Real Photography Company, St Pauls, Bristol, UK. Excellent photographic darkroom facilities

The Real Photography Company are a Bristol-based Community Interest Company incorporated in July 2017, managing Bristol Community Darkrooms at St Pauls Learning Centre, in the heart of Bristol.

We aim to revive and refresh traditional and experimental photography, with a programme of exciting courses, workshops, exhibitions and community photography projects.

Our high quality Community Darkroom facilities are available 7 days a week for individual or group bookings by photographers in Bristol and beyond, at affordable rates with a low cost Membership scheme and free inductions.

Darkroom Facilities

Develop your film and make prints at our excellent darkroom facilities available for black and white and colour use, with large UV printing bed for cyanotype etc. Open 7 days a week, individual or group hire available.

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Darkroom Membership

Affordable Darkroom Membership is just £50 per year, which gives all members discounted darkroom hire rates of only £12 per 3 hour session; non-members rates are £20 per 3 hour session.

Darkroom Inductions

We ask everyone to attend a short free Darkroom Induction,

prior to booking Darkroom sessions - held monthly, with a full introduction and guided tour of the darkrooms.

Membership Form

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Previous funded Community Photography Projects include:

Chemistry of Light Schools Project, Nov - Dec 2024, 10 workshops in cyanotype and pinhole photography with 5 local primary schools, funded by the Royal School of Chemistry.
Volunteer Recruitment and Training Project, Sept - Oct 2024. Funded by UWE to engage UWE students in Community Photography projects
What is Recovery? Series of experimental photography workshops for wellbeing with people in recovery from alcohol and drugs misuse, May to July 2024. Funded by the Care Forum.
Winter Warmer Photography Workshops - 3 free Experimental Photography workshops for wellbeing in the cosy Darkrooms in Jan / Feb 2024, followed by hot lunch. Funded by Places for People in response to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Discovering Light Workshops with five local primary schools, Oct 2023 to Jan 2024, funded by the Ogden Trust.
See Radio Bristol Feature on Primary School Science Workshops - 19/11/24
Winter Warmer Photography Workshops - 12 free workshops from Jan to March 2023, supported by Quartet.
Eclipse Experience Event on 25 Oct 2022 to enable safe viewing, understanding and enjoyment of the partial eclipse, funded by the Institute of Physics.
Windrush Community Project - Ran from Windrush Day, June 2021 to June 2022, funded by a Windrush Grant and Bristol City Council, to commemorate, celebrate and learn about the many ways the Windrush Generation have contributed to Bristol's culture.
Alternative Outdoor Photography Project, Summer 2021, a series of workshops with the public and local youth and community groups, making experimental images using plants and sunlight, funded by Quartet.
Photography Lockdown Project 2020 - Zoom workshops for anyone wanting to experiment with pinhole photography, solargraphy, anthotypes, cyanotypes and chemigrams to make creative images during the Covid pandemic. Funded by the Arts Council.
Chemistry Workshops with local schools, 2019 - 20, Cabot, Glenfrome, St Werburghs, St Barnabus and Evergreen, funded by the Royal School of Chemistry.
Photo-Social Project 2019 - 20 bringing people together for a variety of workshops, talks, exhibitions and other events, funded by the Big Lottery,
Photography course, workshops and exhibition in 2019 - 20 for the Over 50's Inner City Photographers funded by Bristol Ageing Better,
School Science Project with five local primary schools 2018 - 19, funded by the Ogden Trust,
My St Pauls Community Photography Project, 2018 - 19 funded by Bristol City Council, working with local groups including Over 50's, refugees and asylum seekers and people recovering from addictions.

Find out more about our facilities on the Darkrooms page, or email us with any enquiries.