Scrolling through the Middlebury Darkroom Club’s Instagram page is a joy. Moments that would otherwise go unknown or forgotten by the majority of students are captured and immortalized: a magic show, a jiu jitsu match, battle of the bands and even a film projector screening of the one-reel Tom and Jerry cartoon “The Cat Concerto.” There is no better gallery of genuine student life than what is collected and captured by the Darkroom Club.
The Darkroom Club explores all things film-related. They loan out free cameras and developing equipment, hold workshops in which students can learn both the technical and artistic side of photography, and are always collecting and exhibiting student work on Instagram for the community to see.
“Our goal is to educate and bring together students on campus who are interested in film photography, developing film and analog cameras in general,” said Finn Ellingwood ’25.5, the former president and current treasurer of the club.
The club’s headquarters are tucked away in the darkroom in Forest Basement. President Austin Pang ’27 and Board Member Andy Gobin ’27 hold weekly open hours there on Tuesdays from 6 p.m.–8 p.m. and Thursday from 5–6 p.m, but the room is accessible by ID card for club members at all times.
At the open hours, students can check out equipment, learn how to develop film and talk to club leadership directly.
“It is pretty informal,” Ellingwood said. He also noted that these hours can even just be space to hang out and indulge in a hobby and passion.
The darkroom in Forest was built in 1987 after renovations to the building. At that time, the space was used mainly for developing film for the school yearbook and for The Campus. Since then, the darkroom has gradually grown into a space for common use, and now the club is primarily based on personal student photography.
The Darkroom Club has seen positive growth in recent years by making the space more accessible for students.
“It used to cost like 120 dollars for you to get access to the darkroom, and you used to have to pay for film, but now we have a budget and it’s free,” Ellingwood said. “We have the most members now that I have ever been in the club with.”
Pang also has a positive outlook on the future of the club and said he is planning some unique events for the coming months. He wants the club to oversee photography competitions, to which any student can submit their work for judging. Pang also plans to host outdoor projector film screenings as the weather gets warmer and put together pop-up photo booths around campus. For Pang, accessibility to photography is essential to the club’s ethos.
“It doesn’t take a long time to get introduced to film,” Pang said. “It’s way easier than people imagine.”
While the resources the Darkroom Club offers are certainly improving, the growth of the club also stems from a cultural transformation. Like vinyl records and the turntable, film photography has recently drawn a passionate fanbase of young people whose artistic and technological sensibilities trend “retro.” The Darkroom Club offers an outlet for that passion and allows photographers of different skill levels to get a foot in the door, literally.
Ellingwood mentioned that it has not all been smooth sailing for the club. One challenge the club has recently faced is keeping sufficient materials free and accessible to all as film photography becomes more popular.
As cliché a sentiment as it is, there is something magical about film photography and video. Generations of art history are built into the technology, and seeing people who have never lived in a world without digital technology embrace that history is incredibly touching. The student photography emerging from the club immortalizes life at Middlebury in a way that digital photography cannot quite accomplish.
Anthony Cinquina '25.5 (he/him) is an Arts and Culture Editor.
Anthony has previously worked as a contributing writer to the Campus. He is majoring in English with a minor in Film and Environmental Studies. Beyond The Campus, Anthony works as a writing tutor at the CTLR and plays guitar for a rotating cast of bands.
