Topic: workshop advice

[Janet_P]

I've been asked to run a two day workshop at a local secondary school to help with their AS level Photography. The idea is that we'll be making a room into a camera obscura, talking about light and making pinhole cameras out of whatever they bring to the workshop.
I was planning on making my own Pinhole camera out of something spectacular like a a dust bin...

I'm a little nervous, 17 year olds are a hard audience to please. Anybody got any advice, extra ideas on what I could include?

Thanks

Janet

[lauraburlton]

Well in general 17 year olds are hard to impress as they generally think they know it all by now ( I rememberbeing like this myself) BUT in saying that I think a Camera Obscura and pinhole photography is pretty amazing the first time you see it, even to a group of 17 year olds. Especially now when everything is going toward digital. Is there going to be a darkroom there? If so I would defuinately err towards using paper negatives ( I am sure you have already thought of this) as it is much faster and if you are using RC paper they could see their results pretty much immediately.

[db]

Include?

Drugs! The kids can lie on the floor and trip-out to the upside down shimmery images on the wall of a darkened room. How cool...

(er, OK sorry, maybe I'm not being helpful after all.)  As you were.

[al]

I hear this matchbox pinhole camera design is pretty neat 

http://alspix.blog.co.uk/index.php/alspix/2005/12/31/matchbox_pinhole~428481

...Or considering the time of year, check out Haiku Garry's latest adaptation - made using a pumpkin!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/haikugarry/

Probably best if you include the drugs element with this one 

[Ed Wenn]

Janet, good on you. Sounds SAF (Scary As Fuck), but I suspect it'll be rewarding. I can't believe you haven't already found this out, but #1 on my suggestions list would be to see what the little blighters already know about pinholes and the like from their teacher (and increase the drugs accordingly...great suggestion, Don  ).

Moving onto sensible suggestions, you might want to think about using photosensitive paint and big negs...whatever that process is called. I've been meaning to try it for ages. However, I suspect that your 2 days will be pretty packed out already with the camera obsucra and the pinholes.

[Susan B.]

Moving onto sensible suggestions, you might want to think about using photosensitive paint and big negs...whatever that process is called. I've been meaning to try it for ages. However, I suspect that your 2 days will be pretty packed out already with the camera obsucra and the pinholes.

liquid light

[Janet_P]

Thanks, these are all great suggestions (especially the drugs  ). I love your Matchbox pinhole, Al, I'm definitely going to try that. I've also got plans to show them some sunpaper and make some photograms on it - if we have time. I'm very nervous but up for the challenge.
Wish me luck 

Janet

[LT]

Silverprint sell their own emulsion, so you could try coating their own papers to print on.  Im not sure if this is any different to liquid light or the Maco black magic stuff?

[Ed Wenn]

Janet, if you haven't already seen this thread you might want to go take a look: http://filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=300

Perfect for a workshop if you ask me.

[astrobeck]

I say tell them the basics and then let them come up with some creative ideas to make a print.

And paper is the way to go for speed.

Please post some results!!!!