After more than a year of planning, the Summer of 2010 saw Fotonow CIC bring their project Camper Obscura into life. Photographers Jonathan Blyth and Matthew Pontin had already established a practice in working with communities in building camera obscuras through working with young people on educational projects, the idea of a mobile vehicle emerged in the shape of a Foster and Day coach-built 1986 VW T25 camper van. The Camper Obscura would be used for a residency, supported by Devonport Regeneration Community Partnership, to engage as many different people across Devonport in exploring their relationship with social and historical aspects of the area. To be able to enthuse and inspire Fotonow team installed a camera obscura into the back of the camper, thanks to a lens provided by obscura enthusiast Derek Swindley (who sadly passed away in 2012). Camper Obscura was a free experience to members of the public that engaged in the many appearance the vehicle made around the area, 50 days in total including visits to schools, community groups, residential homes, parks and local events. The lasting outcome of the many educational workshops, impromptu portrait sessions and photographic studies made by Fotonow is a contemporary archive of Fuji Instax portrait and digital works from its many outings. Camper Obscura continues to sustain creative journeys around the region and beyond, appearing in schools to deliver photography workshops and heading off to relevant festivals such as Brighton Fringe and PhotoMonth in London. The vehicle is the outreach project for Fotonow, engaging a wide variety of people that hop into the dark space to see projected obscura images and supporting a better understanding of photographic and community arts practice.
