Biophotography: Image-making with non-human agents

About This Event

This workshop experiments with collaborative image-making between human and non-human agents through an alternative biophotographic approach. Working with natural samples, fungi, and bacteria, participants will explore image-making alongside living material, where the image evolves through growth, degradation, and interaction with living organisms.

Participants will learn to cultivate microbial samples from the local environment and introduce them to photographic film emulsions. As these organisms grow and interact with the material surface, they leave traces that contribute to the image in ways that are open-ended, reflecting on agency, memory, and material change. Open for all curious minds - no previous experience is required.

-This workshop takes place over two sessions. Session 1 (25th June): Sample collection and cultivation. Session 2 (2nd July): Imaging. 

-To work on a personal project, we invite you to bring along personal film negatives (35 mm - please ensure these have been developed), alongside the original photo if available. Sample negatives will also be available for those who need them. 

-The workshop will take place in the ASCUS Lab, a publicly accessible bio-art lab in Summerhall, Edinburgh  providing access to scientific equipment. 

-This workshop will include a short sample collection walk in a nearby park. Please be prepared for outdoor weather conditions.

Event details: 

This workshop consists of two sessions. 

Session 1: Sample collection and cultivation 

Date: 25th June 2026
Location: ASCUS Lab, Summerhall, Edinburgh 
Time: 18:30 - 20:00
Ages: 16+

Session 2: Imaging 

Date: 2nd July 2026
Location: ASCUS Lab, Summerhall, Edinburgh 
Time: 18:30 - 19:15
Ages: 16+

Tickets: £8  /  £4 concession (covers both sessions)

If you would like to attend but are unable to pay the ticket, please get in touch by email and we will arrange this.  

Accessibility:

Accessible access to Summerhall and ASCUS lab is available via lift access upon request - please let us know in advance if you need this. This workshop includes a short sample collection session in a nearby park and surrounding street. The park and path to the park (situated within a 5-minute walk) are accessible. Some funding is available for personal access needs, please get in touch by email if required. Please get in touch with Nucleation Lab for additional questions.

About the Workshop Facilitator - Imogen Hero: 

Working as a bio-photographic artist, Imogen Hero’s process is a combination of science and art. Grounded in her expertise with analogue techniques, she explores scientific themes with a primary focus on the nonhuman, engaging with this to challenge anthropocentric perspectives which often dominate our understanding of reality.  She has developed a unique bio-photographic approach in collaboration with ASCUS Art and Science Lab which allows nonhuman subjects to influence and collaborate in the artistic process by cultivating fungi and bacteria onto photographic film emulsion, leaving their trace on the final photographic image. This collaborative methodology challenges traditional boundaries and celebrates the agency of the nonhuman. 

Follow: https://www.instagram.com/imogenhero/

About Nucleation Lab: 

Nucleation Lab takes inspiration from the process of nucleation: the point of transformation of matter from one state to another. We are a platform for creative exploration at the intersection of art, science, and technology. We bring together artists, scientists, creative technologists, and hybrid practitioners to collaborate, experiment, and share ideas. We value experimentation and play as pathways to new ways of thinking and creating.

Follow: https://www.instagram.com/nucleation.lab

Email: nucleationlab.ed@gmail.com