Coastal Light: Photography Workshop

Create images using sunlight, the sea, and simple photographic processes. These hands-on workshops invite you to explore cyanotype and pinhole photography using found materials from the beach, encouraging playful, sustainable making and a deeper connection to light and landscape.

BA (Hons) Photography at the University of Suffolk presents a series of free, participatory cyanotype and pinhole photography workshops, taking place on the beach and open to all.

These hands-on sessions invite participants to explore photography in its simplest and most elemental form, using sunlight, time, and the surrounding landscape to create images. Working with found materials such as seaweed, shells, and objects from the shoreline, participants will produce cyanotype prints using natural light, or experiment with pinhole cameras to capture slow, observational images of the coast.

By focusing on low-tech, sustainable processes, the workshops encourage a slower, more mindful approach to making. There is no pressure to achieve a “perfect” result; instead, the emphasis is on curiosity, play, and engaging with the environment. Participants are invited to consider how light changes throughout the day, how images are formed, and how we can connect more closely with the natural world through creative practice.

Alongside the workshops, a large format 5×4 camera will be set up, allowing visitors to observe the inverted landscape in real time a simple but powerful demonstration of how light shapes the images we see. No prior experience is needed, and all materials are provided.