Santa Fe Darkroom to Close After 19 Years

The Santa Fe New Mexican
May 14, 2013

Santa Fe darkroom rental firm going out of business

The popularity of digital photography is responsible for the demise of The Darkroom, a Santa Fe business which has rented darkrooms to film photographers for the last 19 years.
 

“It’s a labor of love,” owner Linda Wilson said of darkroom work. “I think there are still going to be people doing this kind of work, but there’s just not the need for it as there used to be. … I’m focusing on my personal work [film photography] now.”
 

Wilson said Diane DiRoberto started The Darkroom in the same spot at Suite O, 901 W. San Mateo Road, in 1994, then sold it to her four years ago. In addition to renting darkrooms, the business offered workshops and exhibitions of photography.
 

A farewell reception and exhibition of recent photography is set from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 18. That will be followed with a darkroom liquidation sale, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 25 and 26.
 

The Darkroom is unrelated to Camera and Darkroom at 1005 S. St. Francis Drive.

More: http://thedarkroomsantafe.com/

John Loengard : Age of Silver

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Age of silver © John Loengard



An entire generation of photographers has come of age since digital technology supplanted film technology in photography. For those who have never wound a roll of film through a camera or dipped their fingers in darkroom chemicals, but have nonetheless wondered about that archaic process, let me recommend the following description from photographer and former Life magazine director of photography John Loengard. It is as succinct and eloquent an account of photography’s origins and chemical past as you will ever find:

Read the full interview betwen David Schonauer and John Loengard in today's La Lettre de la Photographie. "Age of Siver", exhibition opens November 25, Monroe Gallery of Photography. The exhibition continues through January 29, 2012.