DarkLab 3.0: Darkroom Workshops in Malta Are Coming

Published on 10 June 2026 at 13:02

The next chapter of DarkLab is in its earliest stages of design, and it is the most ambitious yet.

A few weeks ago, I opened Under the Red Light at the Malta Photographic Society. It was a project built entirely around the analogue darkroom, framing it as something worth celebrating, worth preserving, worth experiencing. Visitors stepped into a recreation of the darkroom environment, one at a time, surrounded by prints, artefacts, and the quiet atmosphere that anyone who has spent time under a safelight will recognise immediately.

The response to that exhibition gave me something I had not expected: the push I needed. The idea of DarkLab 3.0 had been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time, a version of this business with a fully dedicated darkroom space and a proper workshop programme. Watching people connect with the work, hearing the questions they asked, seeing how many of them wanted to understand the process rather than just admire it, that was the moment I stopped thinking about it and started planning it.

DarkLab 3.0 is now in its initial design phase. The details are still being worked through carefully, but the foundation is clear: a fully equipped darkroom, built not just for the processing and printing work DarkLab already offers, but for something far more open to the people who want to learn the craft themselves.

Film Photography Workshops in Malta, Finally Done Properly

One of the things I am most excited about is what DarkLab 3.0 will make possible for people who want to learn. Not just read about analogue photography, not just watch it being done, but actually get their hands in the developer and experience it for themselves.

The new space will open up a proper workshop programme for the first time. Whether you want a focused printing session in the darkroom, a hands-on introduction to film development, or a full workshop that walks you through every stage of the analogue process from exposing a frame to holding a finished print, there will be something here for you.

These are the kinds of film photography workshops Malta has not really had before. A proper space, proper equipment, and someone who genuinely loves this process and wants to pass it on.

What to Expect from DarkLab 3.0

I am keeping the finer details close for now because we are right at the beginning of the design process, and I want to get this right. But here is a broad picture of what is being planned:

Darkroom printing sessions for those who want to experience making a print by hand.

Film development workshops covering the full development process from start to finish.

A complete analogue photography course that takes you through every stage: loading film, exposing, developing, and printing your own work in the darkroom.

More will be announced as the design develops. For now, if any of this speaks to you, I would love to hear from you.

If you are interested in darkroom workshops in Malta or want to be among the first to know when bookings open, get in touch through the DarkLab website or drop me a message through WhatsApp or even Instagram. Your interest genuinely helps shape what DarkLab 3.0 becomes.

In the Meantime, the DarkLab Classics Are Right Here

While DarkLab 3.0 takes shape, everything that DarkLab has always been known for is very much up and running. If you have rolls to develop, prints to make, or film to shoot, here is what you can order right now:

Film development: black and white and colour, developed with care and consistency every time.

Scanning: high quality scans from your negatives, ready to use and share.

Darkroom printing: handmade prints from your negatives, produced in the darkroom the traditional way.

Bulk-loaded film: quality film at an honest price, ready to shoot.

So head over to the processing tab to place an order or get in touch with any questions. The craft is not on pause while the next chapter is being built.