Banner: Some of Tom Duffin’s group

TOM duffin: capture your world (2023)

“The grant was sought to fund a series of photography workshops with a group of young people from Edinburgh Young Carers. The workshops were intended to focus on using their own devices to capture their world. As well as the immediate therapeutic benefits of the workshops I was striving to establish in the kids a set of creative habits: of observing; of listening; of seeing; of capturing their world on a regular, ongoing basis with the device they carry in their pocket.

The sessions were great, and we covered a lot of photography styles and techniques at different locations. We were also able to combine 2 of the sessions with visits to galleries and exhibitions which had the added benefit of introducing the young people to some of our city’s free cultural resources.

All of the young folk went away with new skills that they were using on a daily basis, and some with a new found enthusiasm for pursuing photography in a much more serious way. One girl showed particular aptitude and seemed very determined to study photography at school and possibly college.”

clarissa gurd: watergrams (2023)

“The grant enabled me to purchase equipment that has revolutionised my capacity to create cyanotypes and anthotypes without being reliant on the Scottish weather (the anthotype created for my degree show was made possible by the help of the grant). To produce watergrams on the riverbank without having to return to my darkroom to process the image, significantly reducing the time and guesswork involved.

It has also enabled me to purchase a 6x7 medium format camera with the remaining funds, for quality large scale landscape prints without having to resort to a digital camera.

All of these elements have already proved beneficial in my objective of highlighting environmental issues surrounding our neglect and misuse of our fragile waterways and will continue to be key equipment components for my practice into the future. I cannot thank the foundation enough for supporting struggling photographers.”

savannah dodd: slow still life (2023)

“This project used traditional analogue processes with ecologically conscious chemistry to create a series of photographic prints for exhibition about reconnecting with nature, slowing down, and unlearning the urge to be productive. Instead of using traditional darkroom chemicals, which are toxic for people and the planet, I made my own developers from foraged plants, I harvested rainwater to use as stop bath, I reduced saltwater from Strangford Lough to use as fixer, and I made photosensitive emulsions with wildflowers. This project culminated in an exhibition at the Ards Art Centre in September 2023.”

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.”

frank macilhenney: Browhead (2023)

“The West coast of Ireland is a road I have travelled previously. Previously I’d always made landscape photographs using hand held 35mm cameras. This time I had the intention of making landscapes and portraits using a large format pinhole camera. I did make some portraits, and I did use my 4x5 pinhole camera almost exclusively during the trip but I spent most of my time still making pictures of the landscape.”

clive jarman: the angel (2023)

“This project is in two parts the first is to use a Pinsta Camera and to make solargraphy cameras where a series of images will be capture and prints made without the need for a dark room, the second part will be to use 35mm, medium format and polaroid cameras with the emphasis on creativity/experimentation.

A variety of cameras formats was used, Pinsta 5x4, medium format 645, 35mm and Polaroid. The ability to try different types of format and film types, negatives, slides (3 rolls of 120 kindly donated, the mount slides are wonderful), polaroid and 5x4 direct positive paper process (the Pinsta camera) has given me a greater insight into analogue photography and the processes involved, particularly around black and white photography which has been my main interest for many years. This grant has given me the opportunity to explore how I can reduce costs to keep what I have started going, for example developing film, scanning negatives and printing without the use of a darkroom.”

Lily Tomkin-Wells: the sea inside the frame (2023)

“The grant was sought to enhance my development in working with analogue film and eco-processing. I sought the grant following experimentation making a documentary on super 8mm film and using seaweed as both a sustainable developer and a way of thinking about materiality in film. I applied for the grant to develop my practice by purchasing my own lomo-tank and super 8mm camera, and to support me in organising a photography and seaweed developing walk and workshop for the local community in St Dogmaels/Cardigan area in South-West Wales.

Between May 2023 and January 2024, alongside my collaborator Ed Thomas, we began to understand just how changeable the seaweed developer could be. We also learnt that a high salt concentration in the seaweed will affect the results of the film, sometimes causing the film to blank which we believe is as a result of the salt-water fixing the film before any image could develop. Washing the seaweed for 24 hours before boiling seemed to abate this problem.”