With Abdul Dube & Eden Jetschmann  
In cooperation mit Queer Analog Darkroom 

Making Our Own Image is a two-day workshop exploring portraiture, self-representation and the possibilities of seeing and being seen through pinhole photography. The workshop is aimed at the queer POC as well as Black allies. 

Pinhole photographs are inherently soft, slightly blurred and out of focus. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, we’ll embrace this softness as a way of resisting the expectation that we have to be perfectly clear, recognizable or “readable” as trans or queer. What can become possible when we allow ourselves to be seen differently—and on our own terms? 

Using simple handmade cameras—small boxes that let in only a little light—we’ll experiment with the camera obscura and create portraits of ourselves, each other and our surroundings. On the first day, we’ll learn how a camera obscura works, explore the different shapes and forms a pinhole camera can take, and build our own cameras. In the afternoon, we’ll experiment with positioning, light and framing to find the right conditions for creating an image. On the second day, we’ll take our cameras into the darkroom and learn how to develop the photographs. Together, we’ll look at and discuss the results, reflecting on what it means to create an image of ourselves and others. 

The workshop will be hosted by Abdul Dube (they/them), a multidisciplinary artist, curator and facilitator who is part of the QAD Queer Analogue Darkroom Collective. Abdul will be assisted by Eden Jetschmann (they/them) who is part of the Queer Analog Darkroom Collective as well and aims to teach and give access to analog photography for marginalized communities.  

No previous photography experience is needed.
Registration required at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Date: Sat, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Cost: Free 
Language: English/German 
Age: Ages 16 and up 
Target audience: Queer People of Color and Allies of Color 

Materials: Please bring an old, empty cookie jar or a used, larger, empty, and washed-out metal can (e.g., for chopped tomatoes) or a used, empty beverage can to the workshop. 

Meeting point: Main entrance / Foyer, FOTO ARSENAL WIEN 

Credits: © Eden Jetschmann