Plant based developers are a sustainable alternative to standard photographic developers. In this workshop, you will learn how to develop film using chai tea, which was used to produce Melanie King’s photographs in the Glacial Movements and the Ghaib exhibition.

During the workshop you’ll be taught how to make a chai tea film developer from chai, vitamin-c powder and soda crystals. You will be led through the process of developing film by artist and photography lecturer Melanie King.

Please bring a completed black and white photographic film that has been in a camera and exposed to light. We recommend a 400 ISO film such as Ilford HP5 or Kentmere 400.

About the tutor

Melanie King is a working-class artist and curator, originally from Manchester. Melanie is now based in Ramsgate, Kent. She is Lecturer In Photography at Canterbury Christ Church University.

She is co-Director of super/collider, Lumen Studios, Thanet Alt Photo and founder of London Alt Photo. Melanie is a PhD Candidate at the Royal College of Art (2015-2023). She is represented by the Land Art Agency.

Melanie is interested in the relationship between the environment, photography and materiality. Melanie intends to highlight the intimate connection between celestial objects (sun, moon, stars), photographic material and the natural world. Melanie is currently researching a number of sustainable photographic processes, to minimise the environmental impact of her artistic practice.

Find out more about Melanie: http://www.melaniek.co.uk