F/262 Analog Lab
The F/262 Analog Lab is the festival’s experimental playground, dedicated to analogue and alternative photographic processes. It celebrates photography in its most tactile, hands-on forms, inviting both seasoned artists and curious newcomers to step away from the digital screen and rediscover the magic of image-making through light, chemistry, and craft.
What You’ll Find at the Analog Lab
Workshops for All Ages
– Pinhole Photography: Learn how to transform a simple Coca-Cola can into a working pinhole camera. Participants will create exposures, develop them on-site, and witness the wonder of images formed without a lens.
– Gelli Plate Monoprinting: An intuitive, playful technique combining photography, texture, and paint. Perfect for artists, families, and anyone eager to explore unique one-of-a-kind prints.
– Cyanotype Printing: Harness the power of sunlight to produce striking blue-toned prints using plants, objects, or negatives. A simple yet magical process that delights beginners and experts alike.
– Polaroid & Instant Manipulation: Explore lift techniques, transfers, and creative experiments with instant film.Demonstrations & Artist Talks
Invited artists and experts in alternative processes will share their practice, offering insights into how historic methods are being reimagined for contemporary art.Community Studio
A drop-in space where visitors can experiment with small-scale analogue tools, contribute to collaborative projects, and take home a piece of the festival.Exhibitions & Displays
Alongside the workshops, the Analog Lab will host curated displays of contemporary artists working in alternative processes — from wet plate collodion and chemigrams to experimental hybrids that fuse digital with analogue.- Analog Market / Feira Analógica
A vibrant community hub where visitors can browse, buy, or exchange analogue treasures — cameras, film, zines, photobooks, and handmade prints. More than a marketplace, it is a space of connection, storytelling, and discovery that celebrates the analogue culture in all its diversity.
Why the Analog Lab Matters
In a world dominated by pixels, the Analog Lab creates space for slowness, imperfection, and hands-on experimentation. It’s a hub for discovery, intergenerational learning, and artistic play — where children can make their first pinhole camera and professional photographers can rediscover forgotten alchemy.
By rooting part of its program in sustainability and connecting with the festival’s theme “Shaping Shores”, the Analog Lab also invites reflection on the environmental impact of photographic practices. Workshops and displays highlight eco-conscious techniques, natural materials, and creative approaches that resonate with the history of water and territory in Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos.
Copyright © 2026 by João Carlos