The 9-week series of workshops is to provide guidance to those currently exploring Film Photography or Analogue Photography at an intermediate stage. The workshop will enable a further understanding of how to develop your manual camera techniques and will enable you to extend your practice using the darkroom and enhance the quality of the black and white prints you produce.
These intermediate level evening workshops will allow you to familiarise yourself with different manual cameras and their formats. This will mainly consist of 35mm and 120 medium format cameras.
Participants are asked to provide their own camera for the duration of the workshops, however you are invited to use any manual format. Guidance will also be provided to assist in deciding which film to use during different situations. During the workshops you will learn how to use a ‘bulk film loader,’ a device also referred to as a film winder. Advice in relation to how this device can significantly reduce the cost of film will be shared as well as how the device can also offer increased control over your own workflow.
Provided will be the opportunity to enhance both your camera and lens control techniques, during which you will exploit depth of field and precision with relation to exposure calculations.
You are provided the opportunity to explore chemical choices and their dilutions whereby examining both the importance of time and temperature over and above dilution.
You will learn how to operate various types of enlargers and their light sources, whilst learning how to manipulate exposures with both burning and dodging techniques.
Consequently, you will develop your own experience of testing with film whilst enhancing your ability to produce quality black and white prints to exhibit.
Learning Methods
This course will be delivered on campus from 18:30 – 21:00 every Wednesday for 9 weeks, excluding public holidays.
Participants will be expected to shoot film between workshops ready for development.
Activity Summary
- Minimum of 8 students, maximum of 8 in the group
- 22.5 hours of teaching in total over 9 evenings, 18:30 – 21:00
Timetable
- Week 1: 21 January - first workshop
- Week 2: 28 January
- Week 3: 4 February
- 11 February - no workshop due to public holiday
- Week 4: 18 February
- Week 5: 25 February
- Week 6: 4 March
- Week 7: 11 March
- Week 8: 18 March
- Week 9: 25 March - last workshop
Assessment
This workshop is not formally assessed.
Workshop facilitator
Photographer Neal Murray has delivered a range of photography courses based on the use of film, these span across the last 35 years. Murray has taught at Gray’s School of Art since 1998. The photographer has a grounding in sound recording as well as film editing and film camera operation. Within his practice he works almost exclusively using black and white film as his starting point. This involves working with the following camera formats: 35mm film, medium format, large format, and pin hole photography.
Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this workshop.
This workshop is suitable for intermediate level.
Required Age
All students are required to be at least 18 years of age on the commencement of the workshop.
For Academic Year 2025/2026
Course fee: £290 per person
The fee is to be paid as part of sign up process and prior to the first session.
After completing the registration form, you will be directed to the payment page. Your place on the course is not confirmed until payment has been received. If you have any difficulties locating the payment link or if you have registered for this course but have not completed the payment form, please contact us for a direct link to pay which will bypass registration.
Additional Costs
Participants will require their own film camera with manual control for the duration of the workshops. Typically, a 35mm SLR or medium format camera will be required, but this will not be essential to start the workshops. Advice regarding cameras will be provided during the first session.
Participants are required to purchase their own film and photographic paper following the first session.
The following course-related costs are not included in the course fees:
Workshop Cancellation & Changes
If minimum participant numbers for this 9-week workshop are not met, the workshop will be cancelled and participants will receive a full refund.
If you’ve signed up and paid for this workshop but need to cancel, please email us at engage@rgu.ac.uk at least 7 days before the first evening session begins.
If the named practitioner is unable to deliver the scheduled workshop, the session may be cancelled or delivered by an alternative facilitator.
Disclaimer
Fees are regularly reviewed and published for each series of workshops. Tuition fees are fixed for the duration of a workshop/course at the rate confirmed during the application process.
Any questions?
Get in touch with the Engage Team and we'll do our best to help.