This facility has closed: (Rental Darkrooms: Jewish Community Center, Upper West Side, NYC)

UPDATE, MARCH 2010 - THIS FACILITY IS NOW CLOSED:

The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan

January 29, 2008:  The B&W darkroom at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) at 76th Street and Amsterdam Avenue is an underutilized gem, and it is open to all.

The spacious school-style B&W printing room has 17 Saunders/LPL 4550 XLG VCCE 4x5” enlargers, Nikkor lenses, dial-in VC control and each enlarger carrel has a light-tight paper safe drawer. (These are the same enlargers used in master B&W photographer/printer John Sexton’s workshops.)

Trays sit in a large stainless steel sink topped with huge ventilation hoods.

However, the other work areas, including the dedicated film loading, developing and washing areas; the print washing sink; film/print drying areas and general work area may be what makes this facility such a standout. A great deal of thought went into design of this six-year-old lab.

This inexpensive darkroom is open to all: JCC members, JCC students and the general public. Hourly rates are $8.00 for JCC members; $10.00 for non-members

Use of the darkroom is on the upswing, reports the JCC’s director of photography and digital media Karen Haberberg. “I think people are going back to film to a certain degree; they’re not happy with digital prints, especially B&W.” Darkroom B&W is “such a different look, feel and experience,” she adds.

While the darkrooms are still somewhat underutilized, interest is sufficient that Haberberg is starting a JCC Darkroom Society: for $250.00 per-year members will get special darkroom hours, discounts, guest lectures, portfolio reviews and a darkroom kit.

The JCC darkroom is used by people of all ages, including professionals, Haberberg notes.

Aside from the spacious, well-maintained and thoughtfully designed working environment, what makes the JCC darkroom special is the community feel, Haberberg says. “There’s a cafe upstairs, we have darkroom monitors to help, there’s a nice non-competitive atmosphere. Plus, it is never full, you don’t need reservations and there’s no cancellation penalty.“

Evidence of the low-key community-center feel is that people feel comfortable leaving fiber prints to dry overnight in one of the the 24 slide-out drying screens.

“You just sign in and find an enlarger, the chemistry is all set up.” (Dektol developer is standard.) “We have everything you need to develop film and make good prints,” Haberberg adds.

The JCC is located at 334 Amsterdam Avenue at 76th St., NYC

Below, photos of the JCC darkroom:

Tel: 646-505-5708

www.jccphoto.org              BACK TO DARKROOM PAGE