Diogo Pinho entered Berlin Photo Studio through a workshop and stayed to learn what happens behind the images. His story is built around curiosity: ask questions, try the process, understand the mistake and try again.
A workshop opened the laboratory door
Diogo’s connection with Berlin Photo Studio began after he attended a workshop. A conversation about film photography turned into an opportunity to return during the week and continue learning inside the studio.
He now mainly loads film and develops black-and-white rolls. He also participated in the latest PolaWalk, connecting technical laboratory learning with the larger community around the studio.
What does Diogo bring to the team?
Diogo describes himself as someone who likes exploring, learning new things and having fun. He does not pretend to know everything already. He brings energy, questions and a willingness to experiment.
In a film lab, that attitude matters. A question asked early can prevent a mistake later, while repeating a process carefully is how theoretical information becomes dependable practice.
The first roll developed alone
His strongest memory so far is the first time he developed a roll by himself in the laboratory. It marked a small but important change: he was no longer only watching the process but taking responsibility for temperature, time, agitation and handling.
That moment made the process feel real and gave him more motivation to photograph. His next goal is ambitious and practical: learn to develop a wider range of film stocks and formats.
A first SLR and a familiar colour film
Diogo’s favourite camera is the Pentax ME Super. It was his first SLR and, in his words, his first love. The camera is connected to the beginning of his analogue practice.
His go-to colour film is Kodak Gold 200, processed in standard C-41 chemistry. It is the film he has used most often for travel, skateboarding, friends and discovering new places.
Learning by doing
Diogo’s role shows why workshops can become more than a one-time activity. A good workshop removes the fear around a process. Continued practice turns that first understanding into a skill.
Read his complete Diogo Pinho profile or follow @_derexer_.
FAQ
What does Diogo do at Berlin Photo Studio?
He assists with film loading and black-and-white development while learning the wider laboratory workflow.
What camera and film does Diogo use?
His favourite camera is the Pentax ME Super and his most-used colour film is Kodak Gold 200.
What does Diogo want to learn next?
He wants to understand how to develop more film formats and a wider range of film stocks.
What this story adds to analogue photography
Meet Diogo Pinho: Learning the Film Lab by Doing is not only a profile or recommendation; it shows how photographic practice grows through repetition, curiosity and contact with other people. The useful lesson is to notice the decisions behind the work: why a camera was chosen, how editing changed the sequence and what the photographer learned from the physical negative or print.
Readers can use those decisions as questions for their own practice without copying another person's style.
A simple reflection exercise
- Choose one image or idea from this article that stays with you.
- Describe what attracts you without using technical language.
- Identify one practical choice behind that feeling.
- Make a small shoot, edit or print that tests the same question.
- Write down what changed when the work became physical.
This turns meet diogo pinho: learning the film lab by doing into a starting point rather than something consumed and forgotten.
Build a personal reference library
Keep notes about photographers, books, conversations, exhibitions and prints that influence you. Record the exact image, page or idea rather than only the title. Over time, repeated themes reveal what you genuinely care about.
Pair inspiration with production: for every reference saved, make a photograph, contact sheet, edit or print. The archive becomes useful when it changes the work.
Questions to carry forward
- What does this person or work pay attention to?
- Which choices feel deliberate rather than fashionable?
- What is gained by using film or making a print?
- How does collaboration change the result?
- Which part could be tested with the equipment already available?
There is no need to answer everything immediately. Good creative questions can remain active across many rolls.
Start with a clear baseline
Before making a decision about meet diogo pinho: learning the film lab by doing, record what is already known. Note the film format, stock, ISO, camera, exposure conditions, processing request and scan type whenever they apply. A short written baseline prevents one unknown from being mistaken for another and makes advice from a laboratory or technician much more precise.
Change one variable at a time. If the film, camera, processing and scanning all change together, even a good result teaches very little. A repeatable comparison is slower for one roll but faster for learning.
Use evidence rather than the preview alone
A small phone preview is useful, but it is not the whole record behind meet diogo pinho: learning the film lab by doing. Keep original scans, inspect physical film where relevant and compare complete sequences instead of one cropped frame. Frame edges, spacing, markings, density and repetition often reveal information that disappears in an edited JPEG.
When asking for help, send one full-resolution example and a photograph of the complete strip or object. Describe what is visible before naming the suspected cause.
Related guides: Meet Beatrice Testa: Learning Through Analogue Practice.
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