In my head I’m working on some new ideas… I love photography, want to specialize in alternative processes as they are so interesting and extremely various. I want to share my knowledge and build a platform where people have the ability to experience, learn new things and experiment. These things are seldom possible in the convenience of your own house and my plan lies in the direction of building a place where this all will be possible.
My concept would contain (as far as it stands now) 2 large darkrooms: one for “normal” black & white printing up to being able to process 8×10″ negatives. And one for the alternative side of photography. Due to the different use of chemicals, raw mixing v.s. working in an as clean as possible environment, I’d like to separate the two. The darkrooms are meant to be used for rental purposes so that everyone has the possibilty to work in a fully equipped darkroom, besides my own work I’ll make there.
A fully equipped professional studio. With that I mean a large, preferably daylight studio with light rails on the ceiling, you name it. It’ll have to be a process of developing over time as it will be a huge investment though. This will also be used for workshop purposes as well as being rented. I realize there’s a shortage of working space where I live and this would provide many people with the means of doing “crazy” things which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.
A room which can be used for teaching, practicing the theoretical side of a workshop, playing documentaries etc. This place can also be used for cutting, finishing, retouching, mounting and framing photos.
Preferably a small place to eat or drink something, make a hot cup of tea or coffee but not much would be needed to realize that. Could even be situated in the teaching room.
And last but not least, a place to create exhibitions. For my own work but also for other people, to attract people and make them aware of the place and other things besides the overly digital world of photography.
But, unfortunately, all that is missing are the funds to finance this otherwise awesome plan. I’ll have to figure a way out to deal with that but it’s quite a big deal and obstacle. The investment is huge, not so much the equipment as analogue stuff is practically being dumped out on the streets but the housing of the project. Will I be renting / buying a warehouse on an industrial area which means I’ll have lots of (parking) space but it’s in a non-personal environment, no control, have to travel to go to work etc etc?
Or will I be working on buying a big enough a house to create this all at home so I can work from my house, which actually was my goal for the future anyway for example when having kids etc? This means an expensive house, a big house, huge alterations etc. While not even knowing if all this will pay off in the end. That’s the risk of undertaking and I like that in a way but we’re talking big stuff here. I’d like to try it but it’ll have to be a funded enterprise and I am not too sure how to accomplish that. But if this is the path I must follow something will come my way I suppose! If anything, the idea alone is fun already 🙂
Maybe to big a dream for a little girl but without dreams nothing would ever change.
Photography Contrastique - Alternative Photographic Processes 
Indra, your passion for it is intense. Being committed to living it is, in my humble experience, a substantial part of getting there. Yes, as you have mentioned, there are practical challenges that have to be met, but they’re more likely to be met when the drive is so deep–and that’s clearly the case with you, with this.
Good luck with it all. I’ll be one of the ones quietly watching and enjoying the art and work you create along the way to it (and thereafter).
Thank you Jude for your support! That means a lot to me. It’s true that with drive you can accomplish lots of things, sometimes even beyond what seems possible at first sight so that will keep me going for sure.
Thank you again and hopefully in time you can watch the project become reality 🙂