organize a studio session.”

The club’s co-chairs are also grateful for their partnership with the Bemis School of Art, specifically to Kazzandra Medellin, who works at Bemis and helps the club coordinate their use of the darkroom space and assists with their club budget and other things behind the scenes.

One especially important aspect of the club is how it gives all students, from absolute beginners to experienced photographers, access to a darkroom, which allows them to experience developing film and making prints hands on. This is a unique benefit for CC students as many people outside of campus don’t have this kind of access.

“We are so lucky to have access to a darkroom, film, paper, and cameras, and this is a great opportunity to get into a craft that has significant barriers to participation,” Cardin says.

The club emphasizes that previous experience with film or in a darkroom is not necessary.

“I learned everything about film from the CC Darkroom Club,” Cardin says. “There is a very open and community-based learning atmosphere, and people are always willing to help you and answer questions.”

There are approximately 50 active club members, but sessions are usually five to 10 people, both because of the darkroom capacity and busy schedules.

“Any new club attendees can learn the basics of shooting and developing film, as well as making prints in the darkroom from us three,” the co-chairs say.

The club requires everyone to be trained in how to use the Bemis darkroom for film developing and print making, regardless of experience level, as every darkroom is run differently. Cardin, Faruki, and Normandeau are available to train potential club members during club meetings, as well as answer any questions about the media.

The club meets on Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m., and Thursdays from 2-4:30 p.m. in the Bemis darkroom. All CC students, from absolute beginners to advanced students, are welcome to join the Darkroom Club.

For more information on the Darkroom Club, contact Talia Cardin.