Workshop Registration

Hand Processing Black and White Film

NOTE: This workshop is in person and require participants to wear a mask in order to attend.

In this introduction to photochemical image-making, hand processing and darkroom practices you will understand how light energy and chemistry work to create images. In the darkroom, you'll expose photograms on short clips of high contrast black & white film stock, rendering them as both negative and reversal (positive) images. We'll then expose longer strips in a 16mm Bolex camera and process them in buckets and a Lomo tank. Various developers and chemical manipulation techniques will be introduced so you'll understand how fun darkroom processing is and how it can render a huge variety of looks to the same shot. To finish, we'll splice together your work and screen it on a 16mm projector.

This workshop includes all film, darkroom chemistry, and supplies for use during the workshop. The Camera Theory workshop is recommended as a prerequisite. This workshop is recommended as a companion to the Organic Film Processing, Extreme Low Budget Analogue Filmmaking and Hand Processing Colour Film workshops.

This workshop is presented by MUBI, the curated streaming service to discover ambitious films from iconic directors to emerging auteurs. Start watching hand-picked cinema for free at mubi.com/lift.


Sun 13 August 2023, 10 am - 6 pm   
(Registration deadline is Fri 11 August 5:00 pm)

Instructor: Sandy McLennan

Sandy McLennan is immersed in the local geography via cameras, sound recorders and a darkroom. A 1981 Sheridan College Media Arts graduate and a veteran Audio-Visual/Computer Technician in schools, he performed with the Canadian Opera Company at age 7, shot 35mm slides in Hong Kong in 1970, tape recorded R.Murray Schafer’s lake opera in 1981, documented a canoe trip on 16mm film, resurrected his photochemical practice and received grants to teach analogue/pinhole photography. He has exhibited motion pictures, photography, installation/performance and sound.



Location: 1137 Dupont Street, Toronto, Ontario M6H 2A3
Category: Creative Practises
Maximum Capacity: 4
8 hours of instruction $150 /member$175 /nonmember