An Adventure in Pinhole Photography By Jackie Mathey, 2010 Camp Obscura is a workshop exploring the adventures of pinhole photography and the camera obscura. We build our cameras, expose film, and develop our own images. As a group we create a camera obscura (Latin for darkened chamber) paring photography down to its essence. Our week ends printing with the Cyanotype and Van Dyke processes. Through this historic path we discover the beauty that light and silver have to offer. Participants gain a more intimate understanding of photography technically and artistically, while exploring unique locations around the Santa Fe area. Although each workshop follows a similar process, they each possess their own personality. The participants, time of year and the different types of shoots we go on aid in creating the flavor and individuality of each experience. However, there is one workshop in particular that stands out as unique to all others. In May of 2009 New Mexico’s Children Youth & Family Division along with C.A.S.A., a local non profit, sponsored a one-day Camp Obscura workshop for older teens in the foster care system. This workshop had a dual purpose; it not only offered life skills to these deserving young adults, it also paired them up with potential adoptive parents who were looking to adopt teens. Together, a fine group of family seekers enjoyed a very full day of photographic fun at the new Warehouse 21 space. We built our pinhole cameras and proceeded to capture and develop inspiring images, relishing in the excitement that came from the awareness and knowledge gained through the process. In the course of the day we experienced two different types of camera obscuras. The first was created as we darkened the inside of a boxcar at the Santa Fe Southern Railway Station. With nothing but a pinhole taped to a window we watched the Rail Runner pull out of the station, as the image filled the entire boxcar, floor to ceiling, upside down and backwards. Next John Serkin brought his camera obscura tent and set it up near the tracks. His tent is equipped with a lens that captures the light and focuses the image onto a tabletop, giving all who attended the feeling of being inside of a camera, in addition to a great view of the train rolling in next to a bustling Farmer’s Market! Not only did everyone create wonderful images and discover much about photography, we made new friends, had a great time and, I am happy
to say, some families actually found each other that day. It is days like this that serve as a firm reminder of the power and beauty of photography. Camp Obscura is designed to be as hands-on as possible, breaking photography down to its most basic form. Our hope is to deliver a deep understanding of the photographic process and how light moves. We aim to inspire a confident joy in each participant’s unique vision, serving as a reminder of the visual delights that our world has to offer. Join us for our next adventure in pinhole photography! For more information and lots of camp images see our website, www.campobscura.com!