If I build it, will they come?

[BKP]

I am at a bit of a crossroad and would appreciate some sane advice. I live in a beautiful part of the world that is actually at the edge of civilization. (Canada's west coast)
I have all the equipment on hand to build a very nice darkroom. A D-5 XL with all lenses and carriers required, from 4x5 to smaller than 35mm. (El-Nikkor, Schneiders and Rodenstock). My plan was to have a Bed and Darkroom concept at my home for summer travellers. My largest trays are 20x24 but 16x20 would be most practical. An Ilford Cap 40s for RA-4 or ( Dektol??) Film developing would be in SS tanks for rolls or my sink-line, which is jacketed and has temperature control. I have hangers for 8x10, 2 up 5x7, and 4 up 4x5. With a basket that holds about 4 hangers. I have enough 1 gal tanks to accommodate E-6 with extra wash tanks. I have 20 yrs experience working in NYC in labs and studios. Option B- Leave the past in the past and sell everything. Opinions welcome,...bk

[peter schrager]

Yes you should follow your heart
I would come visit and why not never been there! !

[Les Rudnick]

I agree. Follow your heart. Otherwise there will be regrets later.
I would visit as well.

[jp]

If you don't find enough of your exact client you can also do some workshops if you're a people person or partner with such a teacher. Or lock the darkroom when providing normal airbnb occupancy.

[Drew Bedo]

Is Photographers formulry still offering workshops? I attended a Daguerreotype workshop there in Montana back in 2006. There was a small dorm, maybe 6 rooms, meeting areas and a group darkroom with hugh lab sinks for conventional or alternate processing . An adjacent B&B offered three meals a day in a family-style dining room setting. Tthey also accommodated other craft workshops such as weaviln and quilting.Tried to find their website but maybe things have changed in ten years!

Not that you should adopt exactly that operating model, but do consider a broader scope of activity to extrend the viability of your primary vision.

Whatever you do, start small and grow it.

[Jim Galli]

One thing I would point out. You may not get an accurate response. We've all been battered senseless by political correctness and positive thinking. It's BAD to say anything negative, so most nice folks simply choose the other option, silence.

For me, I would probably never elect to rent the space you describe. I'm a big old cheapskate. And I carry enough holders etc. to concentrate on the photography and leave the darkroom stuff for home.

Mama taught us; "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

[cowanw]

I was wondering if people would want to spend their holiday days in the dark, rather than out and about where they have never been before.
But a educational holiday would be another thing; shooting and darkroom with a specific process in mind.
Add a UV light source and do alternative processes. That would be off interest.

[Daniel Stone]

Build a web presence. Market yourself. In today's world you're pretty much good as dead if you don't have a web presence of some sort. Even a "free" page on Facebook is better than nothing.
Show the best reasons to come and stay at your place. Pictures sell services, words are boring in today's world. People eat with their eyes first, remember.
CLEARLY state what your "included" items are. I wouldn't offer crazy options of all these exotic types of chemistry, but state "if you have special requests for certain products to be available, please contact us prior to booking".
Forget the color option as a "regularly ready" item. Be willing to offer it for an extra fee. Color chemistry is expensive, even more so if it's not getting used.
Be ready to have to take a couple of years to build a reputation and work out the kinks(as there WILL be kinks). Some clients are real assholes, and expect champagne when they're only willing to pay for Natural Ice ;)
Don't go into debt to do this. As others have said, start small.

[djdister]

Perhaps a self-guided/lightly-guided shooting/processing concept might work. As others have pointed out, you will need to do some solid marketing, to include some good examples of what kind of landscapes or structures might be available to the shooters. Your current darkroom setup sounds pretty minimal in terms of capacity - but I wouldn't say to expand in the color area as that would be very pricey to maintain. A darkroom with a single enlarger implies that you expect a single boarder. For not that much more you could possibly provide some alternative printing capability as well - a UV light box, inkjet printer for digital negs, flatbed scanner and pick one or two alt processes to support.

[Drew Wiley]

How do YOU feel about darkroom work? That's the only guarantee you've got, something you can fall back on. If you're not enthusiastic about it, how will it be a
magnet to others? But logistically, it sounds rather skimpy or under-equipped for a teaching or workshop environment.

[Luis-F-S]

If you enjoy the darkroom do it for yourself and if you get any B&D folks it's a plus. I had my darkroom in "storage" for 8 years when we moved to our new house 11 years ago. Then I told my wife that I wanted to build a darkroom and she said I'd never use it. I told her if it stayed in boxes I would surely never use it. So we made a compromise, she got a new closet, and I got a new darkroom. Never regretted the decision. L

[angusparker]

How do YOU feel about darkroom work? That's the only guarantee you've got, something you can fall back on. If you're not enthusiastic about it, how will it be a
magnet to others? But logistically, it sounds rather skimpy or under-equipped for a teaching or workshop environment.

I agree, either build it for yourself or make it expandable with workshops in mind. You will be marketing the local photographic opportunities and your skills in the darkroom. Alt Processes are a great addition although I think having the option of creating digital contact prints from either digital or analog source material is a must these days.

[Frank_E]

Is Photographers formulry still offering workshops? I attended a Daguerreotype workshop there in Montana back in 2006. There was a small dorm, maybe 6 rooms, meeting areas and a group darkroom with hugh lab sinks for conventional or alternate processing . An adjacent B&B offered three meals a day in a family-style dining room setting. Tthey also accommodated other craft workshops such as weaviln and quilting.Tried to find their website but maybe things have changed in ten years!

Photographers forumlary are still offering workshops and still have the same B&B arrangement I did a platinum palladium (with digital negatives) workshop with Kerik Kouklis last August. Great workshop. What I did hear in passing was that often workshops there can get cancelled because there isn't the minimum enrolment registered for a particular workshop but I have no idea what percentage that might be. I got the impression that there was less interest in traditional analog workshops and more interest in the type of workshop I did (i.e. various types of alternative process photography).

the web site to their workshops is linked below:

http://www.workshopsinmt.com

I plan to take Christina Anderson's Gum Bichromate workshop this coming August.

[LeeSimmons]

Hi BKP,

The west coast is a great part of the Canada and very inspiring for landscape photography. About 8 years ago I embarked on a "of the heart project" and in retrospect would definitely make a different choice.

I would look very closely at your business plan and and expected return.

Some food for thought. I have been rediscovering my love for analogue photography over the past few years. I shoot large format and develop my film. I then scan for digital output. While silver based output has definite craft appeal my main interest for analogue printmaking is in alternate processes.

I would be interested in Platinum workshops or the like. As previous posters have mentioned a digital neg opens up to all the digital shooters and a much larger market.

Good luck

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I will be offering Carbon workshops in Vancouver Washington once we get settled. I would suggest that you start with workshops and build from there.

[A_Tabor]

"At the edge of Civilization", just how far out is the location, and what is the transportation access like? What is it going to cost me and how long is it going to take to get to your location?

Is it a casual drive from a regional airport and up a decent highway to get there, or am I going to have to rent a 4x4 and pack camping gear for the three day drive up old dirt logging roads to get to your property, or maybe charter a helicopter (Which may or may not be able to make the trip in due to weather)?

Either option, and anything in between, does have a place in the market, but how you market will depend on where on that spread you're at.


Are there any other B&B or adventure tourism going in your area? A safer bet might be to build the darkroom mainly for yourself and your own uses, but with expandability and classes in mind, and then team up with existing tourism offerings. If you can prove there is a demand and people want to come for it, then consider expanding and directly offering accommodations for guests yourself. If you have the property to scatter small 1-2 room cabins around, ideally each with a view of something interesting out the front door, then you can build something that a lot of people would pay decent money to visit, even if they're not coming for photo related stuff.

[BKP]

Thank-you all, who have posted your honest comments. I feel honored to be part of such group. After reading many of your prompt replies, which all offer sound advice. I think I'll go ahead and finish it. More for personal use and perhaps someday one of you might come by for a visit. Main tourist attractions near by include: Telegraph Cove, whale watching(Orcas mainly) grizzly bear tours, Cape Scott Park. Salmon fishing in summer. Port Hardy is the nearest airport. Thanks for all your appreciated comments...bk

[cowanw]

Keep us informed please.

[Jody_S]

I have 20 yrs experience working in NYC in labs and studios.

I don't know how much the 'workshop' people make in any given year, but it's not peanuts. I think your idea only works if you have plans for solo and group workshops, 1-on-1 training or collaboration on printing, guided photo shoots with evening developing sessions, etc. And keep in mind your clientele is not necessarily the people on this forum. Perhaps you could reach out to a few people in other areas of NA and ask if they would care to share a few words on their business model?