Photography III: Black and White - Fall 2025

The focus of Photography III: Black & White is to develop mastery over your materials, with a strong emphasis on controlling negative exposure and refining your prints in the darkroom. This course is designed to help students move beyond technical trial-and-error and into intentional, expressive image-making.

We begin with an in-depth exploration of Zone System principles, including exposure placement, N/N+/N- film development, and how these decisions directly affect contrast, tonal separation, and printability. You'll learn how previsualization—the act of imagining the final print at the moment of exposure—guides not just camera technique, but also darkroom strategy. This connection between exposure and development is central: how you expose and develop your film sets the foundation for every print you make.

As the quarter progresses, we’ll turn our attention to fine printmaking techniques, including advanced burning and dodging, local contrast control, and paper selection. We’ll also explore toning processes such as selenium and sepia, not just for archival stability but as tools for creative expression.

Throughout the course, students will produce a body of work that demonstrates both technical command and personal vision, developing a deeper relationship with the materials and methods of black and white photography.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Understand and apply the basic principles of the Zone System in B&W photography
• Conduct N, N+1, and N-1 film development tests and interpret their impact on contrast and tonal control
• Learn the relationship between negative density and print expression
• Refine printing techniques through precise exposure, contrast control, and paper selection
• Learn several print toning processes, including selenium and sepia, for both archival and creative use
• Strengthen personal photographic vision through focused assignments and project development

COURSE OUTCOMES
Students will complete the course with:

• How to use the principles of the zone system in your practice
• Creation of properly exposed negative and fine art fiber prints
• Knowledge of reading the light in a scene to determine the correct development

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR STUDENTS

• Weekly attendance is vital to student success in PCNW courses. We require that students attend the first meeting in order to retain their spot in the class. A waiver may be granted if permission is given by, and subsequent arrangements made with, both the PCNW Registrar and Faculty. Please see our Education Policies for details about attendance policies and academic expectations.
• PCNW adheres to a strict payment, cancellation and refund policy. Please review our Payment & Refund Policies prior to registration.
• Students are required to provide their own 35mm SLR film camera (SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex). If you have questions about camera equipment or resources, contact us at pcnw@pcnw.org.
• The Materials Fee for the course includes your first roll of film, a few sheets of paper for demonstrations in the darkroom, and other costs associated with in-class use of the darkroom. Students will be required to purchased additional film, paper, and other desired personal supplies to complete assignments for the course.
• Additional materials and supplies, not covered by a materials fee for a course, are the responsibility of the student. Detailed information about course expectations, required texts and materials will be provided at the start of the quarter. The estimated cost of individual materials/supplies and rental fees required for completing assignments ranges from $300-$400.
• Students should prepare to spend several hours per week completing assignments outside of class, which may require use of the PCNW facilities; view our Rental Rates for details about additional fees. Rental fees for use of PCNW Facilities are a separate cost from tuition.

Image © Robert Rodriguez Lawson, PCNW Student & Community Member