Banner: Detail from Fire and Earth by Jeff Edwards

chris smith: the caravan darkroom (2022)

“I sought the grant to purchase and convert an old caravan, creating a mobile darkroom that can be taken to a variety of different locations. By reaching parts of the country not often provided by extra-curricular arts education, I hope to help by breaking down barriers of travel and cost for young people wishing to take part in the workshops. A mobile darkroom can be a transformative tool. For many young people in deprived areas, it can offer them a multitude of benefits and skills. Firstly, it provided an accessible and affordable opportunity to engage with the art of photography. Having a darkroom on wheels helped to eliminate the need for expensive equipment and studio space. It also made it feasible for those with limited resources to participate. Furthermore, the process of developing film and printing photographs in a darkroom fosters a range of skills. Patience, attention to detail, and problem-solving all become crucial as the young  navigated the intricacies of film processing. The hands-on nature of working with chemicals and enlargers enhanced their understanding of science and optics. Moreover, the art of composition and storytelling through visual imagery was honed, encouraging self-expression and critical thinking.”

accumulate: analogue for all (2022)

The Analogue For All project AFA used analogue photography to visually respond to  creative writing by homeless people. AFA participants worked with the photographer Laura Pannack to understand about the technical aspects and produce the visual work that responded to their creative writing. At the end of the AFA project the creative writing and photographs were showcased at Autograph Gallery in London and the participants shared their experiences with the audience with Laura responding as to how the photographs came about.

sean patrick campbell: chapel perilous (2022)

“The grant was sought to develop an ambitious, complex project titled Chapel Perilous. The research and development of this project began while I was on residency at Hospitalfield House in Arbroath, however my time was limited there so the grant was to further develop and move towards a resolution. The funds were used to purchase paper and film.”

zoe hamil: the shale bings of west lothian (2022)

“I sought funding from the Foundation in order to initiate a photographic investigation of the shale bings of West Lothian, and their transformation from environmental disaster to ecological haven, using analogue photography techniques from the era of their creation.

I also became interested in making the project more of a collaboration with a place than a representation and breaking down the separation between the natural and human world. I tried this by soaking 120mm film in water collected from the bing and recently by burying some negatives there. I’ve also used plants collected there to make film and paper developer but this has had mixed results so is something that I will continue to work on.”

chris bird: Large Format Photography (2019)

“I approached the foundation for help with the purchase of a 5x4 field camera. My intention was to further my photographic knowledge of the subtleties of large format photography and to gain knowledge of the Tin- Type dry plate collodion process. With this knowledge I hoped to expand my repertoire of techniques to further my ongoing photographic interests.”

craig mehra: novel alternative processes (2022)

The Research and Development of a novel alternative photographic process: the creation of photographic prints involving the selective oxidation of metals.

“After experimenting with exposing negatives onto Photopolymer film using a homemade U.V lightbox to create a mask onto sheet metal; I researched a more accessible method that would not require access to a (yellow safelight) dark room and U.V lightbox. The new accessible method simply requires access to a laser-printer or photocopier (to create a digital negative) and spray lacquer. In addition, it cut the time for masking the metal from 50min to 5min, enabling rapid prototyping.

After much research and experimentation (using over 35 sheets of 8X10 steel) I successfully developed a method for creating Oxidised Photographic Prints (Rust on steel sheet). By using the method described above to mask sheet metal and with extensive research and experimentation, I also created novel alternative photographic printing methods using; copper plated onto sheet sheet; 24 Carat Gold Electro-plated onto zinc-plated steel sheet, and an accessible method of creating etched copper photogravure plates”.