Analogue Film Development Workshop

• Language
  Portuguese, English, French
• Duration
  2.5 hours
• Difficulty
  Beginner
• Next Date
  31/05/2026

Analogue film development workshop in Lisbon with Circanalogique, a 2.5-hour hands-on session where you develop your own colour analogue roll from scratch using the full traditional C41 process, guided step by step by José Fonseca, founding member of Circanalogique, an artistic association dedicated to analogue photography and artisanal image-making. Bring your own exposed colour roll to develop during the session, or a camera and roll can be provided in advance if needed. After drying, Circanalogique digitises all films and sends the photographs to each participant. All materials included.

The session moves through every stage of the analogue colour development process in sequence. You begin in total darkness, carefully opening the roll and loading the film onto a spiral before placing it in the development tank. From there the film moves through the chemical baths of the C41 process, each one handled with guidance and precision, before a thorough wash to remove chemical residue and a final drying in a dust-free environment. Once dry the negatives are ready for digitisation, which Circanalogique carries out after the session and delivers to each participant digitally. The experience of handling your own film through every stage of this process, from the darkness of the first opening to the moment the negatives emerge, is genuinely unlike anything digital photography can offer.

What you’ll learn

📷 How to open and handle a colour analogue roll correctly in total darkness

📷 How to load film onto a spiral and place it in a development tank

📷 The full C41 chemical process for colour analogue film development

📷 How to wash film correctly to remove chemical residue after processing

📷 How to dry film in a dust-free environment ready for digitisation

What’s included

🎞️ All materials and chemicals needed for the full development process

🎞️ Full guidance from José Fonseca throughout the session

🎞️ Digitisation of your developed negatives by Circanalogique after the session

🎞️ Your photographs sent digitally after digitisation is complete

🎞️ Camera and roll available if needed before the workshop

What you leave with

Developed colour negatives from your own roll processed entirely by your own hands, and your photographs delivered digitally by Circanalogique after the session.

I am José Fonseca, a founding member of Circanalogique, an artistic, social and cultural association dedicated to artistic experimentation and artisanal knowledge, carrying out research, dissemination, training and production around analogue image and photography. Our mission is to revalue and spread artistic practice through traditional methods, keeping the knowledge and craft of analogue photography alive and accessible.

Duration 2.5 hours. Takes place in Lisbon. Bring your own exposed C41 colour roll. Camera and roll available on request if needed before the workshop. All materials included.

Location