Pinhole Camera Not a Bomb - 1 day Workshop by Michaela Davidova

About

WHERE
HOXTON 253 art project space, 253 Hoxton Street, N1 5LG

MISSION
As part of 'Going In Circles' exhibition by artist Michaela Davidova, come for a full day workshop at HOXTON 253! Make a pinhole camera from collected litter and develop the negative photographic paper in a DIY coffee developer.

WORKSHOP PLAN
History of Pinhole Photography 
Learn about inspiring artists and how pinhole photography was invented.

Pinhole Photography Principles and Calculations
Learn the basic calculations and principles related to pinhole photography, to understand the optimal pinhole diameter, focal length and focal number of pinhole cameras.

Make a Pinhole Camera
Now it is time to be creative and make your own unique pinhole camera. Artist Michaela Davidova will provide cleaned pieces of rubbish to use, she will collect these outside on Hoxton Street prior to the workshop. Participants are welcome to bring and upcycle any old object they might have and want to turn into a camera. The object has to be hollow and the only condition is the ability to turn it light-tight e.g.: a transparent glass candy jar won't but a tin one will work!

The method of changing light-sensitive paper and the storage of your exposed photographs will be also explained.

Lunch Break

Introducing Caffenol process 
Learn the recipe for a coffee developer as an alternative photographic process. 

Taking Pictures and Developing
The calculations of exposure time will be further explained.
Time to experiment with different exposures and compositions then develop the pictures in the coffee developer.

Drying the pictures, Cleaning, Discussion.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Empty containers will be prepared for the making of pinhole cameras. In case you would like to bring your own object you are welcome to do so. It is an upcycling workshop, so if you have something you want to give another life, please feel free to bring it along. Please remember that the box has to be (or it should be possible to make it) completely light-tight.

Bring lunch/snacks. There is an off-licence next to the gallery, and Saturday's Hoxton Street Market will cater with some great street food too.

Last but not least, bring some good mood and lots of energy as it will be a long day!

HOW MUCH
Each workshop costs £40 per person.
Limited places (12 each day) bookable through the link below:
http://buytickets.at/hoxton253/270316

MORE FROM THE ARTIST
"The workshop is the continuum of the project 'Own Your Own Space // The Hoard of the World Seen Through the Eyes of an Aluminium Can'.
As a pinhole photographer and craftivist I wanted to respond to the rubbish which is present in our public space. I decided to convert the found pieces into a pinhole camera and take pictures from its perspective. How is the world seen through the eyes of litter? Pinhole images show distorted reality of our world. Each photograph and the GPS position of the found object is uploaded to the online map of the project. Unless we stop to litter the space we share with others, the project continues to map the hoard of the world.

When I moved to the United Kingdom, in 2013, the scenery of rubbish in the city was something that fascinated me. You can find anything on the streets – from new and unwanted products, obsolete and broken junk to carelessly discarded litter which was left behind as a by-product of quick consumerism. Each place has its own “number one rubbish”. In Cardiff it is the aluminium can, while in the fast paced tempo of London city the coffee take away cups can be commonly spotted.

Following my interest in the alternative photographic techniques I also started to experiment with Caffenol. The process where coffee is used as a DIY photographic paper developer."

https://michaeladavidova.com/
https://www.instagram.com/aytacrayta/