Microscopic Photography Course

Microscopic Worlds: An Extended Photography Course

with Tasneem Khan

This course has four sessions over two weekends:

• Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd February

• Saturday 28th February & Sunday 1st March

• 10:00am–1:00pm each day

• For ages 16+

“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”  - Mary Oliver

Through observation, discussion, collection, and image-making, participants will explore how close looking can deepen our relationship with nature, creativity, and attention. Drawing on ideas of “slow looking” and observation—as both a scientific and artistic practice—the course encourages curiosity and wonder.

Across two weekends, participants will move from conceptual exploration to hands-on experimentation and image development, learning how microscopic and macro photography can transform the way we see familiar environments.

What You’ll Learn

• How close observation can inform creative and ecological thinking

• Techniques for photographing microscopic and macro-scale subjects

• How to work with collections of natural materials as creative prompts

• Using digital and analogue tools to document texture, pattern, and form

• Developing a small, cohesive body of images

• Basic post-processing workflows and preparing images for presentation or print

Course Structure (Overview)

Session 1: Introduction to slow looking, observation, and collection; hands-on exploration with microscopy and macro tools

Session 2: Developing visual ideas, image planning, and guided image-making

Session 3: Focused shooting (indoor and/or outdoor), refining intent and approach

Session 4: Image selection, editing, sequencing, and preparing work for sharing or print

Participants will have time between weekends to review, reflect on, and experiment with their images.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is suitable for beginners and experienced creatives alike. No prior photography or microscopy experience is required—just curiosity, patience, and a willingness to experiment. It will appeal to artists, photographers, designers, educators, scientists, nature lovers, and lifelong learners.

Equipment & Materials

All specialist equipment will be provided on site, including:

• High-end compound microscopes with digital camera setups

• Handheld digital microscopes

• Phone-mountable macro lenses

• Controlled lighting and support tools

What You’ll Take Away

• A digital mini-portfolio of original images

• Practical skills in microscopy and close-up photography

• New ways of seeing and engaging with the natural world

• A deeper understanding of observation as a creative and ecological practice

About the Facilitator

Tasneem Khan is a biologist and visual artist whose interdisciplinary practice explores observation, ecology, and the poetics of scale. Her work bridges science and art, using microscopy and photography to reveal hidden patterns in nature and invite deeper attention to our environments. Tasneem has facilitated workshops and public programmes across science, art, and environmental contexts, encouraging participants to slow down, look closely, and reconnect with the living world through creative practice.