About this Event
Urban Lumen, Cameraless Photography Workshop Saturday, Full Day Workshop
This day-long workshop, led by artist Ruby Wallis, explores experimental, cameraless photography techniques using plants as both subject and material. Participants will work with alternative printmaking processes such as lumen prints and photograms, creating unique images through direct contact between plants, light, and photosensitive paper.
Drawing on materials gathered during the previous evening’s Night Walk (if attended), as well as plants collected from the urban surroundings, the workshop invites participants to reflect on nature, culture, and belonging through image-making. Plants will be considered both for their formal qualities and as metaphors—carrying associations with memory, place, and resilience.
The day will combine practical demonstrations, hands-on making, and group discussion. By the end, participants will have developed a series of experimental prints while engaging with photography as a tactile, material, and reflective practice.
All materials will be provided. No prior experience is required.
Schedule for the Day
10:00 – 10:30 | Welcome & Introductions
Meet the group, share a memory of a plant, and set intentions for the day.
10:30 – 11:00 | Short Talk
An introduction to cameraless photography and artists who have worked with plants and light.
11.00-11.15 Visit to the Gallery to talk through Ruby Wallis exhibit
11:15 – 11:45 | Plant Walk in St. Stephen’s Green
A mindful walk to gather fallen leaves and petals, noticing shapes, textures, and colours.
11:45 – 12:00 | Reflection
Return indoors, arrange our gathered materials, and take a moment to write/ share first impressions.
12:00 – 13:00| Lumen Printing
Hands-on session making cameraless prints with leaves and light-sensitive paper.
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch
14:00 – 15:15 | Phytogram Workshop
Experiment with another alternative photography process where plants leave chemical traces on film.
15:15 – 15:45 | Reflection
View the day’s prints together, notice patterns, and share discoveries.
15:45 – 16:00 | Closing Circle
Gather to share a final word or thought before we finish.
ARCHIPELAGO
Ruby Wallis is one of seventeen artists currently exhibiting as part of the group show ARCHIPELAGO at the RHA Gallery (11 September - 21 December 2025)
ARCHIPELAGO is the result of a collaboration between the RHA’s exhibition department and the artist-led group Island Photographers, who foster engagement with and understanding of photography in Ireland, both in the fine art realm and the broader lens-based culture industry through talks, events and workshops. All eight members are participating in the show.
Artist Biography
Ruby Wallis is a visual artist working with lens-based media, and she lectures at The Burren College of Art. In 2022 she published the photobook A Woman Walks Alone at Night with a Camera in collaboration with writer Phillina Sun. Selected exhibitions include Between Dog and Wolf, A Space for Lismore, Lismore Castle Arts. A R C H I P E L A G O, RHA Gallery, The Lab, Photomuseum Ireland, The Hugh Lane Gallery, PhotoIreland Festival, BX Gallery, The Dock, Vondelbunker: Amsterdam, The TULCA Festival of Visual Arts, Perlman Teaching Museum, and Solas Nua, USA. Her work has been featured in The Journal of Artistic Research, The New Yorker, British Journal of Photography, and Winter Papers (vol. 6 and 7). Collections include Arts Council Ireland, Rochester Art Centre (USA) and the National University of Ireland. She is supported by The Arts Council of Ireland.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
RHA Gallery (Royal Hibernian Academy), 15 Ely Place, Dublin, Ireland
EUR 120.00
