Experience Story: AmbulARToorium Analog Photography Camp

Every year in August, a traditional photo camp-training takes place for photography enthusiasts at AmbulARToorium. AmbulARToorium, an art venue located by Lake Peipsi in Kasepää Estonia, has been operating for over 15 years and holds a significant place for both locals and art and photography enthusiasts throughout Estonia. The theme of this year’s training camp was inspired by analog photography, and the main instructor was Liis Ring, an artist and musician primarily engaged in analog photography.

Incredible but true, during the camp, a total of 33 films (35mm) were developed. Particularly remarkable is the fact that the films ranged from ISO 400 to 3200, with the development time for the latter taking about half an hour. You might wonder how this is possible. To be honest, it’s all thanks to the AGO processor. The development process for all the films with varying sensitivities took approximately 5 hours in total. Indeed, a larger Patterson tank was used, capable of holding up to 8 films (35mm). Thus, the time saved compared to individual manual development was nearly fivefold.

“This is absolutely awesome!” was the main message of appreciation from the participants for the AGO processor. Each participant got a closer look at how the process worked with the processor and realized that it wasn’t as simple as they had imagined. Once the rolls were placed in the tank inside the dark bag, the rest was an enjoyable process of observation. “Can we do this right here in the yard?” they marveled. Yes, the AGO processor can be used anywhere. Even in nature. All the films developed during the camp required only about 10 liters of chemicals, which were stored in a canister after use for later disposal at a waste station. With conventional manual development, the chemical consumption would have exceeded 30 liters. Therefore, it’s not just about financial savings but also about saving time and, perhaps most importantly in this context, considering environmental conservation. By using fewer toxic substances multiple times, we also pollute nature less.

 In summary, it can be said that even if we set aside all the benefits that come from using the AGO processor, the most crucial aspect is the joy of analog photography for its users and the wonderful experiences everyone gains while enjoying this art form.

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AmbulARTtoorium in web:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambulartoorium/

Website: https://www.ambulartoorium.ee/

Written by Margus Metsaäär