Frequently Asked Questions.

How does it work?
1. Book an appointment.
2. Show up on time for your appointment. (You may have to wait 5-10 minutes for us to set up for you)
3. Once you get started, your “timer” starts.
4. When finished using all equipment, see an employee to check out. You will be charged the hourly fee for your total working time (any time spent using any of our equipment, including washers and dryers).
5. You can pay with credit or cash.

Booking an appointment

How do I book an appointment?
You can make a reservation directly through our website by clicking "Reserve Now," or click here.

Do I need an appointment?
Yes, please book your appointment online or over the phone as a courtesy to us.

Can I make changes to my appointment?
You can change your appointment up to one hour before your appointment using the confirmation email that was sent to you when you booked.

What if I can't make my appointment?
You can cancel your appointment up to one hour before your appointment time using your booking confirmation email.

Cancellations

Is there a fee for cancelling?
There is no fee for cancelling hourly appointments up to 3 hours before your appointment time. After this, your deposit is non refundable. Please make sure to cancel if you cannot make it as a courtesy to us.

If you have paid for a private lesson and you do not show up, or are more than 1 hour late, you will be charged a penalty of $50. This covers the teachers’ travel time and hourly rate.

Payments

How do I pay for my appointment?
When you're finished using all equipment and facilities, find one of the employees on duty. We'll tally up the amount of time you used and charge you. You can pay with either cash or credit card.

Do you accept credit card?
Yes, we accept all major credit cards.

Guests

Can I invite my friends?
There is a limit of one guest per appointment with no exceptions. If two people are sharing an enlarger or any station, both people will pay the hourly rental fee. We ask that you do not bring guests unless they are also customers with appointments.

Paper/Film for Sale

Do you provide paper?
We may have a small amount of paper for sale on hand, but we recommend that you bring your own paper. Please call ahead for selection.

Do you sell film?
Yes. Please call ahead if you are looking for a specific type.

Film Processing/Film Developing

Can I drop off film to be processed?
Yes, you can drop off film anytime during open business hours:
Monday - Sunday, 12PM - 6PM

How long does film processing take?
We estimate 3-5 business days, though it is dependent on the volume of orders at the time.

How do I get my film after dropping off?
If you have ordered scanned images, we will send them to you via email. You must then come and pick up your physical negatives within 30 days of dropping off, or we will throw them away. Scans must be downloaded within one week before they expire.

Classes/Workshops

I can't seem to sign up for a certain class. What does this mean?
It means the class is fully booked, and you will have to sign up for the next one.

Should I take a group class or a private lesson?
This is entirely up to you. Some people prefer to learn in a group setting, while others learn best on their own. Additionally, if you cannot make a date for our group workshops, our private lessons are much more flexible on timing and scheduling.

How do I select a group class?
Go to our Classes page and scroll down to group classes. Take a look at the calendar and navigate through the months by clicking left/right. You can see when each class is offered and make your selection from there. When you fill out your form to sign up, you will be able to type in exactly which date and time workshop you would like to join.

How do I sign up for a private lesson?
Go to our Classes page and scroll down to private lessons. Select which lesson you are interested in taking. When you click add to cart you will be able to fill out a form that has date selections. You will be able to tell us about your schedule so that we can find you a teacher that best fits your schedule.

How do I know which class to take?
In the bottom right hand corner of our website, on any page, there is a button that says “Need help selecting a class?” This can help you get started. Please see also our the “Terminology/Volcabulary” portion of this FAQ at the bottom of the page to help you starting out.

“Basics/ Intro to Film Camera and Film Processing” - a group workshop for learning how to shoot and use your film camera. you will also learn how to “develop” the film you put into your camera into usable or “printable” negatives (see vocabulary/terminology for more info).
“Basics/Intro to B&W Printing” - a group class for learning how to print photos in a black and white darkroom.
”Basics/Intro to Color Printing” - a group class for learning how to print color photos in a color darkroom. You must already know how to print in a traditional black in white darkroom in order to take this class. There will not be enough time in the course to cover darkroom basics as well as color printing.

“Private Lesson: Intro to Shooting / Camera Basics” - learn how to use your film camera and how to shoot film.
”Private Lesson: Intro to Film Processing” - learn how to take the film out of your camera and develop it into negatives (see our “vocabulary/terminology” section of our FAQ at the bottom of this page for more info).
”Private Lesson: Intro to B&W Darkroom Printing” - learn how to take your negatives into the darkroom and print them onto photographic paper. Take home B&W prints.
”Private Lesson: Intro to Color Darkroom Printing” - learn how to take your color negatives into the darkroom and print them onto photographic color paper. Take home color prints. Must have prior knowledge of B&W darkroom before taking this course. There will not be enough time in the course to cover darkroom basics as well as color printing.

Why is there a prerequisite for Color darkroom courses?
In order to print in a color darkroom, you will need to already know how an enlarger works and basic knowledge of darkrooms and how they work. There is not enough time allotted in our color courses to cover enlarger usage, film handling, darkroom etiquette, on top of color balancing and color printing all in once lesson. This is why we have the classes separated out in this way. You can gain this knowledge by taking any of our intro to B&W classes.

Getting Started/Orientation

Do I need to have an orientation before I arrive?
We will give you a short tour of the facilities the first time you come, and show you all the equipment and where things are. We ask that you have prior experience printing in a darkroom, developing film, or scanning film before you arrive, depending on your booking needs.
If you feel you are not prepared to process film or print in the darkroom by yourself, please book a private lesson through our website. Our employees on hand are not employed to teach any darkroom or film processing techniques during their shift. This is reserved for our darkroom teachers and should be scheduled specifically. If you need help during your appointment, however, we are here to answer any questions.

Parking/Trains

Is there parking near the darkroom?
We do not recommend trying to find parking during the working week, as we are located in a commercial neighborhood and parking is very hard to find. We are located very close to the F, G, and R trains. There is lots of parking in this neighborhood on weekends.

Taking the train:
There are plenty of train lines that service our area, including the F and G trains, via the Smith and 9th Street stop or the 4th Avenue and 9th Street stop. The R train also stops at the 4th Avenue and 9th Street Station. We are located at 119 8th Street, on 8th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue.

Terminology/Volcabulary

What’s the difference between developing and printing?
Developing film is the process of taking a small roll of film (the little metal canister that goes in your camera), and developing it into a sheet of negatives (thin sheets of plastic with inverted images on them. Google “film negatives” for what this looks like). This is generally the first step in the analog process. First you shoot film, then you would have it developed, or you develop it yourself.

Printing is the process of taking negatives (thin sheets of plastic with inverted images on them) and putting them into an enlarger which projects your negative onto photographic paper. You then run this paper through a series of chemicals to see an image appear. You can take this paper home and it will be an image of your choosing. This is the stereotypical scene you might see of a dark room with the red lights. In this room, you’ll see and smell the chemicals and the magic of making a print and taking it home.

What’s the difference between film and negatives?
Film is the product you buy from the store. It’s a small metal container with a thin piece of plastic rolled up inside (otherwise known as film). You take this canister of film and put it into your camera and then shoot the roll.

Negatives are what you get back from the lab after dropping off your film for developing. It looks like a clear sheet with several strip holding pockets to hold each strip of negatives. Google “film negatives” for images of this. The negatives appear inverted, which is why we need to print or scan them in order to truly see what they look like. Most people have us scan their negatives into a jpg form to see digitally, but we high recommend printing them instead, they look way better that way.

What does “film processing” mean?
Film processing and film developing are synonymous. Like any form of processing, you have to run your film through a series of steps to make it usable. In this case, the process is developing the film using chemicals. This takes the small metal canister you put into your camera through a series of chemicals which makes them then viewable either in a scanned “jpg” form, as a sheet of negatives (google “film negatives” to see images of this), or as prints in a darkroom. The negatives you get after “processing” or “developing” your film will be inverted in colors or in blacks and whites. Printing them in the darkroom turns the inverted colors and tones into positive images. This way, your photos are not inverted or backwards and you can view them as normal images.

What are “scans” for film processing?
Generally, if you have film processed with us, you will select whether you would like your film scanned, contact sheets, or just receive the negatives back. Most people opt to have us deliver them their images in the form of jpg, or digital images to view on their computers or phones. In order to get the film onto the computer, we have to scan the physical negatives. The same type of scanning that allows you to scan documents or books to read on your computer. It’s simply the process of taking something physical, sitting in front of me, and delivering it to you electronically, so that you can see it where you are as well.