INDIA TWIN VISION’S FIRST PINHOLE PROJECT
Twin Vision’s project delivery and artistic practice has a history of being firmly set within the context of pinhole photography. Our very first project in Rajasthan India saw twin brothers Gary and Paul McCann initiate workshops developing skills in pinhole photography by setting up a photographic darkroom and pinhole photography course in the school for the deaf in Ajmer Rajasthan.
Gary and paul had transported photographic chemicals, paper and darkroom equipment from Australia to India via Nepal where the lessons plans were constructed for the first project over a period of 6 weeks.
Gary and Paul transformed a classroom in the school into a camera obscura taught students the basics of photography and how light works. This meant the whole school had an opportunity to witness the outside world being refracted onto a white sheet hung adjacent to the hole in a wooden shutter in the classroom. Students were amazed and thought the Gary and Paul were magicians with their demonstration.
Students in small groups were then taken through the process of making a cardboard pinhole camera and using it to take photographic portraits of each other and then developing these images within the newly constructed darkroom, which was a store cupboard next to the classroom.
The students were amazed to witness their photographs appearing on their photographic paper negatives whilst in the developing tray under red safe lights. As with most people who experience this process it remains a magical moment where the participants wait in anticipation to see their images appear and embrace the wonderful method of working with your hands to develop your own picture.
Some of the quotes from the young people evidenced the impact this process had on them…Nelam aged 9 “it’s magic it’s the best things I have ever done”….Puran aged 14 “it is amazing that I have made my own camera that takes real photographs”….Pavan aged 12”its is brilliant seeing your photograph appear on a piece of paper”