The rise of digital photography seemed to signal the end of analog for a Longview resident but he’s aiming to change that by bringing film back to the community in a familiar way.

Jamie Maldonado is a local photographer with a masters degree in Studio Art from Texas A&M Commerce. He previously served as an assistant at Kilgore College where he said he fostered his love of photography. Now, Maldonado wants to give back to the community by opening a nonprofit community darkroom he’s calling the Piney Woods Darkroom.

Over the last several years, he’s been thinking of ideas related to film photography and the one he kept returning to was of a film lab, he said. After speaking with a fellow photographer friend who runs a community darkroom in California, Maldonado was struck by the similarity to what he used to do at Kilgore College.

“We had a darkroom and classes and everything and I’m like, we don’t have that anymore, all those are gone and there’s nowhere to even buy film anymore and I started thinking about if there’s enough activity and action in East Texas that this could work and I started looking around,” he explained.

He knows several photographers who shoot film and have recently got into the practice and realized there may be a market locally for film photography and development, he said.

In Maldonado’s opinion, digital photography definitely has its merits as a faster medium that lends itself to assignment work like journalism, quick turnaround commercial portraits and general photography. However, while snapping unlimited photos sounds like a great idea, it can create its own issues, he said.

Digital photography allows for capturing thousands of photos quickly, most of which don’t end up being used and only the best few make it through, he said. This can lead to losing faith in one’s ability as a photographer and prioritizing quantity over quality, he said.

“It becomes almost a frantic concern that you’re gonna miss a moment and you gotta keep shooting,” he said.

Shooting with a film camera brings back the “magic” of not knowing how a photo turned out until it’s been developed, which makes the photographer have to trust themselves again, he said.

Younger generations are also discovering the tangible benefits that come with film photography, he said. 

“For people who grew up with things only on their phones, it’s a different thing to hold a picture in your hand,” he said.

Not only does film photography not come with the distractions of screen notifications or charging a battery, film cameras are also safe from being hacked and having its photos stolen, he said.

“There is the novelty factor for young people but I noticed older people also are rediscovering it and appreciating that it’s more stripped down (than digital photography),” he said.

Maldonado plans to teach workshops and courses at the darkroom including basics like how to manage the lab. The darkroom would provide access to specialized sinks, photo enlargers, developing tanks, scanners, books, photo editing software and more, he said. It would be open to adults 18 years of age and older, with younger photographers potentially having access via parent accompaniment, he said.

While there would be a session fee to use the darkroom, he wants the facility to be accessible and aims to make it as affordable as possible.

Maldonado has launched a fundraiser to help get the Piney Woods Darkroom established and on its feet. According to him, the project could cost anywhere between $5,000 and $20,000 depending on what’s included. He’s set a flexible goal of $10,000 which would go toward renting a space and building it up with all the needed materials. 

Since starting the fundraiser, he’s raised $4,200 through an Indiegogo page and his website, he said. Once the darkroom is established and operating for a period of time, he’ll be able to apply for grants and establish a funding base, he said.

Two local fundraising events are set to come up, one on Friday at The Foundry in Tyler and one at the next Longview ArtWalk on July 6 at Silver Grizzly Espresso. The fundraiser will include 8×10 inch polaroid portraits with the proceeds going to fund the darkroom, he said.

To donate or for more information visit tinyurl.com/fa7p2tvm or pineywoodsdarkroom.org