2025 Summer Sundays and LoFi Jaunts

Summer photowalks and activities for 2025 season.

On the last Sunday of July, August and September our photowalks will take place.

June

14/15th June – Darkbox Images – Open Studios – https://www.d2thecreativecentre.uk/ (Lift available from Edinburgh on the 14th)

July

25-27th July – JR will be showing prints at https://aberdourfestival.org/

July 27th – Granton Gasholder – Summer Sunday Photowalk – meet 11am at the giant Gasholder sign. LRT buses 8, 9, 14, 16, 22, 24, 38 stop nearby. Lunch somewhere after at 1pm – RSVP to info@, restaurant /cafe suggestions welcome and the exact itinery will be updated here nearer the date.

August

2nd/3rd August – JR will be showing prints at the Musselburgh Creates / Open Studios.

16th/August – Festival of Printmaking – Stirling (TBD)

Saturday August 30th – Meander round the Pentland Open Studios – https://postudios.org/

August 31st – Scottish Vintage Bus Museum – Summer Sunday Photowalk– https://www.svbm.online/ Lifts from Edinburgh available RSVP to info@, restaurant /cafe suggestions welcome. Venue opens 12:30. Coffee before. The exact itinery will be updated here nearer the date.

September

September 28th – Dalkeith – Summer Sunday Photowalk (TBD depending on the Photo Festival schedule). Lifts from Edinburgh available RSVP to info@, restaurant /cafe suggestions welcome. The exact itinery will be updated here nearer the date.

Cyanotype Day – Activities TBD

Also –

World Wide Pinhole Day 2024

Join us to celebrate pinhole day at the beautiful Saughton Park – we will meet at the cafe from 10:30 am. Photowalk between 11am and 1pm. All welcome.

We will then go on to have lunch – RSVP for lunch booking.

Weather and time permitting we will continue to explore the surrounding area after.

pinhole photo of an artichoke

Public Transport –

Ballgreen Tramstop is a short walk from the gardens.

Buses – 3, 25, 30, 33, 38 – all stop nearby.

2022 Pinhole Day

Meadows RGB Pinhole – 2021

Members Competition 2022.
Entries by midnight 23rd April. Anonymous independent judging, prize £50 photo materials voucher. Any pinhole process (sieve, zone plate, solargraph, camera obscura photo etc.) made between 24th April 2021 and April 23rd 2022. Submit one entry per person by email. (Digital file 1800px max side preferred ). Winner announced on pinhole day. In the event that any of the organisers photos are selected – the prize will go to runner up.

On Sunday the 24th of April we will celebrate the simplicity of camera vision with a photowalk and lunch. Join us on the day – All welcome!

11am Meet at East Gate of the Botanics

1pm Lunch (to be booked – possibly The Orchard – rsvp for place)

6pm Wrap Up – online. Competition winners will be announced.

Submit any pinhole photos taken on the 24th to the Edinburgh Lofi gallery group by June 30th 2022.

Please also send in any photos (including ones of your pinhole camera) you would like to add to this website or instagram – Thanks.

2022 Winter Photowalks

On the last Sunday in January, February and March we will meet for a socially distant outdoor photowalk. Gather for an 11:00 am start.

January 30th – Roslin Glen Country Park (meet at car park – please contact for car pooling).

February 27th – New Town Trail (meet at St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place)

March 27th – Old Town Trail (meet on Roof of Waverley Market)

120 Film is 120 Years Old!

Popularised by George Eastman, flexible film revolutionised and democratised photography in 1888 from the the cumbersome and technically complex plate processes. In 1900 the first version of the Brownie camera sold 100,000 and this portable and economical camera and spool film meant photography was available to the masses. The snapshot age was here.

120 Film today!

Designed by Frank Brownell, he named the camera after the household spirit in Scottish folklore – brownies or broonies (Scots) – these mischievous spirits are said to come out at night while the owners of the house are asleep and perform various chores. Making images was no longer the photographers chore.

This patent for the Brownie camera shows how the new spool film would be used.

In October 1901 the Brownie No.2 camera was released using a new size of film – 120. (The first version of the Brownie had used a similar but different spool – 117.)

Box Cameras from the 1920s and 30s – Rex Portrait, Kodak Brownie No.2, Ensign 2 1/4B

Still widely used today 120 is the only medium format film to survive in the digital age – hopefully it will still be here in another 120 years time!

Share your favourite 120 photo with us in the comments.

September 2021 and October Meetings

What we’ve been chatting about this month:

August Sander Mini Conferance

Pinstacamera

NGS The Worlds Edge – on until January 2022

Old Photographic Lenses

Gardener or Brady?

Celebrating 5 years of LoFi participating in Worldwide Cyanotype day! See the instagram gallery for images made by the group.

Brittonie Fletcher and S2 JGHS students Scotland Pandemic Wall Cyanotype
Brittonie Fletcher and S2 JGHS students Scotland Pandemic Wall – Cyanotype on recycled Amazon packaging

Cyanotype Toning book – Out on the 30th including work by Brittonie Fletcher .

solarised bridges
Solarised Forth Bridges – Silver Gelatin Print

Summer Sunday at South Queensferry – beautiful weather for our last summer photowalk of the year. Vintage cameras and ice cream!

Our upcoming October meetings :

  • 1st – 120 film is 120 years old – online.
  • 11th – Winter Exhibition – submission delivery deadline.
  • 12th – 2nd Tuesday – online from 6:30pm (BST)
  • 27th – Last Wednesday – Printmakers Cafe from 10:30am(BST)

June 2021 and July Meetings

This month we have been discussing :

Book – The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn

Favorite films featuring photography/photographers (leave yours in the comments?) and on the BBC Development of photography by Daguerre and Fox Talbot.

Exhibition – SSA Instant including work from LoFi members – Olive Dean, Judith Rowan, and Nettie Edwards.

Exhibition – Valerié Belin at the V&A (website -> Valerié Belin)

Exhibition – The Botanical Photography of Levon Biss ( website -> Levon Biss)

Exhibition – The Glasgow Girls and Boys at the Kirkcudbright Galleries

Custom cases and boxes for equipment and props.

Resources for alternative processes on Mike Ware’s Website.

And of course meeting people and seeing people’s actual physical photographic prints at the Botanics made for a great end to the month!

Our July meetings are as follows:

  • 11th – Collodion Club
  • 13th – 2nd Tuesday of the Month – Evening Meet from 6:30pm (BST)- Virtual, please email or DM for details.
  • 25th – Last Sunday of the Month – Summer Photowalk from 11am (Meet at Cramond Brig) – Cammo Estate and Almond River. Please email to indicate if you would like a lunch reservation or for car pool (regulations on date permitting). LRT bus 43 stops nearby.

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  • 28th – Last Wednesday of the Month – Coffee Morning from 10:30am – Outside Cafe at Saughton Gardens. LRT buses – 1, 2, 22, 30, 38 – stop nearby. Bring along an exposed film – lets swap!

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Hope to see you in July.

Summer Meetings

As the restrictions are loosened and the weather has improved we have some in person meetings planned.

IRIS GERMANICA cyanolumen by Olive Dean
IRIS GERMANICA cyanolumen by Olive Dean

Last Wednesdays of the Month

The next 4 Last Wednesday morning meeting will now take place outside –

  • June 30th

Botanics. We will meet at the coffee cart by Inverleith House (Terrace Cafe) from 10:30am. To visit the gardens you need to book a free time slot ticket for the day/time via Eventbrite -> HERE

  • July 28th

Saughton Park. We will meet by the cafe from 10:30am

  • August 25th

Saughton Park. We will meet by the cafe from 10:30am

  • September 29th

Botanics. We will meet at the coffee cart by Inverleith House (Terrace Cafe) from 10:30am. To visit the gardens you need to book a free time slot ticket for the day/time via Eventbrite -> HERE

For October and November we will meet at the Cafe at the Printmakers (Fountainbridge/Lemington) from 10:30am – they have both indoor and outdoor space.

Summer Sunday Photowalks

Photowalks are planned for the following dates, meeting at 11:00am (last Sunday of each month.)

  • July 25th – Cammo Estate and Crammond Brig
  • August 29th – Loch Leven
  • September 26th – South Queensferry

In the unlikely event our numbers are greater than government guidelines we will split into 2 or more separate groups. Social distancing should be maintained at all times. Please bring masks, hand sanitiser and follow any other rules in force at the date of the meeting.

If you are running late please text or DM for the groups location. Limited carpooling in accordance with guidelines is available – email if you need a lift.

The 2nd Tuesday monthly evening meetings will remain ONLINE.