Kanta.Studio

Darkroom, Brickfields– Nov
Walk the Doc, Kuala Lumpur- Nov
Kanta.Studio, Kuala Lumpur– Dec
Fotografik Van, Kuala Lumpur– Jan

Kanta.Studio is a portrait studio practising traditional silverprint photography. First started as an art project by Jeffrey Lim in 2012, followed by participating in art markets around Kuala Lumpur, producing instant hand-prints and conducting art workshops. In 2024, Jeff established a Darkroom in Brickfields and a mobile Fotografik Van studio, adding on to his Portraiture photography practise.

Portrait sessions are held monthly at Stellar Coffee, RexKL, but private sessions can be arranged at the private petite studio in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur or on location. A portrait session will take about 30-60 minutes. The photographs are printed on silver gelatin paper using traditional hand-printing methods. Private sessions are open throughout the week, by appointment, send an enquiry or make a booking here via Whatsapp.

Through Jeffrey Lim’s art research project, Kanta, he has built unique box cameras and photographed portraits since 2012 in rural Malaysia, Borneo included, Taiwan and Japan. The uniqueness of his alternative process with Black & White photography enables the exposures to be printed instantly on Silver Gelatin paper.

Silver print portrait, taken with Box Camera, 4 x 5 inch print mounted on acid-free backing card, Ilham Gallery, 2022.

Colour Instant Portraits available soon!

S I L V E R P R I N T P H O T O G R A P H Y

Silver Halide or Silver Gelatin print is the common type of black and white photograph of the 20th century. It is hand processed in a controlled darkroom environment and requires optical and chemical development to process out the image in print. Silver prints have archival properties and are now considered a historical process. To produced hand printed silverprints today is such a rarity in practise and a unique traditional process.

BW hand-print sizes available (ready instantly within session)

4 x 5 / 5 x 7 / 8 x 10 inches

Other formats available via special request and with additional darkroom processing.

Make a booking through our Whatsapp here.

K A N T A . S T U D I O S E R V I C E S

Portraiture

Portrait photography
Portrait Sessions once a month at Stellar Coffee at RexKL, Kuala Lumpur. Also available by appointment at a private petite studio at Brickfields. Instantly hand-printed on black & white silver gelatin paper. Instant Colour Portraits available soon!

Mobile / Event

Mobile session / event
With the mobile unit, the instant portrait session has the ability to photograph on location, indoors or outdoors. From within Kuala Lumpur city to outer Klang Valley. Event hire of up to three hours. Sessions are open throughout the week by appointment only.

Darkroom

Darkroom space
A basic darkroom setup in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. With up to six enlargers, from large format 4 x 5, 120 and 135 formats too. Available for rental*, BW workshops, and training. Basic chemicals and papers available. Darkroom is open by appointment only during working hours. (Under construction)

Workshops

Workshop modules
The four prepared modules are: Pinhole & the simple camera / Instant Portraits / Art printing with BW photo paper / 101 Photobook publishing. Additional darkroom modules to follow. Currently all sessions are by appointment only.

Print & Restoration

Analogue / digital
Restoration of heirloom prints or negatives, reproducing old photographic prints by hand, analogue and/ or digital methods. With hand-colouring/ tinting and photo-painting applications, BW silver gelatin printing (reduction or enlargement) available soon.

C U R R E N T P R O J E C T S

Fotografik Van, 1st quarter 2024– work in progress. Building a more mobile darkroom processing unit. With the ability to process BW prints on the go, the photographic van is a development from the use of the mobile darkroom tent unit. Coming soon, a test run probably ready in time for Hari Raya Eid season.

Kanta.Studio darkroom, 1st quarter 2024– work in progress. Opening up a basic darkroom for rental/ workshops, training. All my darkroom equipment collection finally seeing some permanence and use. Time to pass on the knowledge and expand the darkroom printing craft here in KL.

Potret Jalanan – (Street Portraits) an initiative to explore the possibilities of street box cameras in Kuala Lumpur city. A pilot to a program I would like to start, on creating a training workshop and box camera production. Creating a new street art culture with box camera portraiture. Starting with getting a street artist permit from the city council authority.

Instant Colour Portraits– First attempts at doing instant portraits in colour using the RA4 reversal process to produce a colour positive print instantly. The results were partially successful, getting acceptable colour balance is still a challenge. Will be running more test and make it available as an option in future events. <current>

Darkroom equipment sale– Refurbished specialised equipment for sale, mainly photographic enlargers and all darkroom accessories. Sold using Carousell, find the listings here. <Projek Sekaligus>

C O N T A C T / J E F F R E Y L I M

whatsapp kanta.studio
facebook kanta.studio.workshop
instagram _kanta.studio
email kanta.studio.my@gmail.com
for bookings, event & collaboration

With the support from

The Krishen Jit Fund 2013 & 2021, Five Arts Centre, Kuala Lumpur

Jeffrey Lim is a photography artist behind the art & research project Kanta Portraits. He has made unique box cameras that produce black & white portraits as part of his art practise. By merging the traditional practises of ‘large format’ camera and darkroom printing, he has intuitively made cameras that can print instantly, all within a box.

This century old practise of street box cameras has seen a revival around the world, and been aptly named as the living form of photography. Jeff has now ventured into establishing a portraiture studio and creating workshops to pass on the practise and knowledge, in order to share and create a continuity of this art form in Malaysia.