explore pioneer square
Welcome to the Original Seattle Neighborhood – rich in history, arts, culture, and food!
Come experience the magick of coffee, pinhole photography and film!
In this workshop you will make your own pinhole camera and will have to opportunity to expose two photos on 4×5 sheet film, as well as take a few shots on 35mm.
We will develop all of the film using the alternative process developer known as Caffenol. Caffenol is a coffee-based solution that can be used to develop black and white film and paper. We will make a batch together and I will share insights I’ve learned from my experimentation.
You’ll leave with your handmade pinhole camera, two developed 4×5 film sheets that we will scan during the workshop to make digital positive copies, and my caffenol recipe + instructions so that you can continue this journey at home!
Post workshop I will scan the 35mm film that we develop in class and share the photos with the group via email.
Things to know:
Pinhole cameras use a pinhole instead of a lens to project an inverted image onto photo-sensitive paper or film. This style of photography requires long exposure times and results in dreamlike, motion blurred images. You can anticipate exposures anywhere from 30 seconds up to 5 minutes. I highly encourage participants to take self portraits as the results are often ethereal and surprising — it’s also a great opportunity to play a bit with double exposure! I find these long exposures to be a beautiful opportunity for sitting in presence with self, which can feel challenging but is highly rewarding.
Caffenol is an alternative process developer. While results are fairly consistent, I often find it leaves its own imprint in one way or another, which adds to the essence of the photo. Keep in mind this is an experimental form of photographic development and results will vary.
