Category: Processes

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.

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)

April 2021

This month we have been discussing :

Pinhole Snowdrops by Ali Millar

Pinhole Day 2021 (Snowdrops by Ali Millar)

UV lamps for Cyanotypes and other alternative processes.

Possible dates for the next Collodion Club at Darkbox Images when restrictions permit.

Tilt Shift attachments for 35mm (just in case your View Camera isn’t handy!) and other lens adaptors.

Adapting modern film to 127 cameras.

Historical processes – Lithophane and Woodbury type – and modern practitioners.

Radioactive lenses.

How to get the most out of Hahnemuehle Platinum Rag.

Lunchtime talk Tokens of Affection online via the John Rylands Research Institute and Library.

And HOW MUCH?!?

Our next online meetings are Tuesday May 11th from 6:30pm and Wedneday May 26th from 10:30am. Send us an email or DM on Social Media to get added to our virtual world.

Pinhole Challenge 2021

Thanks to everyone who entered! The judges have picked the winner…

Congratulations to Graeme Lyall who will have a photo materials voucher winging it’s way to him very soon.

“Third Time Lucky”, Circular paper in DIY cylindrical biscuit box camera, D23 developer, by Graeme Lyall

“The street scene most captures the pinhole aesthetic and Scottish lockdown atmosphere.”

The Pentland Judging Committee

Honourable mention to Elaine Robson.

“Flower Fragments”, 35mm DIY pin sieve by Elaine Robson

” An insect eye view of spring.”

The Pentland Judging Committee

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day 2021

Our second pinhole day with Covid restrictions!

Members Competition 2021.
Entries by midnight 24th April. Anonymous independent judging, prize £50 photo materials voucher. Any pinhole process (sieve, zone plate, solargraph, camera obscura photo etc.) made between January 2021 and 24th April. 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 25th we will celebrate the simplicity of camera vision with a hybrid day of virtual chats and a socially distant photowalks. Join in online, outdoors or go your own way!

10am Coffee Chat – online.

11am Socially Safe Sakura Search – outdoor photowalk in the Meadows, Bruntsfield.

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

Submit any pinhole photos taken on the 25th to the Edinburgh Lofi gallery group by June 30th 2021.

March 2021

This month we have been discussing :

The Hexham Photography Group have Doug Chinnery giving an online talk this month.

Stereo camera conversations continue – the Sputnik and two hacked Lubitels on trial. Reminiscing over old Stereo Realist cameras and Viewmaster reels.

Sputnik Stereo Camera

110 cameras with some lovely examples on Chris Osborne’s site https://cjo.info/classic-cameras/pentax-auto-110/

Some surreal moments on flash bulbs!

1890’s spy camera and early street photography article.

Cyanotyping on maps and speed formulas for in camera cyanotype processes.

How minature can collodion plates go?

Chromatography.

chemical hand photogram - Ali Miller
LoFi Members Resource Directory now set up

Our next online meetings are April 13th from 6:30pm, April 25th for pinhole day activities (10am virtual coffee, 11am socially distanced sakura photowalk and 6pm virtual wrap up and competition results) and April 28th from 10:30am. Send us an email or DM on Social Media to get added to our virtual world.

A Fish Eye’s View

John Beaver

Department of Physics and Astronomy, UWO Fox Cities.

UW Oshkosh Dean’s Symposium 8 October 2020.

A presentation exploring the physics and art of seeing the world with a fish eye’s view.

Recording of the presentation https://us-lti.bbcollab.com/recording/9353a56c85bb48858f06db6c9b249c84

Download a copy of the slides (PDF 149Mb) https://www.dropbox.com/s/gfhm3rufu2www8a/fisheye.pdf

And that album cover…

Dark Box Studio Visit

LoFi was invited to the studios of Dark Box Photography to make some wet plate collodion images.

The “Dark Box” in this instance is their travelling darkroom in the shape of a well known police box – just the right size to pour the collodion plates , sensitise them in the silver bath and develop after exposure.

Dark Box’s director (and LoFi member) Gregg McNeill generously showed us round his studio and lighting set up before letting us loose on his beautiful victorian cameras.

A very enjoyable day even with all the covid secure measures! A collodion club when possible would be wonderful.

Plate in final water bath.

Our guided efforts turned out very well but please look at the Dark Box portfolio to see just how beautiful the unique plates can be.

Dark Box is available for portrait sessions in the studio and on location – full details can be found on their website.

Join in with the Dark Box photographic explorations on www.patreon.com/darkboximages including the new film about John Mawson and his petzval lenses.

Cameraless

June’s online exhibition features Cameraless prints including photograms, lumens, chemigrams and alternative processes.

Pansies – Lumen by Olive Dean

Cameraless Gallery (Click to enter)

Strips – Photogram by Elaine Robson

New work will be added over the month so please check back to see how the gallery evolves.

Anthotypes Workshop

6:30pm, 11th June, 2020 (TBC)

An anthotype is an image created using photosensitive material from plants – In 1842 Mrs Mary Somerville created an emulsion from crushed flower petals, which when exposed to direct sunlight bleached the parts not covered by a mask and created an image. Sir John Hershel later presented her letters to the Royal Society sharing her findings with the world. Learn how to create your own at home with simple equipment, sunshine and plant juices in this months virtual photography workshop, run by Brittonie Fletcher.

Spinach example – B Fletcher

The workshop will comprise of an overview of the process/ how and what to set up / a demo. Brittonie will then be online a couple of days later to troubleshoot your process and answer questions.

Plant materials – B Fletcher

Basic materials:

  • paper which will withstand coating (watercolour for example)
  • brush to apply
  • plant grinder (pestle and mortar or improvised)
  • seive or cloth to filter fibers from liquid
  • apron/old clothes
  • newspaper/plastic sheet etc. to protect work surface
  • printing frame (clip frame)
  • plant materials (such as spinach, turmeric)
  • items to use as a mask – digital negatives, stencils, leaves etc.
Colour swatches – B Fletcher

Please email brittoniefletcher@edinburghlofi.com for full information on materials required, payment details and live workshop link.