Ceramics ' Textile ' Drawing & Painting

Darkroom at the Dougherty Arts Center

The goal of the Darkroom Photography Program is to provide an enriching and rewarding experience for the photography student by providing professional staff available to guide you in class. 5 Omega D2 enlargers; ability to print from 35mm through 4x5, 1 Super Chromega D enlarger. Film development available as well as print black & white fiber or RC prints up to 16"x20".

Our darkroom classes are organized to help you learn how to use a manual film camera, develop film and make your own unique darkroom prints. For beginners or advanced professionals; we have different opportunities for students interested in using our darkroom.

Questions? Call 512-974-4040

Class List and Registration Page

Meet The Instructors

Photo of Jessica Attie

Jessica Attie

Jessica Attie is an Austin based editorial and commercial photographer specializing in food and portraits. At 13 I took my first darkroom class at the Southwest Center of Arts and Crafts in San Antonio. The moment I watched an image appear in the developer I knew that there was magic in photography, and I wanted to know everything about that magic.  I graduated in photography at the top of my class at St. Edward’s University where I learned how to be an artist from compassionate and beautiful teachers.

Photo of Jasna Boudard

Jasna Boudard

Jasna has a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Stony Brook University, where she specialized in immersive video installations. She has worked in the photo industry for almost two decades! She started her photography journey learning darkroom black and white photography. She is excited to share her artistic vision and ability to creatively work with light and movement. She is currently working on a video projection piece that has been commission by the City of Austin for the 2023 Creek Show.

Photo of Holly Findlater

Holly Findlater

Holly earned her B.F.A at the University of Washington, Seattle and studied in the Digital Arts and New Media Graduate Program at University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a multimedia artist working in photography, sound, video, and installation. She believes in the magic of the darkroom and is inspired by light and sound waves; the material evidence of the passage of time; and the beauty of time’s effects on the structures and environments we manifest and inhabit.  Austin is her new home, and she is excited to share her knowledge of art with others.

darkroom instructor Max Heller

Max Heller

Max Heller is an Austin area artist, photographer and educator. Originally from Massachusetts, He received his BFA in photography at the Art Institute of Boston (2015), then in 2021 his MFA in studio art from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. His work explores ideas about space, time, memory, landscape and the human experience and uses primarily analog photographic processes. He is an avid rockhound as well as an amateur archeologist and loves good food and good fiction. He resides in north Austin with his wife and cat "coquito".

View inside of the darkroom at the Dougherty Arts Center