Fatima bint Hazza Cultural Foundation launched Youthful Perspective, an initiative under Big Canvas, where 100 students joined Photographer Steve Mcleod to learn non-conventional photography at Al Wathba Natural Reserve on Friday 19 October and Friday 26 October. 

Students from schools in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain and Kalbaa from 17 nationalities participated excitedly about a platform that brings together students from all over UAE, thanks to the foundation that is responding to an identified need for this particular age group, to spend time outside school engaging in initiatives that stimulates their interest in art, literature, photography, etc in nonconventional style.

The first workshop was about teaching students how to create their own pinhole cameras using shoe boxes and aluminum from Pepsi cans, by creating a hole in the box, attaching the aluminum and placing photography paper inside the box, opening the flap, exposing the new-camera to the light for 5 seconds, closing the flap and the picture is taken.

The second workshop scoped photograms technique where students soaked paper and fabric in chemicals, then placed in on the ground and quickly placed different objects including personal belongings, placing hands and feet as the combination became very light sensitive. They held their positions and objects in places in direct sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes so that everything was copied on the underlying paper/fabric. When the time was up, students rushed into the darkroom that the foundation set in the middle of the nature to develop the pictures, having the sun play the role of the camera.

During the third and last workshop and with household objects, the students constructed their very own smartphone projector; they took them out at night and project their images in unusual settings in nature.