Views from a pinhole: experiments in wild pedagogy on the Franklin River

Abstract

This work, comprised of pinhole photographs paired with written text, represents a series of ontological experiments with participants on a rafting expedition, on the Franklin River, lutruwita (Tasmania). Through photographic experiences in this landscape these experiments interrogated ideas about ways to represent places and ideas. We began with informal riverside workshops on pinhole photography followed by making pictures and developing them during the river journey. The home-made pinhole camera used by participants in the making of these photographs had neither a lens nor a viewfinder, thus the making of photographs demanded a certain sensual presence. The written expression of this work is partly comprised of reflections on the experiences of participants, some of whom engaged directly in this making. Participants were asked to consider what drew their attention to particular photographic images, and what feelings, emotions, experiences, memories or thoughts these chosen images evoked. These reflections are conjoined with musings on wild, self-willed and educational opportunities therein. The way in which this work is deliberately presented is reminiscent of a lyric philosophy (Zwicky 1992, 2003) that seeks to engage the reader, in this case through visual and linguistic representations, with patterned resonance.