As early as December, East Texas will have its first community darkroom since the pitch-black spaces for developing film all but disappeared with the advent of digital cameras.
Film shooters can thank Longview photographer and Piney Woods Darkroom founder Jamie Maldonado when the 1,500-square-foot building opens at 231 S. College Ave. in Tyler. And Maldonado can thank film photography’s resurgence, which shows no signs of slowing down.
The space will contain facilities for photo printing, framing, film development and retail, along with a photo book library and room for classes. Maldonado said he anticipates the retail portion to open sometime before the end of the year, depending on donations.
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“It’s extremely exciting,” he said. Doubly so after the trials and tribulations that led him to found the nonprofit darkroom in the first place.
‘I have a dream. Can you help me?’
In quick succession during the pandemic, Maldonado lost his photography job at Kilgore College and then his mother to cancer.
“I asked myself, ‘What do I do now’?”
He took a trip to Joshua Tree, California, where his friend operated a community darkroom.
“ ‘I wish I could do that,’ ” Maldonado said he remembers thinking.
Around the same time, he was developing film for friends in East Texas and watched demand for his services climb.
“I started seeing more and more people shooting film, too,” Maldonado said. Gen-Z celebrities such as Zendaya began snapping photos with 20-year-old cameras. What’s old was new again.
“And the more I thought about a darkroom, the more it made sense,” he said, “so I started drafting a business plan in 2022. I began with my initial fundraising early this year basically saying, ‘I have this dream, can you help me’?”
He raised almost $6,000 while operating from a provisional office at Work Smart in Longview.
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Film for the people
One consequence of the prevailing retromania propelling analog camera and film sales is that the costs that go along with them have shot through the roof. Entry-level cameras that once were bargain bin grabs are fetching luxury prices. The cost of popular film stocks has climbed year by year.
Maldonado has little interest in cashing out on the analog trend.
“Everything I sell, all the services I provide, will be tied directly back to the mission of the darkroom,” he said. “Our mission is to provide access and educational value to the community.”
He plans to sell rolls of film as close as possible to the price of purchase and rent out starter cameras like those that many college students receive in photography programs.
The more donations that come in, the lower Maldonado can keep prices, he said.
Affordability is one challenge with film photography. Access to services is another, he said.
“People don’t get stuff like this around here. It’s typically for those living in big cities and with a lot of money.”
The closest community darkroom offering low-price, hands-on facilities for photographers is in Dallas. Heading east, the nearest option is in Memphis.
Maldonado aims to bring those resources to the Piney Woods Darkroom.
“Being in Tyler, It’s close enough that people in Longview can take advantage of it and still be close enough that people in Shreveport can come, too,” he said. “Accessibility is so important to me.”
Donations can be made to the Piney Woods Darkroom on its website. Donations will help Maldonado complete the build-out of the space and reduce the prices of film products and services, he said.
