LEARN TRADITIONAL FILM MAKING WITH MONO NO AWARE
MONO NO AWARE is now offering PUBLIC COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS at our learning lab in downtown Brooklyn. These classes are made affordable and accessible thanks to the support of the New York State Council for the Arts (NYSCA) individual donors and patrons like yourself.
PUBLIC WORKSHOPS IN PERSON 2025
MONO NO AWARE has re-opened the doors for community-led workshops. We’re proud to offer traditional film making workshops here in Brooklyn, NY. Offerings are all ages, open to the public for a hands-on learning experience. Instructors are locally-based, practicing filmmakers and artists looking to share their years of knowledge and experience. All related workshop materials; film stock, chemical processing, cameras, editing and projection equipment are included. At the end of each workshop session we organize a FREE public screening open to you and your friends! Each session, MONO NO AWARE partners with local and international film festivals to offer entry waivers to all our participants. To assist you in entering your work, MONO NO AWARE will digitally scan and host your finished film on our Vimeo+ channel. Please read our list of workshop policies below before registering (below). These workshops would not be possible without the support of NYSCA ; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the New York State Legislature . We are proud to have partnerships with KODAK, CINELAB, COLORLAB, and to work with THE GOWANUS DARKROOM. SEE PARTICIPANT WORKS AT OUR VIMEO PAGE.
* Plant-based Developers & Analogue Sustainability Conference Sept 2nd-14th.
+ JOIN US FOR TWO WEEKS OF DEMONSTRATIONS, WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, A FEW PARTIES AND A BOOK RELEASE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS ANDRES PARDO of CURIOSO LAB (URY) HANNAH FLETCHER of SUSTAINABLE DARKROOM (UK) ADRIAN COUSINS (UK) and PROFESSOR SCOTT WILLIAMS PhD, INVENTOR OF CAFFENOL (ROCHESTER) * SEATS ARE LIMITED * REGISTER EARLY *
+ HARVESTING PHENOLS ** TWO-SESSIONS **
Plant extracts are everywhere—in what we drink, eat, apply, or discard. Some of these plants are rich in polyphenols, which not only benefit human health but can reduce silver salts. When combined with vitamin C, they become low-toxicity developers, capable of making images visible on film. This workshop is about learning to make those developers with what grows around us. We’ll use simple methods to extract phenolic compounds from local plants or waste material and combine them with ascorbate to create active, biodegradable working solutions. Each plant brings its own tone, density, and fingerprint.
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY SEPT. 2ND & 3RD FROM 7-10 PM ** @ MONO NO AWARE LEARNING LAB ** OPEN FOR REGISTRATION
+ ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT : FROM THE NAIL TO THE NEGATIVE
Iron has always been present in photography, even if quietly. It shows up in early printing processes, in toners, and now—again—as a main actor in low-toxicity developers. IIn this workshop we work with iron as a way to build film chemistry from scraps: rusted rods, construction-site nails, corroded metal found while walking. We’ll also use more refined forms like ferric citrate or ferrous sulfate, but the emphasis will be on process, sourcing, and building from residue.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH FROM 7-10 PM ** @ MONO NO AWARE LEARNING LAB **
+ BANANOL : THE BANANA PEEL DEVELOPER
Banana peels are full of compounds that can reduce silver: tannins, amino acids, and sugars. In this workshop, we use those discarded skins to build a soft-working, biodegradable developer using only citric acid, water, and vitamin C. It’s a process that leaves no waste—only compostable pulp, and a gentle developer that brings images to life with warmth and slowness.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH From 10 AM - 3 PM @ MONO NO AWARE LEARNING LAB **
+ PLANT BASED COLOR FORMING DEVELOPERS
Learn how to transform B/W film images into colour using plant-based colour forming developers. Experimental processing artist Adrian Cousins introduces an overview based on several years of research and experimentation — using film developers that produce coloured images when used to process black and white film. Students will learn about the science, history and practice of colour-forming developers, how to identify potential developing agents using their molecular structure, how to create coloured positive films and how to re-process already developed black and white film producing colour dye images using easily obtained plant-based compounds - indigo, green coffee beans, Chaparral plant, grape skin extract, green and black tea and more.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7TH From 10 AM - 3:30 PM @ MONO NO AWARE LEARNING LAB **
+ REVERSING THE IMAGE w/ HYDROGEN PEROXIDE & COPPER CHLORIDE
Reversal development turns a negative into a positive—directly, without scanning or inversion. This workshop introduces a low-toxicity method using hydrogen peroxide and copper chloride. No dichromates. No permanganate. No bleach that stings the eyes. Copper is sourced from common fertilizers, designed for soil. Hydrogen peroxide replaces harsher agents. Together, they offer a slower but cleaner way to reverse the image on film.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7TH FROM 5-10 PM @ MONO NO AWARE LEARNING LAB **
+ THE BIODEGRADABLE DARKROOM
What happens when your chemistry becomes compost? In this workshop, we rethink the darkroom as something living, where developers, stop baths, and even fixers are built to return to the soil. All ingredients come from kitchen, garden, or common stores—safe, compostable, and easy to handle. Nothing needs to go down the drain. Nothing persists in the water table. It’s photography as part of a cycle, not separate from it.
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH FROM 7-10 PM @ MONO NO AWARE LEARNING LAB **
+ KITCHEN WASTE DEVELOPER
There’s chemistry in what we cook. This workshop looks at how food scraps and kitchen water—often thrown away—can become active photographic developers. The water from boiling pasta or sausages, the pulp from juice, the tea leaves and onion skins: they all carry potential. We’ll experiment with food waste extracts and turn them into plant-based developers, strengthened with vitamin C and simple alkalines. Each developer will be unique—shaped by what’s available, what’s saved, and what’s shared.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH FROM 7-10 PM @ MONO NO AWARE LEARNING LAB
+ MULTI-LAYERED COPPER AND IRON IMAGES
In this workshop participants will be introduced to the Cuprotype process, a historic, low-toxicity process using iron and copper. From this, we will produce vibrant yellow contact prints using negatives and local plant matter. You will then learn about toning of these prints, before finally working towards creating a multi-toned image by layering some of your cuprotypes with cyanotype chemistry. All chemicals and equipment will be provided. You'll finish with multiple works using the cuprotype process, displaying a range of exposures, tones and multi-layering. Participants should wear old clothing.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12TH FROM 10 AM - 4 PM @ MONO NO AWARE LEARNING LAB
+ CAFFENOL RECIPE 30TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY w/ PROFESSOR SCOTT WILLIAMS PhD ** IN PERSON **
A very special caffenol mixer with the inventor of the recipe Scoot Williams here in person to share incite to the origins of the recipe and to celebrate 30 years of non-toxic developing with our community. Bring ANY format of still or moving image BWN film S8, 16, 135, 120, 4X5 !~ We’ll mix the developing solution together , help you reveal your latent image and scan your film. All inclusive ! Plus everyone in attendance receives a recipe card!
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12TH. DOORS AT 7:00 DEMO AT 8 PM SHARP - COME CELEBRATE WITH MONO @ THE GOWANUS DARKROOM
+ BACK TO BASICS VOLUME II : BOOK RELEASE PARTY & PANEL DISCUSSION
Join all our visiting chemists for a panel discussion moderated by Hannah of the Sustainable Darkroom. This event will be the first chance to pick up a copy of the collaborative publication between Andres Pardo of Curioso Lab, The Sustainable Darkroom and many other image makers around the world. Reserve a copy ahead of time. Join us for the panel and hang out for non-toxic drinks!
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH DOORS @ 5 PM, PANEL CONVERSATION BEGINS AT 6 PM SHARP. FREE TO ATTEND RSVP REQUIRED.
* SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER.
+ TBA JULY 25TH **
PRIVATE OFFERINGS ** YEAR ROUND **
PRIVATE ONE ON ONE WORKSHOPS on a number of topics. Reserve an instructor for 2 or more hours at a time to be guided safely through any topic of your choosing. These include access to all equipment at the MONO NO AWARE center of operations, chemistry, editing stations and scanner. In some cases we can even come to you, meeting you in the closest public park to socially distance and guide you through the experience. Each private workshop is fully customized to your interest. Contact us for more details. CLICK HERE TO COORDINATE WITH US, PLEASE SPECIFY WHICH SUBJECT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN. PRIVATE WORKSHOPS ARE AVAILABLE ON ANY TOPIC FOR ANY DURATION, SIMPLY CONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILS.
WORKSHOP POLICIES
Workshop Registration: Participants must register in advance for MONO NO AWARE workshops. Registration is possible via: PayPal with any major credit card, with check by mail, or you can get in contact if you would like to register in person with cash. MONO will provide masks and gloves to everyone who asks, hand sanitizer will be provided, all surfaces and equipment will be cleaned before and after sessions. Participation fee must be paid in full at time of registration. Registration is not confirmed until payment has been received in full. MONO NO AWARE workshops are non-transferable. No refunds, transfers or make-ups are allowed for any missed sessions for any reason. Double check your schedule before registering. Workshops are subject to schedule and instructor changes or cancellation at the discretion of MONO NO AWARE. All registered participants will be notified of such changes in a timely fashion. MONO NO AWARE reserves the right to use participant work created in MONO NO AWARE workshops for promotional materials including, but not limited to, workshop trailers, preview stills, grant applications and printed flyers. Participants have the option to notify us if they wish their work to be withheld from being included in such materials, this must happen before the class session begins. Participants also have the option, if they do not wish for their photographic likeness to be used on MONO NO AWARE'S website, social media, and/or any other promotional efforts. All such requests must be made at the time of registration. Audio and video recording of MONO NO AWARE workshops is not permitted. Workshop Facilities: Each workshop location will be noted in the course description. Cancellation Policy: Cancellations received via email only. Participants must cancel fourteen (14) full business days prior to the date of the workshop to receive an 50% refund. No compensation is available for cancellations less than fourteen (14) full business days prior to workshop start time. No compensation is available for non-attendance, INSANE AMOUNTS of fun and knowledge is available for attendance. We hope to see you there!