New developments in the dark room

Josh Dawson – May 1, 2026 / Castanet // Photo: Castanet

Kamloops photographer Jess Beaudin poses for a photo while setting up her exhibit at at the Old Courthouse at 7 Seymour Street West.

Sagebrush, chokecherries, shells and salt water are all you need to develop film, thanks to a new process created by Kamloops photographer Jess Beaudin.

Photos created with Beaudin’s alternative film development technique will be featured in her upcoming exhibit, titled Re//Generate: Eco-Accountability in Art and Fashion.

“I do shoot a lot of film and so knowing that I had such a big environmental footprint, I wanted to find a way to reduce that,” Beaudin told Castanet.

“I also incorporate the land a lot in my work anyways, and try and encourage regenerative practices and having a relationship with the land, so it just felt like a really natural thing to do for my work.”

The typical film development process uses harsh chemicals. Silver halide is removed from the film during the final process, and any chemicals the film soaks in becomes “toxic waste.”

Beaudin’s process uses materials that are native to the province and salt water is used to fix the film — the process of removing silver halide to make the image light-safe.

She said the salt water can be reused, reducing the amount of waste created.

It took months of trial and error for Beaudin to “reverse engineer” a lower toxicity film recipe called Caffenol, which uses caffeine, washing soda and vitamin C instead of harsher chemicals.

“I was like, okay, I can probably find alternatives for the vitamin C and the washing soda with things that are around here so that it’s completely natural, and I’m not getting manufactured ingredients brought in that come with their own environmental costs,” Beaudin said.

According to her website, the process takes three days to complete compared to the 12 minutes it takes to use traditional chemicals.

Beaudin’s exhibit features photos that used the inventive process, as well as digital images, of designs by seven female B.C. fashion designers who practice sustainability in their work.

She said fashion and photography are both “extractive industries” that have worked “hand in hand for decades,” but her exhibit will highlight more sustainable practices.

“I’m really inspired by fashion, particularly people who are also doing similar things to me in regards to eco-accountability in the land,” Beaudin said.

“How are we all taking these practices in our own art and lives and how can we encourage other people to start innovating other changes they can make in their own lives, so that together all of these little sustainable changes work as a larger systems change towards environmental reciprocity and a relationship with the land.”

The exhibit will be free to attend and will run from May 2 to 28 at the Old Courthouse at 7 Seymour Street West.

A gallery reception will be held on May 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and includes an artist talk from Beaudin, as well as discussion and clothing sales from designers featured in the photos.

She said educational materials about her film development process and how it can be replicated at home. Beaudin said she would also be hosting an alternative film processing workshop in June as well, with registration opening in the coming weeks.

“What I mostly want people to take away is the idea that we can all make changes in our lives and innovate new ways to be more environmentally conscious and develop a relationship with the land,” Beaudin said.

“And just how, if we all make these small changes, we can make a really big shift towards like protecting our environment and also upholding Indigenous cultures who have stewarded this land like for time immemorial.”

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