The Print Space We visit a gallery and darkroom in one of England’s historic market towns

The Print Space Visited by Charles Binns

Just off the corner of the Market Square in Ludlow is a courtyard with a small shop front entitled The Print Space

I popped in and was surprised to find an exhibition of analogue prints by Harry Fearn (see the book review on page 18) and to my surprise a teaching darkroom in the cellar below the gallery space. Much of the darkroom equipment was donated by David Hearn who handed over the entire contents of his to the project. A few words from Peter Jones who set this whole thing up. ‘I started the Photo Space in 2016, a post-retirement indulgence. Exhibitions have included photographers like Paul Hill, Martin Parr, David Hurn, Maria Falconer, Boyd & Evans and Peter Cattrell .

Very soon after opening I realised how important photography is to many people, a form of therapy, solace and a lifeline. So, I set up a charity to introduce the joy of photography to people with difficulties in their lives, ranging between mental and physical health, bereavement, loneliness, dyslexia and loss of self-worth.

With volunteers, we work with organisations such as MIND, the NHS, GPs and other charities to identify people who may benefit from what we do.

We concentrate on the joy of photography, going beyond a snap into the realms of planning, preparation, composition and creativity. We have a few mottos:

"SloPho" - slow photography

"SloPhoMo" - slow photography movement

"A camera is like a best pal dog, but without the poo"

"Say what you feel without speaking a word"

Many of us come from film days and, among the young, there is a growing interest in film and the

Above: A general view of the darkroom. Left: The shop frontage. Right: The enlarger which David Hurn donated to The Print Space.

darkroom - a desire "to be in control" and not to depend on algorithms. Therefore, we set up a darkroom in our basement with the help of generous donations of equipment and expertise from people such as David Hurn, Boyd & Evans and Tansy Spinks. The completed darkroom was opened to the public on 14 March 2020, two days before lockdown began! Since then we have had to seriously limit access. Our aims for tuition, workshops and general use are on hold until there is a reasonable solution to the challenges of pandemics. In the meantime, with full protection measures, we offer limited use of the darkroom for one person or a max of two at a time. Anyone interested can contact us on info@tpsc.org.uk. ‘

If you are in the area it is well worth a visit. Peter also has a good selection of second hand photography books that can be bought to support the efforts of his charity.