Capture & Create: Experimental Photography Walks & Workshops
Presented by National Geographic Certified Photo Instructor, Naturalist and local Banyule Artist, Chris Cook
Monday 28 September
Build Your Own Camera Workshop
10am–12pm · Briar Hill Community Hall
Digital Photography Workshop
1–3pm · Briar Hill Community Hall
Photography Walk
4–5:30pm · Andrew Yandell Reserve
Wednesday 30 September
Instant Photography Workshop
1–4pm · Briar Hill Community Hall
Thursday 1 October
Pinhole Photography Workshop: Make, Shoot & Process
1–4pm ·Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub · Artist Studio
Friday 2 October
Cyanotype Photography Workshop
1:30–4pm · Briar Hill Community Hall
Saturday 3 October
Sunrise Photography Walk
6:30-8:00am · Browns Reserve
Experimental Printing & Processing Workshop
1–3:30pm · Briar Hill Community Hall
Capture & Create: Open Studio
3:30–4:30pm · Briar Hill Community Hall
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Through the generous support of a Banyule Arts and Culture Grant, Chris Cook is delivering a series of hands-on photography workshops designed for all ages and experience levels.
The workshops explore a range of very different photographic approaches, from building your own camera and shooting with analogue film, to instant photography, experimental printing and image transfers, pinhole photography and cyanotype printing.
Some workshops naturally connect with others, but you don’t need to attend the whole series. In fact it has been designed so you can apply for one workshop, several workshops, or potentially the entire series.
Please only apply for workshops you are genuinely available to attend. Places are limited, with some workshops having extremely limited capacity and very small group sizes. We have already received considerable interest in these workshops, and we sincerely apologise that we may not be able to accommodate everyone. We will do our best to include as many people as possible, while making sure places are offered to people who can 100% make it.
Use the application form below to tell us which workshops you would most like to attend and indicate your preferences.
APPLY TO ATTEND: CHOOSE YOUR WORKSHOPS
Applications close Sunday 13 September 2026.
Successful applicants will be notified by Thursday 17th September 2026, just before the beginning of the school holidays. All offers must be confirmed by phone or email within 24 hours. If someone is unable to attend, their place will be offered to another applicant.
Monday 28 September
Build Your Own Camera & Shoot: Lomography Konstruktor
10am–12pm
Briar Hill Community Hall
Come along and learn how to build your own working Lomography Konstruktor camera, then learn how to shoot with it using analogue film.
This exciting hands-on workshop has extremely limited places, with just five spaces available. The workshop is completely free of charge, and through an exciting partnership with Lomography, each of the five participants will also take their newly built and fully working Konstruktor camera home with them.
This workshop has been intentionally designed to work in conjunction with any of the photography walks and the Experimental Printing & Processing workshops offered as part of the series. Participants can bring their newly constructed cameras along to continue shooting, experimenting and exploring analogue photography throughout the program.
Digital Photography Workshop
1–3pm Monday 28th September
Briar Hill Community Hall,
124 Mountain View Rd, Briar Hill, Vic
A relaxed and practical introduction to digital photography.
Learn techniques for getting more from your camera, understanding how to make better images, and putting those ideas into practice.
Chris has taught photography all around the world, from Antarctica and throughout Asia, across French Polynesia and into Europe, as well as many other locations. But one of his favourite places to take photographs is right here in his own backyard, in the shire of Banyule.
Drawing on his global experience and local passion, this workshop focuses on practical techniques you can immediately apply to your own photography, whether you’re using a professional DSLR, a mirrorless camera, or simply the smartphone in your pocket. Everyone is welcome.
Photography Walk
4pm– 5:30pm
Andrew Yandell Reserve, meeting at 1 Community Drive, Greensborough
Take your newly inspired photography skills outside and put some of the ideas from the digital session into practice. You’re also welcome to bring along your newly built camera and keep experimenting if you’d like.
Please note: The photography walk is a separate workshop, and you can apply for this session, the Camera Building Workshop, the Digital Photography Workshop, or any combination of them.
Wednesday 30 September
Instant Photography
1–4pm
Briar Hill Community Hall
Come and explore the wonderful world of instant photography, a much-loved medium that has captured the imaginations of photographers for generations. From the first Polaroid Land Camera in 1948 to the remarkable global resurgence of instant photography in recent years, this is a medium that continues to be just as exciting and enjoyable today. There is something uniquely tactile about making an image and holding the result in your hand almost immediately.
Working with a range of instant cameras and instant film, discover what makes this process so distinctive and explore the creative possibilities of this revived and increasingly popular photographic medium. Instant photography is about more than simply taking a picture. With a limited number of images and an immediate physical result, it encourages you to slow down, really look, and take a little more care with each photograph. Along the way, we’ll embrace the unexpected results, imperfections and creative possibilities that make instant photography so much fun.
Thursday 1 October
Pinhole Photography:
Make, Shoot & Process
1pm–4pm
Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub – Artists Studios
Come and discover the magic of pinhole photography, where a photograph can be made from nothing more than a tiny hole in a box. It sounds almost impossible, but this ancient process sits at the very foundations of photography.
Explore how pinhole cameras work, head outside to photograph and experiment, then return to the inspiring artist studios at Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub to process your images.
Pinhole photography encourages us to slow down, embrace imperfections and really consider how a photograph is made. This hands-on session takes you through the entire process, from camera to finished image, with every photograph completely unique.
For this workshop, we’ve been given the opportunity to use the incredible artist studios at Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub, giving you the chance to experience this fascinating process in a working creative space.
Friday 2 October
Cyanotype Photography
1:30pm- 4pm Briar Hill Community Hall
Cyanotype is one of photography’s most beautiful and accessible alternative processes.
Using light, objects and photographic imagery, learn how to create distinctive cyanotype prints with their characteristic blue tones.
A relaxed, hands-on introduction to an alternative photographic process, and a great way to finish the main Capture & Create workshop series.
This workshop can be enjoyed completely independently, or as part of the wider series.
Saturday 3 October
Sunrise Photography Walk
6–7:30am, Browns Reserve: meeting at the entrance at the end of Nulgarrah Cres, Greensborough
Come along for an early morning photography walk at Browns Reserve and experience the landscape in the beautiful golden light around sunrise. Whether you’ve joined one of the other workshops or are simply looking for an opportunity to get outside and take some photographs, everyone is welcome. We’ll explore this beautiful local reserve together, share ideas and enjoy making photographs in good company.
Experimental Printing & Processing
1pm–3pm
Briar Hill Community Hall
A hands-on exploration of creative and experimental ways of working with photographs, bringing together ideas and techniques from across the Capture & Create workshop series.
We’ll explore different printing, processing and image-transfer techniques, from developing and processing photographic film to experimenting with photographs made during the week. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to cut, transfer, layer, print and play, with something for everyone, whether you’re completely new to experimental photography or looking to take your photographic practice in a different direction.
If you’ve joined one of the other workshops, you’re very welcome to bring along photographs, film or other work you’ve made during the week and continue experimenting with it. If this is the only workshop you can make, that’s absolutely fine too. You don’t need any previous experience to join in.
We’ll also explore emulsion lifts, a fascinating process that transforms an instant photograph into a truly unique handmade artwork, with a beautiful and often unexpected result that you can take home, like the other art work that you make.
Capture & Create: Open Studio
3:30pm–4:30pm · Briar Hill Community Hall
Come and see what we’ve been making throughout the Capture & Create Workshop Series, and hang out and chat all things film, cameras and photography.
The studio will be open for everyone to drop in, have a look around and see the photographs, cameras, prints and experimental work created during the week. If you’ve attended one of the workshops, you’re very welcome to bring along something you’ve made to share. Family and friends are welcome too, as are anyone who is simply curious about photography and what we’ve been up to.
Come and look at the work, show off something you’ve made, share ideas, talk photography and celebrate everything we’ve created together throughout the week.
We hope you’re feeling excited and inspired to make something new.
Places are limited, and we expect some workshops to be particularly popular. Please apply as soon as you can, let us know which workshops you’re most interested in, and tell us a little about what you’d like to explore or create.
Thanks to the generosity of the Banyule Arts and Culture Grant, all Capture & Create workshops are completely complimentary.
Please only apply for workshops you are genuinely available to attend. We’d love to hear from you and hope to see you at Capture & Create.
