A Light at the End of the Darkroom

The news many of you have been waiting for: Safelight Labs is set to open the doors to its community darkroom by end of 2024. Over the past few weeks, owner Rob Cowan’s been hard at work in the space between Safelight’s studio and storefront, building an inclusive space to support analog photographers of any skill level who want to learn how to print their work.

Rob hopes to make professional-grade development processes accessible to people accustomed to jerry-rigged setups in amber-lit closets or bathroom sinks.

This darkroom will feature an industrial-age JG Saltzman enlarger, self-built chemical sinks for color and black and white development, fresh-air ventilation, and much more to be revealed soon.

The team has been itching to reintroduce a community darkroom at Safelight Labs ever since relocating from Cortez Hill to Normal Heights.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more announcements about the community darkroom. A space built by film photographers for film photographers. It doesn’t get much better than that.