The photo lab at Griffith High School is a hidden gem from another era. Tucked away between two classrooms, the photo lab is a place few students know about. The dark, black-painted room does not speak for the vibrant colors this room once produced.

The smell of chemicals in the air and the printing equipment inside create the atmosphere of this room. Printing equipment stations surround the room with a section in the middle for photos to develop in the chemicals. The room also has different light settings to develop the images properly.

Although the photo lab has not been used in a while, Griffith’s photography teacher, Mrs. Whelan, has plans to do future lessons with her art classes to teach them the history and process of printing photos before printers and technology.  “I feel like teaching this lesson to my students gives them the opportunity to feel the nostalgia of my past in high school and college printing photos,” Whelan said.  She is excited to teach her students about the photo lab. However, she feels that she needs a refresher after all these years.

A lot of effort went into making photos before new technology took over, and it was not as easy of a task as it is today. The process is fascinating and would interest many students to learn more about photography in the past.