DATE
Sunday, August 23, 2026 | 12:00–5:00 PM
LOCATION
Lesley University, LUNDER Arts Center Alternative Process Lab
1801 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02143
Skill Level: All levels
Capacity: 8–10 participants
PRC Members: $200 + $20 materials fee
Non-Members: $240 + $20 materials fee
Materials fee includes chemistry and film.
About the Workshop
Discover an environmentally conscious approach to analog photography by developing black-and-white film using low-toxicity chemistry made from foraged plants and common household ingredients. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll shoot, develop, and scan your own film while learning sustainable darkroom techniques that reduce chemical and water use.
No previous darkroom experience is necessary. This is an experimental process, and participants are encouraged to embrace the unexpected nature of plant-based development.
You’ll Learn
- Sustainable film development using plant-based chemistry
- Loading and developing 35mm film
- Mixing plant-based developers
- Water-saving darkroom techniques
- Troubleshooting experimental development
- Scanning film for digital output
- What to Bring
- A 35mm film camera with a working light meter
- Reusable gloves (recommended)
- A towel
If you don’t have a camera, a limited number are available to borrow through Lesley University. Please indicate this during registration.
All chemistry, film, and additional materials are provided.
About Elysabeth:
Elysabeth Cianci is an interdisciplinary visual artist working at the confluence of photographic process and ecology. She received a BA in creative writing from Gordon College, and an MFA in Photography and Integrated Media from Lesley University, College of Art and Design where she studied under photographer and author Christopher James. During graduate school her interests expanded into the disciplines of printmaking and book arts leading to a career as an educator in visual arts. Dividing her time between her home in the mountains of Vermont and the Boston area, Cianci serves as Visiting Lecturer at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Lesley Art + Design, additionally, she is on staff at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University. Her work is held in the public collections of the Fine Arts Library, Harvard University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University. Cianci has been awarded artist residencies at In Cahoots Residency, Zea Mays Printmaking, and Penland School of Craft. She is the recipient of a Grants for Creative Individuals from Mass Cultural Council and an Artist Resource Trust Grant For Individuals from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.