No need for dark arts?

What I most vividly remember when I first enrolled on a photography course, as a teenager, is discovering the joys of the darkroom: the smell of the chemicals, the magical experience of seeing your images materialise before your eyes, the process of trial and error to get the tone and contrast right.

That, however, was nearly 30 years ago, before the digital revolution - so it surprises me to read that "many schools, colleges, universities and photography courses still focus on the teaching of darkroom practice". While Grant Scott of the United Nations Of Photography doesn't deny the pleasure to be taken in analogue processes, he does question why they continue to be considered in some way essential to learning your craft. 

There are, he suggests, compelling reasons to ditch darkroom sessions - principally the cost of the materials, which are only covered by the educational institution for the duration of the course. The focus, he argues, should instead be on ensuring that the profession is as accessible as possible.

Scott's right, I think. If courses are to be truly vocational, then students should be given the best preparation for the realities of life outside the classroom. As undeniably enjoyable as they are to master, the alchemical skills of old are simply no longer relevant.