Please contact us for reservations

Darkroom Hours

Monday ­ Friday: 10 am to 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday: 1 pm to 5 pm
You MUST call ahead to be sure a class or program is not scheduled during these times. You cannot use the darkroom if a darkroom class is scheduled.

*Saturday mornings from 10am to 1pm classes are usually scheduled.

Policies: Scheduling and Fees

Darkroom Membership is now available for individuals who wish to pay a weekly, monthly, or annual fee for unlimited darkroom time during The Light Factory's regular operating hours.

Darkroom rental is for members of the Light Factory only. You may sign up to be a member online or by phone. Please see Membership for more information on annual fees and benefits. The current fee for darkroom rental is:

$8.00 per hour
$25 per week
$50 per month
$400 per year

Payments by credit card or check are acceptable.

Sign up, Reservation and Use of the Darkroom

To reserve a spot in the darkroom, please CALL AHEAD to 704-333-9755.. In the future you will be able to check our website for darkroom availability. However, in the meantime, you must call ahead to reserve space in the darkroom. Please note the darkroom class room is locked by security code that may change monthly. So it is important to call ahead to insure the darkroom is open and ready for use. This may be a change for our members and users of the darkroom but this is our current policy for the following reasons:

1. The Light Factory is a tenant in the Spirit Square building all space used by The Light Factory is leased. Therefore, we must adhere to the policies of building management.

2. Security is tight in our building and all activities produced by The Light Factory have to be scheduled and approved. If not, our guests and programs may be asked to leave and/or cease any activities that have not been pre-approved.

3. Classes: The darkroom space is also used for teaching classes. Calling ahead allows us to schedule you and our programs without overlap. Please check our website for our monthly class schedule.

4. Chemistry: Calling ahead allows Light Factory staff time to mix chemistry.

Mixing Chemistry Policy:

To safeguard your film and prints, chemistry, at this time, is to be mixed only by Light Factory staff members, the darkroom Manager or members of the darkroom committee. PLEASE DO NOT MIX CHEMISTRY. The darkroom committee's goal is to have a quality and "safe" developing environment for our members. Mixing of chemistry by darkroom guests creates too many variables and unknowns in the darkroom, reducing The Light Factory's ability to insure quality. Please call ahead to verify chemistry is mixed. The darkroom committee and staff are committed to providing consistently mixed chemistry for our guest. If you have questions, please call us from the phone in the Darkroom.

Reference Materials:

All books, cameras and other materials in the darkroom are to remain in the darkroom as material and supplies to be used by members and guests of the Light Factory. If you are interested in checking out a book or a piece of equipment, please contact the education director or a member of the Light Factory staff.