The Darkroom Chicago makes film photography accessible
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Photo: Courtesy of Bartholomew Miller.
Analog photography can be intimidating for someone who's never touched a roll of film or even held a camera, but The Darkroom Chicago is changing that.
Why it matters: When founder Rosondunnii Marshall was looking for a place to develop film a few years ago, she realized Chicago didn't just need more darkrooms, but a space for learning photography at all levels with a welcoming, fun vibe.
What they're saying: "My goal wasn't to start a darkroom. My goal was to do these workshops where folks could come connect, learn a skill," Marshall tells Axios.
- "I think arts can be really a silo a lot. So head down, don't talk to anyone. And I'm just so not that person."
Flashback: Marshall, a trained family therapist, was using photography as an art therapy tool with students a few years ago when it re-sparked her own love of analog photography.
- She started hosting workshops at her home and then a studio in Ravenswood in 2024.
- Earlier this year, the Park District reached out to Marshall to offer a space for The Darkroom Chicago.
Context: Tuley Park in Chatham still had equipment from a camera club that used to meet at the field house decades ago, but the space needed someone like Marshall to steward it to what it is today — a full photography studio with a large format printer, scanners and a color processing room, all accessible at monthly open lab hours.
- The Darkroom Chicago also hosts a youth photography club and plans to offer film developing services to the community.
What's next: Partnering with Cent(her)ed Collective, The Darkroom Chicago is hosting In Her Frame, a beginner's film development workshop for Black women on Dec. 6. Tickets will be released soon.
What we're watching: Marshall wants to create a mobile darkroom that can post up across the city to provide film processing services.