I’ll be moving to Taiwan in August to teach English, but photography is my hobby.
I do black and white photography and like to make my own prints.
I know the world’s going digital, but from what I’ve seen in the West, b + w photography is alive and well, and it’s easy to find photo paper, film, etc.
I’m wondering what the situation is like in Taipei. Any photographers in Taipei know where I can find darkroom space in the city? Is photo paper and b + w film readily available?
I had my own B&W darkroom here in Taipei for years … and still have it packed in a carton now.
Supplies are available at “Han Kou Street” (excuse my Pinyin) its behind the train station. They mainly sell Ilford and Kodak, chemicals, papers and films.
Prices compared to Germany were much, much lower abbout 50 % of the german price. I once bought a role of 10m x 1m Ilford Multigrade and cut my own sizes out of it - a real bargain for only NT$ 4000,---- (Maybe they made a serious calculation mistake, though…)
As for b&w labs for ent … sorry, don’t know any.
My wife is really into black and white photography and has had trouble finding a darkroom. A darkroom is easy to create, but what to do about an enlarger??
There is a private photography school on Chung-Hsiao E Rd, but their classes average about NT$2000 each session, I think it’s about NT$25,000 for ten or so. I am hoping that after her Mandarin improves she can attend classes at a local university in order to use their darkroom. Earlier we had a “reputable” developing studio develop some of her Black and White pictures by hand and they not only scratched up her negatives, they did a horrible job 
Anyway, best of luck. If I find anything I will let you know.
I search the net and find the studio providing darkroom renting service.
http://myweb.hinet.net/home3/c120/page_room1.htm
It’s in Keelung, though.
地址
基隆市愛二路九號
電話
(02)2422-2099
(02)2425-9398
0935-315-999
By the way,
It should be 千里之行，始於足下, instead of 千里之行，使於足下.
If anyone is interested in finding these shops together (instead of getting lost individually), I’d be down.
I have a bunch of negatives from way back, travels, etc that i’d like to make into a presentable portfolio of sorts. don’t have a darkroom.
or perhaps even start a photography class where we could exchange ideas, talk about gear. i dunno.
Hello! How about we start a photography club, something like the movie club in Forumosa?
Two or three people is enough. More would be better.
And then I can try to find the darkroom for us to rent.
By the way, I am a Taiwanese who used to take lots of photography courses in college.
I use digital camera now. But it’s different from b&w photography.
Dunno, this may sound snippy, but get a digital camera, a good photo printer, and mess around with photoshop?
Not so many chemicals…nor as much equipment needed.
[quote=“Alien”]Dunno, this may sound snippy, but get a digital camera, a good photo printer, and mess around with photoshop?
Not so many chemicals…nor as much equipment needed.[/quote]
Yep you are gettin’ snippity… a decent film camera and a brain = good shots whereas a crappy digi cam means skezillions of unwanted MB wasting space. 
I have a digi, dont get me wrong, great tool, but there is nothing like being the creator of a beautiful B&W medium format portrait and then processing it in your own lab. Photoshop is like any tool, unless you are a master your results will be poor.
I agree… Digital photography is not that simple - one really has to spend time on it to learn this craft… Since it can be a very “fast” tool, we dont dedicate ourselve to it as we do with old fashion photography.
How many pictures did I process from a 36 exposure roll in my darkroom? In average maximum 6. But most of my digital photos end up on CD-Roms and on my HDD… You see it on your computer-screen and you think that’s good enough.
As a result, I only hang hand-made b&w prints on my walls.
Photography club is a great idea. I’m really keen on finding some darkroom space when I get to Taipei in August, because i don’t think I can live without making black and white prints.
Question: can one find Agfa black and white film in Taipei? If not, what about Ilford? (I’m not that keen on Kodak) Trying to decide whether I should just buy a whole lot of Agfa APX before I come over.
Second Question: I’m assuming the photo paper is metric (ie 24 x 30 cm) Am I correct?
[quote=“Etheorial”]Photography club is a great idea. I’m really keen on finding some darkroom space when I get to Taipei in August, because I don’t think I can live without making black and white prints.
Question: can one find Agfa black and white film in Taipei? If not, what about Ilford? (I’m not that keen on Kodak) Trying to decide whether I should just buy a whole lot of Agfa APX before I come over.
Second Question: I’m assuming the photo paper is metric (ie 24 x 30 cm) Am I correct?[/quote]
I think you will be pleasantly suprised when you come to Taipei. Photography is a big deal here with many hobbyists and professionals alike. Second hand and new equipment and accessories are adundant and well priced. Processing costs are ridiculously cheap (compared to US, Aust etc).
Whilst I cant answer your questions with total confidence, I reckon you will be just fine!
AWOL, you have a medium format? Which one.
I am not really a photographer but I have wanted to learn for a while now but there are no English courses that I heard about. Anyway, from I what saw, medium format is superior to any digital camera.
Have a couple - Hasselbald 5 series, Fuji 670 and an old Yashica thing.
If you are wanting to get into medium format I recommend going and seeing Jackie at JS Foto in Bo Ai Rd. The Yashica 124G is a good starter. 6x6 is sweet, I love it. When you look at most fashion etc mags, almost all the pix are square - med format. (unless they crop etc)
Dig has a long way to go before it will come within a whisker of medium format, IMHO.
[quote=“Etheorial”]Photography club is a great idea. I’m really keen on finding some darkroom space when I get to Taipei in August, because I don’t think I can live without making black and white prints.
Question: can one find Agfa black and white film in Taipei? If not, what about Ilford? (I’m not that keen on Kodak) Trying to decide whether I should just buy a whole lot of Agfa APX before I come over.
Second Question: I’m assuming the photo paper is metric (ie 24 x 30 cm) Am I correct?[/quote]
Agfa APX 100 and Agfa APX 400 is available - although I think that they dropped that Agfa dropped the Agfapan 25 from the range. Also all Ilford and Kodak B&W is available.
And yes, sizes of Ilford - Paper (both Baryth and PE) are metric
What might be worthwhile bringing from the US is a light-meter for your darkroom - those I found quite expensive here… And since it’s small anyway, bring your own enlarger lens - i.e. Rodenstock and Schneider are more expensive here than in my home country.
Have a couple - Hasselbald 5 series, Fuji 670 and an old Yashica thing.
If you are wanting to get into medium format I recommend going and seeing Jackie at JS Foto in Bo Ai Rd. The Yashica 124G is a good starter. 6x6 is sweet, I love it. When you look at most fashion etc mags, almost all the pix are square - med format. (unless they crop etc)
Dig has a long way to go before it will come within a whisker of medium format, IMHO.[/quote]
The Yashica 124G is the Rolleiflex-Style 6X6 … I thought they don’t produce anymore??
Have a couple - Hasselbald 5 series, Fuji 670 and an old Yashica thing.
If you are wanting to get into medium format I recommend going and seeing Jackie at JS Foto in Bo Ai Rd. The Yashica 124G is a good starter. 6x6 is sweet, I love it. When you look at most fashion etc mags, almost all the pix are square - med format. (unless they crop etc)
Dig has a long way to go before it will come within a whisker of medium format, IMHO.[/quote]
The Yashica 124G is the Rolleiflex-Style 6X6 … I thought they don’t produce anymore??[/quote]
They dont make them anymore but they can be found on eBay and in Taiwan quite readily. (considerably cheaper than a Rollei 6x6 as well)
Good to know the Agfa APX is available.
The Agfapan 25 is legendary. It went out of production before I got serious about photography, but all the photographers I know now say it was some of the best 35 mm film ever made. Apparently, the grains in it are so fine, that prints made from it can sometimes look like medium format.
Anybody got any extra they wanna sell 
Just checking, but you guys do know the camera street area not far from HsiMenDing and the Train Station around the intersection of Bo Ai Rd and Kai Feng St. right?
Many of the stores have already gone digital, but there are still many shops with Medium Format etc…particularly on Bo Ai Rd. But have a look at all of the shops in the area north of Kaifeng St on the west side of Bo Ai Rd. and East of Bo Ai on the North Side of Kai Feng Street.
There is a really nice used camera shop on Fushing N road between Pateh Rd and Chungsiao. They have a slew of used Medium format cameras, and some really nice older 35mm stuff…
I don’t have the address with me, but it you were walking from Pateh to Chungsiao on the right hand side of the street, you’d simply go to the first (or second) lane going right, cross it, and go into the first doorway. The shop is upstairs on the second floor. Husband and wife team, and both speak English. I’ve bought some nice stuff from them over the years, and they do trades.
Worth checking out…
Great - thx Michael - I never even knew they existed.
I have a Konica Hexar Silver for sale if anyone is keen. I wont post it on the For Sale section here, as this thread attracts all the photog types.