Photography Lab

Monday–Thursday 8 AM–10 PM
Friday 8 AM–7 PM
Saturday 9 AM–5 PM
Sunday closed

The photo lab and lighting studio close promptly at the scheduled time; “last call” is 30 minutes before closing.

Access to the Otis photography lab is limited to students who are currently registered and enrolled in classes. Students must complete a release form at the beginning of each semester, agreeing to be financially responsible for all equipment checked out, as well as releasing Otis College of Art and Design and its employees from any legal obligations. The photo department is not responsible for the safety of your prints or your personal belongings. Never leave cameras, bags, or equipment (ours or yours) unattended!

You must know the proper and safe operation of any equipment and facilities that you wish to use. You must attend a proper demonstration with a photo lab technician before access is granted. Equipment can be reserved in-person, or by calling the photo crib at 310-665-6971.

All equipment loans are for 24 hours only. A late fee of $5 per day will apply for each item checked out and will accrue until equipment is returned. Additional equipment may not be checked out until all late fees have been paid. Students are responsible for all equipment checked out under your name, including all late fees and replacement costs incurred from loss or damage. Students should not have others return equipment for them. All students who use the facility should help keep it clean, use equipment carefully, and report problems to the on-duty photo lab technicians or the lab manager.

It is the mutual responsibility of students and faculty to review all relevant health and safety standards at the beginning of each semester. There are material safety data sheets (MSDS) readily available in the photo department for all approved curricular chemicals. If a student brings in chemistry to fit a particular need, the student must also come with a printed copy of the relevant MSDS sheets.

Any student who is pregnant, has allergies, is highly sensitive to chemicals, or has other health concerns should consult a doctor about potential risks. Be familiar with the location of fire extinguishers, eyewashes, and first aid kits. NEVER smoke, eat, or drink in any of the photo lab facilities.

Lab coats or aprons, neoprene gloves, eye goggles, and towels are recommended when students use the darkroom. In case of skin contact with irritating chemicals, wash the area immediately with plenty of water. In case of eye contact, rinse the eye for 15 minutes and call a physician. Always request help from the photo lab techs or manager. Please clean up any spills immediately: when wet chemistry dries, it forms a powder that is far more easily inhaled or ingested.

All equipment needed to process film and print should only be used within the photo department and returned to the photo crib the same day before the crib closes. Other equipment such as cameras, light meters, tripods, and lighting kits are checked out on a daily basis except on weekends. Equipment checked out on Friday and Saturday is due back the following Monday. Certain pieces equipment may be placed on reserve ahead of time by contacting the photo crib. Access to some equipment and facilities is only granted to students in upper level advanced courses. Contact a photo lab tech or manager if you have questions about equipment availability.

Students will be held financially responsible for the safe return of all equipment they check out from the Otis photo crib. Students will be held financially responsible for the exact replacement cost and fee of an identical new item if the item checked out has been lost, stolen, or damaged. The replacement cost charge will be equivalent to the cost of new equipment. Students will be charged a fine of $5.00 per day for each piece of late equipment checked out.
Students who repeatedly abuse their checkout privileges will lose the ability to checkout equipment and use the facilities.

Crib

The photo crib is stocked with film cameras, digital cameras, and lighting equipment. Cameras used for introductory courses are checked out on a first come first serve basis. Reservation on higher-end cameras can be placed up to two weeks in advance. Students are responsible for the repair or replacement of broken, damaged, or lost equipment. If not returned on time, a $5 per day late fee will accrue on each piece of equipment until returned.

Digital Lab

The digital lab is open to photo majors and students currently enrolled in a photo class. The digital lab is equipped with sixteen color-calibrated iMac Pros, two Epson P5000 printers, one Epson 4900 printer, one Epson 7890 printer, one Epson P10000 printer, and one Canon 6100 printer, three Epson flatbed scanners, two Nikon CoolScans, and two Hasselblad Flextight X1 scanners.

The computers in this lab are for editing, printing, and scanning purposes only. You may be asked to leave if you are not editing, printing, or scanning work. The Flextight scanners are reserved for students who have completed Photo III. The Epson flatbed scanners and Nikon CoolScans are only available to students who have received a demonstration from an Otis photo lab tech.

Ink and paper are supplied, but lab fees do not cover the cost; students are charged directly from PaperCut based on the size and media of their project. The lab supplies both matte and luster paper for student printing.

Custom Printing

All students can drop off work for printing; the lab requires a 24-hour turnaround for all print jobs. The lab also has a Sharp MX-7090 printer for the production of books and zines. The necessary forms and fees for all custom print jobs can be found on the OPL website under printing services.

Film Processing Area

The film processing area has chemistry for processing black and white negative film. Everything needed for processing film will be found under the sink; all funnels, reels, canisters, and lids MUST BE rinsed and dried before they are put away.

This area also houses a film drying cabinet, print drying rack, RC paper print dryer, hot press, print viewing area, light table, and eye-wash station. Do not insert fiber paper into the RC print dryer. Only prints that have spent sufficient time in the print washer may be put through the print dryer. Prints left in the lab that are not claimed in a reasonable amount of time will be moved to a lost print box which is periodically dumped in the trash. The photography department is not responsible for the safety of your prints.

Black and White Darkroom

The black and white darkroom is available for students who have completed or are currently enrolled in darkroom classes. The group darkroom has twelve enlargers that can print up to 4x5 negatives, with print sizes up to 24 inches. The darkroom will be set up for all classes. For individual students printing outside of class time, an enlarger must be checked out.

The darkroom has a large sink for printing and washing. Please ask an on-duty lab tech to mix chemistry if it is not already set up when you arrive. Do not attempt to mix chemistry by yourself. Print viewing trays are not meant for clean, washed prints. All prints must be fully washed before placing on the racks or (when printing on RC paper) if the print dryer is used.

Lighting Studio/green Screen Room

The lighting studio is stocked with strobes, hot lights, LED and Kino Flos, light stands, seamless backdrops, flags, reflectors, clamps, booms, and other miscellaneous studio accessories. The studio contains a large shooting cove and green screen area, Access to the studio is allowed only after students have received proper training by the photo lab manager. Studio training is offered on the second Monday of every month to individuals, or instructors can set up a training for their entire class.

Reservations for the studio can be made by contacting the photo lab at 310-665-6971. Studio reservations are offered in 4-hour blocks with no back-to-back bookings. If a student does not arrive within 30 minutes of the reservation time, the reservation will be released and given away on a first come first serve basis. Classes have priority over the studio. The lighting studio is large enough and is stocked with enough equipment so that it can be easily shared by groups of students, and students are encouraged to work together on their studio assignments[EFO1], especially in times of high demand. However, students who have not completed the studio training are not permitted to handle any equipment. Students may not reserve more than two time slots at a time for the studio. A late fee will apply if the lighting studio is not returned cleaned and on time.

Failure to follow the rules will result in the loss of lighting studio privileges.

BFA student Access

Students must have successfully completed relevant coursework before access will be granted to specialized equipment. Unauthorized use of equipment will result in the loss of lab privileges. Certain equipment may not be checked out until competency has been demonstrated to the lab manager or head tech. BFA students have access to the studio, darkroom, and equipment only while currently enrolled. BFA students do not have summer access.

All students must complete a demo in the lighting studio. Students found to have checked out equipment for another person or a person not authorized by TSS will have their access denied. TSS reserves the right to deny access to facilities and/or equipment to any person who fails to abide by the above rules or whose actions compromise the safety of or otherwise disrupt the communal use of the facility or equipment.

MFA Student Access

All MFA students must sign lab agreements and present a valid X-number in the photography lab for equipment checkout. Students must be enrolled in or have successfully completed coursework for specialized equipment before access will be granted. Unauthorized use of equipment will result in the loss of lab privileges. Technicians are not authorized to teach specialized equipment to students; access to facilities and/or equipment may be achieved by scheduling an appointment with the photo lab manager or head lab tech.

Higher-end cameras may not be checked out until proficiency has been proven to the lab manager or head lab tech. If needed, students may schedule demonstrations of these cameras with the lab manager or head lab tech to gain access. MFA students have access to darkroom, studio, and camera equipment only while currently enrolled. MFA students have limited access during the summer.

Continuing Education Student Access

Continuing education students only have access to facilities pertaining to their specific coursework during their classes only.

No equipment from the crib will be checked out to continuing education students.

Faculty and Staff Access

Faculty and staff must adhere to normal lab/studio hours. Enrolled students working on class assignments have priority for use of equipment/facilities over faculty and staff working on personal projects. Faculty and staff found to have checked out equipment or reserved facilities for another person or to offer access to a person not authorized by TSS will have their access revoked. TSS reserves the right to deny access of the facilities and/or equipment to any person who fails to abide by the above rules or whose actions compromise the safety of, or otherwise disrupt the communal use of the facility or equipment.

Please note: Failure to follow any of the above stated TSS policies may result in access restrictions and/or dismissal from the facilities...This will be strictly enforced.

Photo Lab equipment may be checked-out and returned according to the following schedule:
Mon – Thurs: Equipment is due back the next day by 4pm
Fri – Sat: Equipment is due back the following Monday by 4pm (During closures, equipment is due back the next open weekday by 4pm)
Equipment is due promptly; Late Fees begin to accrue as soon as the equipment is past due in the system.

Reservations are permitted for all photo lab equipment. Reservations may be placed two weeks in advance. Equipment availability is limited and reservations are handled on a first come, first serve basis. Students may reserve equipment by speaking directly with a Photo Lab tech at the 6th floor checkout crib, or by telephone at 310-665-6971. Students are responsible for notifying the Photo Lab if they are unable to pick up their equipment as scheduled. Reservations will be released if a student has not arrived within 30 minutes of their scheduled pick up time.

Equipment may be renewed in person or by phone for additional checkout periods unless it has been reserved by another student under the reservation guidelines.

The Photo Lab equipment inventory is regularly maintained and considered to be in working order. Students are responsible for inspecting equipment before they leave the lab. If any missing or damaged items are found, the student must notify the technician on duty and make note of the condition in the system. Access to some equipment is only granted to students in upper level advanced courses after proficiency using the equipment has been demonstrated to a lab technician. All equipment needed to process film and produce prints or scans should only be used within the Photo Department and returned to the Crib the same day before the crib closes. The equipment is to be used in accordance with the proper operating procedures outlined in the user documentation. The Photo Lab and Technical Support Services are not responsible for any data left on cameras, memory cards, or other devices. Students are responsible for backing up all and removing all data before returning equipment. Students who abuse checkout privileges may be forbidden to check out equipment or use the facilities.

All Enrolled Otis Students

35mm SLR cameras
Portable Strobe Kits*
Speedlight Flash Units
Pocket Wizards*
Light Meters
Tripods
Canon Rebel Digital Cameras & Rebel Series Digital Lenses
Hot Lights & Light Stands
Wacom Tablets

Students Enrolled in Photo I or Above

All of the above equipment
Darkroom Equipment
Film Developing Equipment
4x5 Monorail Cameras*
4x5 Field Cameras*
6x4.5 Cameras*
6x7 Cameras*
6x6 Cameras*
Epson Scanner Film Holders

Students Enrolled in Photo Ii or Above

All of the above equipment
Digital Hasselblad for Studio use only*
8x10 Camera for Studio use only*
Flextight Scanner film holders*
Canon 5D MK II & III Digital Cameras*

Fine Arts Juniors and Seniors

All of the above equipment
Canon 5D MK II & III Digital Cameras*

* Students may check out only after proving competence with equipment or upon completion of a demo from a lab tech.

Students are expected to return the equipment clean and in working order, and are responsible for all repairs or replacement costs resulting from damage during their use. Repair costs will be estimated by an approved Repair Service Center. If an item is lost or deemed irreparable by the service center, the borrower may elect to replace the equipment or pay its fair market replacement value as determined by recent Sold listings on eBay or Amazon marketplace. Replacements must be the same model and in equal or better condition than the original.

Fees begin to accrue as soon as the equipment is past due in the system. All Photo Lab equipment accrues a late fee of $5 per day per item.* A printed invoice will be provided from the WebCheckout System and payments may be made at the Business Office in Ahmanson Hall, Room 218. Holds on accounts will be removed once proof of payment has been provided to the Photo Lab.

*Camera and Lighting kits will be treated as a singular item.

A Checkout Hold is automatically placed on the student’s account once any equipment is overdue in the system. A Checkout Hold will prevent the student from borrowing equipment from any of the college’s WebCheckout Centers. If any equipment is not returned, replaced, or repaired within 30 days of the original due date or by the last class meeting of the semester, a Student Accounts Hold is placed. When a hold is sent to the Office of Student Accounts, per the Student Enrollment Agreement, all grades, transcripts, and future enrollment may be withheld until the account for the current semester is paid in full. Please contact the Office of Student Accounts in Ahmanson Hall, Room 209 for questions regarding individual accounts.

CE, Pre-College, and Summer of Art students have access only to equipment pertaining directly to their specific coursework during the term in which they are enrolled and have been properly trained to operate. All equipment checked out to CE students is due back the same day that it was checked out, before the lab closes.

The borrower is expected to return the equipment clean and in working order, and is responsible for all repairs or replacement costs resulting from damage during their use. Repair costs will be estimated by an approved Repair Service Center. If an item is lost or deemed irreparable by a service center, the borrower may opt to replace the equipment or pay fair market replacement value as determined by 4 Revised 4/24/13 recent Sold listings on eBay or Amazon marketplace. The replacement equipment must be the same model and condition, or newer equivalent.

The borrower is expected to return the equipment clean and in working order, and is responsible for all repairs or replacement costs resulting from damage during their use. Repair costs will be estimated by an approved Repair Service Center. If an item is lost or deemed irreparable by a service center, the borrower may opt to replace the equipment or pay fair market replacement value as determined by recent Sold listings on eBay or Amazon marketplace. The replacement equipment must be the same model and condition, or newer equivalent. A printed invoice will be provided from the WebCheckout system and payments may be made at the Business Office in Ahmanson Hall, Room 218.

Once any equipment is past due in accordance with the checkout time periods, a Checkout Hold is automatically placed on the borrower’s account. A Checkout Hold will prevent the patron from making reservations or borrowing equipment at any of the college’s WebCheckout Centers. If any equipment is not returned, replaced, or repaired within 30 days of the original due date, the account will be considered Delinquent.* Faculty account delinquencies will be forwarded to the Provost’s Office, and non--‐Academic Affairs Staff delinquencies will be referred to Human Resources. Non--‐payment of repair or replacement charges will be noted in the context of annual Performance Evaluations.

*It is not within the Photo Lab’s purview to make exceptions to College checkout policies; Faculty may direct their concerns to the Provost’s Office, and Staff to Human Resources, should the need arise.