July 2009 Feature

Pinhole self-portrait of Massimo Stefanutti

Massimo Stefanutti

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Massimo lives and works
in Venice, Italy

www.massimostefanutti.it

"E.M. Cioran and Thomas Beckett, in a conversation brought back from the first one in "Exercises of admiration" (Adelphi, 1988), are confronted on like translate, from the French to English, the title it of the teatrale text Sans of the same Beckett.
To the end the Irish writer opts for the term lessness, neologism that he invents for the occasion in order to render one infinite and deprivation mixture, one synonymous emptiness of apotheosis and that with directed reference to just the literary text. Probably neither Cioran neither Beckett reminded the English term lensless in its photographic meaning (without disc of a valve) with which it connotes particular half technical of resumption and exactly pinhole.
But the involuntary analogy between the two words is extraordinary in how much lessness appears to be the philosophical application of lensless.
Lacking any mediating element (the lens) to give the subject before it a final form or organization, the camera’s hole breaks down reality into an obscure, symbolic portrayal, where darkness hovers at the edges while light is directed to the centre of the image. This absence of the lens’ mediation prevents the picture benefiting from a series of formal aspects which one would expect to find in conventional photography, the most important being focus.
But not only that, the perspective lent by this means is no longer of the type devised by Brunelleschi, the range of focal length becomes unrecognizable, the mass ratios are unknown, the objects in the picture take on totally incongruous proportions, the subject is often blurred by paradox and a strong sense of disorientation pervades.
So, in the end, the pinhole photographer is a sort of unlimited voyeur, in the sense that he or she is compelled to look at everything that stands before the camera yet, at the same time, see nothing of what the camera (or rather, the hole) registers visually.
The situation is peculiar, but maybe one of the (many) creative possibilities of this practice lies in the very dyscrasia between what is beheld and what is seen.
A pinhole camera is not concerned with time as an instant, does not have to face moments of decision, however true or false they may be; this kind of camera appreciates the absolute sameness of one moment and the next and reveals the state of things, from a truly symbolic perspective; it works (due to the often very lengthy exposure times) in a situation in which time is stretched, where the past is not yet the past and the present is not quite the present either.
Again, pinhole cameras perceive the emotional charge of the photograph in relation to the circumstances and appropriate it, giving the resulting pictures an often extra, unexpected bonus; the photo and the pinhole camera become a single entity.
This information should help you understand today’s pinhole pictures: but the discussion would not be complete without looking at this form of photography as a form of “dark photography”. Pitch black shadows alongside blinding lights, the depth of its tones, a kind of visual tunnel generated by the light falling away towards the picture’s edges, cryptic subjects, morbid themes, the uncertainty of the vision: all these aspects lend a veneer of mystery to these magical, dreamlike icons, intrinsically linked to the archetypes of our individual or collective memory.
Lessness, after all."

CK → I came across this next pinhole photographer by chance on the internet. I was impressed with his unique way of seeing and capturing the world around him with his pinhole camera. Thanks Massimo for sharing your inspiring words and images with us for this month's pinhole photographer feature.

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All photos copyright © 2009 Massimo Stefanutti and Reproduced by Permission

June 2009 Feature

Jesseca Ferguson in her studio working
with 4x5 pinhole camera, Polaroid 55 type film, 2004.

Jesseca is also the American contact for "American Metaphor/Metafory Amerikanskie," a show of work by eight American pinhole photographers, scheduled for
November 12 - December 31, 2009
at Galeria Pusta in Katowice, PL.
(This show is part of OFFO 2009, a pinhole photography festival taking place throughout about 50 galleries in Southern Poland.)

Jesseca Ferguson

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Jesseca lives, works
and teaches in Boston
Massachusetts

"The poetic aspects of pinhole photography are what draw me to it. Although the pinhole camera is 'blind,' because it has no viewfinder or lens, I find that it 'sees' in mysterious ways. The pinhole camera’s 'sight' grants infinite depth of field to the object and images before it, thus allowing us to see the camera’s pinhole vision, which is characterized by the odd clarity of dreams or memory.

Working in my home studio and using only natural light, my exposures often take several hours. I then contact print my images on artists paper using 19th century processes. Often I collage my pinhole images onto antique book boards, incorporating snippets of text and time-stained papers. The resulting 'photo object' alludes to the passage of time, and to that private interior library which I believe serves as a paradigm for collective and personal memory.

My work is slow, hand-built, and cumulative, rather like the layering of dust or
memories over time."

CK → It is my pleasure to announce Jesseca Ferguson as my next pinhole photographer feature. Not only is she a pinhole photographer, but she was also responsible for co-curating with Walter Crump, the amazing collection of pinhole photos exhibited in 2007 called Made in Poland: Contemporary Pinhole Photography, an exhibition of seven pinhole photographers from Poland. After viewing the pinhole photos of Andrzej Bogacz, Tomasz Dobiszewski, Danuta Gibka, Jaroslaw Klups, Georgia Krawiec, Marek Noniewicz, and Edyta Wypierowska, you will find them to be an impressive group of artists. It is my honor to be able to showcase some of Jesseca's pinhole photos as the June 2009 pinhole photographer feature. Thanks, Jesseca, and I wish you all the best in the future wherever your creative path leads you.

Title: Circus horse/mirror (constructed)
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Bird/astronomy book (constructed)
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Finis (constructed)
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Excerptt (constructed)
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Italian Woman/profile, 10x8 in. print
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Bird/book/Paris (constructed)
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Anatomical head (constructed)
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Reading Lesson XV, 10x8 in. print
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Bottle/spiral/moths, 10x8 in. print
pinhole photograph, collage

Title: Blue E (constructed)
pinhole photograph, collage

I hope and plan to feature more Polish pinhole photographers in the future, so please check back for updates. Thanks -Chris

All photos copyright © 2009 Jesseca Ferguson and Reproduced by Permission

May 2009 Feature

Darren Constantino with his homemade 120 film pinhole camera. Photo by Bill Lewis.

Darren Constantino

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Canfield, Ohio

"The digital age has turned photography into a lazy man's sport. And I love it, because I'm lazy. No dealing with film. No darkroom chemicals. That's for me.

But when the passion I had for photography as a youth was rekindled a few years ago, it was pinhole photography, not digital, that lit the fire. I was awed (and still am) by the amazing images people are able to create, and I'm fascinated by the unique pinhole cameras people design. Like I said: I'm lazy, so most of my shooting is digital. But my favorite images are those I get when I make the effort to use the pinhole camera that I made with my own hands. It's very rewarding."

CK → Since starting my Flickr photostream in 2004, I've had the pleasure of seeing a lot of photos from photographers all over the word. I remember seeing and liking Darren's photos well before he got into pinhole photography. So I wasn't surprised that I liked his pinhole photography. I admire how Darren takes extra care in every little detail of the pinhole photo process. His latest pinhole perspectives have a sense of motion and excitement to them that remind me of why this art form is so great.

Veering Left
Pinhole photo of Trek bicycle in motion - Created with homemade 120 pinhole camera

Pinhole One
Pinhole photo of a lighthouse on Lake Erie, Ohio. Created with homemade 120 pinhole camera

At the Beach with my Pinhole Camera
Pinhole photo lifeguard tower on the Wildwood Crest beach. Created with homemade 120 pinhole camera

Pinhole Peak
Paint Creek, West Virginia - This unpaved road leads off into the mysterious Appalachian Mountains. PinHolga photo

Pinhole Seesaw
A pinhole photo of Darren's sister Sharon on a seesaw in Brookfield, Ohio. Created with homemade 120 pinhole camera

Calla Road
A pinhole photo of Mahoning County, Ohio - December 2004. Created with 120 pinholga pinhole camera

Pinhole +
A pinhole photo of a lifeguard chair at a lake in Brookfield, Ohio. Created with homemade 120 pinhole camera

Sun Boat
A pinhole photo lifeguard boat at Wildwood Crest, New Jersey. Created with homamde pinhole camera.

On Coming Traffic
A pinhole photo of on coming car in Canfield, Ohio - April 2006. Created with pinholga 120 pinhole camera

Iowa Dragstrip
A pinhole photo of dirt road in Davenport, Iowa. Created with homamde pinhole camera.

Pinhole Shutter
A photo of the cable release activated shutter inside Darren Constantino's homemade 120 pinhole camera.

Darren C's Pinholga Pinhole Camera
A photo of Darren's pinholga 120 film pinhole camera with cable release and mini tripod

All photos copyright © 2009 Darren Constantino and Reproduced by Permission

April 2009 Feature

Zone plate self-portrait photo
of Scott McMahon

Scott McMahon

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Lancaster, PA

Artist's website:
www.scottmcmahonphoto.com

"Time is such a fragile thing, but steadfast and always there. I am interested in how the pinhole camera can capture and illustrate the passage of time, the changing expressions and postures of a person or landscape and how information gets distilled in a single image. The simplicity of the pinhole camera and the complexity of the images it is capable of capturing has fascinated me for many years. By using handmade and often subject specific pinhole cameras I photograph intimate aspects of the world around us and capture fleeting moments of the ephemeral nature of existence. I believe that pinhole is closer to how we see, imagine, dream and process images"

CK → As we all seem to be rocketing into the fast paced world of digital photography, it's refreshing to discover and see photographers like Scott McMahon still slowly creating photographs the old fashion way. Using fine art processes to capture the essence of who we are as human beings... beautiful, mysterious and imperfect. When I look at Scott's photos, I get a sense of slow distilled artistry that comes from being dedicated to the creation of the art form. As if each photo was hand carved into the paper and never to be created the same way again. It's no wonder that Scott's photos are published in one of the most acclaimed pinhole books, Pinhole Photography, Rediscovering a Historic Technique (2nd & 3rd Edition) by Eric Renner. Thanks Scott for sharing your work with us here and I wish you well wherever your creative path leads you in the future.

Harmonic Grid
8"x8" zone plate tintype, 2004

Stranded
10"x8" gum bichromate zone plate pinhole photograph, 1999

Peters Valley
10"x8" gum bichromate zone plate pinhole photograph, 1999

Cascading
36" x 9.5" gum bichromate pinhole photograph, 2003

Drift
8"x10" zone plate gum bichromate pinhole photograph, 1998

Meeting Before the Flood
8"x10" zone plate gum bichromate pinhole photograph, 1998

Gathering Pincer
8"x10" gum bichromate pinhole photograph, 1996

Ill At Ease
5"x4" pinhole tintype, 2000

Collector
5"x4" pinhole tintype, 2000

Truth Window
4"x5" pinhole tintype on enameled copper, 2003

Truth Window 2
4"x5" pinhole tintype on enameled copper, 2003

Pump Station
30"x10" toned cyanotype pinhole photograph, 2002

Set For The Rise
10"x8" gum bichromate zone plate photograph, 1997

Rain
10"x8" gum bichromate pinhole photograph, 1993

Remnants of Classical Spirit
10"x8" gum bichromate zone plate pinhole photograph, 1998

Under Torment Sleep
5"x8" (case) pinhole tintype (approx. 5"x1"), 2000

Insect/Flower
2"x2" (approx.) silver gelatin pinhole photograph, 1997

Pinhole Cameras
wood, metal, cardboard, foam core, modified lens cameras, etc. 1993-present

All photos copyright © 2009 Scott McMahon and Reproduced by Permission

March 2009 Feature

Pinhole photo of Dianne Bos (Italy)

Dianne Bos

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Canada

Artist's website:
www.diannebos.com

"A lot has changed in communication technologies since I made my first pinhole camera thirty years ago. Oddly enough all these new high tech toys have made taking photographs with my various pinhole cameras even more rewarding.

I'm not the only one who feels this way. One can see by the numerous pinhole websites (including this one of Chris Keeney's) that the desire to understand the basic principles of light and photography and use them to make images has really grown, possibly as a reaction to more complex technologies. I love this pinhole process not just for the unique images you can produce, but because it forces you to slow down and really look at and experience what you are photographing. I never was in league with the 1/250 of a second representation. That's not the world I live in, see and experience.

The bulk of my photo work over the past 20 years has explored the landscape and architectural icons. Travel and time are themes that reoccur in my work. Most of my exhibited work has explored the familiar iconic images of classic travelers’ destinations. My focus is on the mood certain sites trigger in our memories, but which rarely can be captured on film. Because of the long exposure times I use, these images record not an instant but a passage of time at a site, distilling the essence of a location. By combining images of the old and new worlds I’m trying to present a world where distance is no longer an issue, but our time to savor the essence of what is around us is."

CK → There are those that follow and those that lead and I think Dianne is one of those people that leads. I like how Dianne explores the deep corners of her imagination using pinhole photography to see the world in a whole new differant way. With that being said, I was pleased to find that Dianne is a pinhole photography teacher as well. I can only imagine how much fun it would be to take one of Dianne Bos' pinhole workshops in Italy this May. Thanks Dianne for sharing your words and images with us here. Can't wait to see more of Dianne's photos and what comes out of her pinhole workshops this spring in Italy.

Petit Larousse 1963
Pinhole camera book
2003

Versailles Ghost 2003
Pinhole photo chromogenic print. 30 x 30"

Studio (Artist’s Studio, Montecastello di Vibio, Italy)
Pinhole photo (Silver print 18 x 18")

Jet Frost
Pinhole photo

Horse Chateau
(Chateau de Gudanes, France, 2004)
Pinhole photo - Silver gelatin print. 40 x 40"

Gargoyle
Paris, France, 1991
Pinhole photo

Beach
(Sitges, Spain 1991)
Pinhole photo

Milky Way by Candlelight, 1999
Pinhole photo - Silver print. 32 x 40"

Galaxy Self Portraits as Clusters (1999)
Pinhole photo - Silver print. 16 x 20"

All photos © 2009 Diane Bos and Reproduced by Permission

February 2009 Feature

Pinhole self-portrait of Scott Speck
Two second exposure
Ilford 3200 b/w film at f/138
Zero Image 2000 6x6cm
pinhole camera

Scott Speck

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Maryland
United States

Artist's website:
www.scottspeck.com

"My wife and I experimented with a Zero Image 2000 6x6cm pinhole camera back in 2006 and, upon viewing the resulting first frame from a roll of Ilford PanF-50 b/w film, I was hooked. I'm still drawn, now and then, back to that same location on an antique iron railroad bridge in Savage, Maryland, to the moment when I unwittingly found something remarkable...

Through a pinhole, the mundane appears miraculous. Previously unseen and remarkable aspects of a scene are revealed in startling detail. Through it all, I'm charged with enthusiasm and curious about what else is possible.

Pinhole photography surprises me, and each frame that I record is an experiment. What magic will rectilinear projection work this time? How will the blur of time, spread out over minutes and hours, smooth out portions of the scene, and what will that smoothness look like – feathers, cotton, or a milk of flowing smoke?

I experience vertigo when staring up limestone, granite, or marble columns in an architectural pinhole photograph. It's a reliving of reality that transcends the original scene. I crave this immersion, this potent mixture of the near and far, in textures ranging from rust to granite to skin, all rendered with tactile intimacy.

Ironically, I use the simplest wooden boxes, free of the complexity of multi-element lenses, to find such drama in existence. I am relaxed, patient, and mindful with the pinhole camera, shooting worry-free in all weather conditions. Each photograph is framed in a gentle darkness, with edge distortions that beckon me to push the envelope of what I call beautiful.

Since 2006, I have used a Zero Image 2000 6x6cm camera and a Zero Image 4x5 camera as my main instruments of photography. With the Zero 4x5, I shoot almost exclusively with the 25mm focal length, providing an ultrawide view with a 160 degree diagonal and several stops of vignetting across the field. I am currently constructing a camera using an old Hasselblad film back and a Prontor-S shutter to create a camera that will enable hand-held, precisely timed shooting with high speed 120 film.

I have experimented with architecture, landscape, macro, and portraiture photography using pinhole cameras, and my imagination is perpetually generating new ideas and new experiments to try. I could summarize it best here — through the pinhole, the real becomes surreal. This simple instrumentality of hole-in-box enchants me and brings me joy and wonder about beauty in the world...

I am a member artist at Studio Gallery (www.studiogallerydc.com), one of the Dupont Circle art galleries in Washington, DC, where I show prints of my pinhole photographs and interact with other photographers, painters, and sculptors."

CK → Well I must say, this pinhole photographer really understands the art of pinhole depth of field. When I view Scott's pinhole photos, I find myself thinking, "Wow, look at all that detail and dimension". By looking through his photos, you can tell that Scott knows how to use all the right ingredients to make great pinhole photos (ie, 4x5 film, tripod & cable release and lots of interesting use of depth). Thanks Scott for sharing your words and images this month.

Title: The Madonna
Fifteen minute exposure at f/138
Fuji Acros-100 4x5 film
Zero Image 4x5 pinhole camera

Title: National Shrine Ceiling
40 minute exposure at f/136
Fuji Acros-100 4x5 b/w film
Zero Image 4x5 film
pinhole camera

Title: Messiah Mosaic
20 minute exposure at f/138
Zero Image 4x5 film pinhole camera
Fuji Acros-100 film

You can see more of Scott Speck's pinhole photos at:
www.scottspeck.com
or on his Flickr photostream integrity_of_light

All photos © 2009 Scott Speck and Reproduced by Permission

January 2009 Feature

Photo of Mabel Odessey by Gary Waters.

Mabel Odessey

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Tarn Region
(Southwest France)

Artist's website:
http://mabelodessey.com

"I have been working solely with pinhole for about 20 years now, yet I continue to find new ways to use it, to step outside the box (excuse the pun) and use the limitations in a creative way.

I first started photographing musicians as a job for an album cover in 2002. During the session I asked the musicians to play while I thought about what I would do. I uncovered my pinhole in preparation, and then I got carried away with the music and found myself responding with light (the studio flash) to the sounds, after a number of flashes I covered up the pinhole and did several more images in the same way.

When I processed the film, I realised that by using multiple studio flashes I could build up the images almost as a duet with the music being played.
The long exposure time of the pinhole camera meant I could successively layer the textures of the music so that the images were “equivalents” (Alfred Steiglitz) of the sounds or portraits of the music itself. After working with musicians from diverse backgrounds I met jazz pianist Stéphane Sassi who was keen to participate in the work and brought to it his unique discovery of the "piano paille"(paille means straw in french). "Piano Paille" is a form of prepared piano where straws are installed inside the piano.

The project Piano Paille Pinhole was born. Over a period of a few years we met up regularly to improvise between music and photography. Because I was not behind the camera while making the photographs there was no separation between photographer and subject; Sassi and I would interact fluidly, tease and surprise each other. Occasionally I stop the musician in order to create sharp moments in the images this too had an impact on the music, imposing silences and changing the course of its progression. Like in musical improvisation nothing was predetermined, we worked spontaneously, inventing the rules of the game as we went each time trying new techniques to see where they would lead.
I began to explore the possibilities of colour pinhole which in the past I had found too literal. Used in this context the colours created abstract marks on the film echoing the strange and luminous sounds of the music.

The delay between taking the pictures and seeing the results also meant we had a chance to step back and use the pictures for a starting point for another photo-music session. Time is an essential element in music like photography and the fact that photographs are made over the period of a musical composition gives them depth and resonance that I believe an instant snap could not."

CK → I like the idea of two artists working together to create something new and unique. All my life I have been a music lover, so when I ran across Mabel's work, I was intrigued with what she was doing with her pinhole photography. The thought of two artists creating art at same time, both in tune with artistic rhythm of creation, inspires me. Many thanks to Stéphane Sassi (Pianist) and Mabel Odessey for sharing your artistic process with us here and I wish you all the best in your future performances.

Mabel Odessey at the Arthur Batut Museum here in France
during a performance of piano paille pinhole. An artist
collaboration by Mabel Odessey and Stéphane Sassi.

All photos © 2009 Mabel Odessey and Reproduced by Permission

December 2008 Feature

Pinhole self portrait of Mark Tweedie

Mark Tweedie

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Coventry, United Kingdom (UK)

Artist's website:
www.marktweedie.co.uk

"There seems to be a curious empathy between the homemade nature of our own lives and the representations we make of them using pinhole cameras: the results are very individual; the clarity or otherwise of the result is very much down to the methods of manufacture and use employed by the photographer; unexpected - and often beautifully surprising - events of light and perspective frequently throw the user's previsualisation into a role of very secondary importance.

I use paper negatives almost exclusively and have grown to love their unpredictability and frequently wonderful textural quality. The long exposures required, sometimes lasting hours, grace the images with a powerful sense of narrative and I find myself prefering to produce photographs in series or sequence rather than single images. This is not by design but rather that the inevitably slow processes involved allow - if not impose - a wider view of what is happening at the time. The first image will often spark ideas for modifications, expansions and developments on the theme and that wonderful sensation of "giving up" or ceasing to "try too hard" takes over. At such times there is a transcendental aspect to making photographs, working more as a channel for impressions than as a premeditating, clinical recorder of things."

CK → I've always thought that the art of pinhole photography and poetry went together. So when I first saw Mark's work, I was impressed with how well he had fused the two creative processes together. Words and images working together to create a look and feel that would transport the viewer's imagination to far away places. Places where nature, time and history whispered into your eyes and ears. It it my pleasure to be able to share some of Mark's creative and inspiring work for this month's pinhole photographer feature.

Title: Breakthrough
Paper negative pinhole

Title: Mwnt, Wales
Pinhole intaglio / photogravure

Title: Stonehenge
Paper negative pinhole

Title: Stonehenge - closer to the stones
Paper negative pinhole

Title: Infinity's Edge
Paper negative pinhole

Title: Wave
4x5 45mm pinhole on HP5+

Title: Copper Whiskey Barrel
Paper negative pinhole

Title: Copper Whiskey Barrel
Paper negative pinhole

Title:Pinhole Jan 1
Paper negative pinhole

Title: Berkswell Church Lamp
Paper negative pinhole

Title:The Choice
Paper negative pinhole

Title: Release
Paper negative pinhole

Mark Tweedie's Pinhole camera
Detail of pinhole still life set-up

Title: Clipped
Paper negative pinhole

All photos © 2008 Mark Tweedie and Reproduced by Permission

November 2008 Feature

Portrait of Wayne by Ken Merfeld, 2008

Wayne Martin Belger

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Tucson, Arizona

Artist's website:
boyofblue.com

The tools I create and work with are pinhole cameras. With pinhole photography, the same air that touches my subject can pass through the pinhole and touch the photo emulsion on the film. There’s no barrier between the two. There are no lenses changing and manipulating light. There are no chips converting light to binary code. With pinhole what you get is an unmanipulated true representation of a segment of light and time, a pure reflection of what is at that moment. With some exposure times getting close to 2 hours, it’s an unsegmented movie from a movie camera with only one frame.

The creation of a camera comes from my desire to relate to a subject. When I choose a subject I spend time studying it. Then I start visualizing how I would like a photo of the subject to look. When that’s figured out, I start on the camera stage of the project by collecting parts, artifacts and relics that relate to the subject. When I’ve gathered enough parts and feel for the subject, I start the construction of the camera. I create the cameras from Aluminum, Titanium, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Steel, Silver, Gold, Wood, Acrylic, Glass, Horn, Ivory, Bone, Human Bone, Human Skulls, Human Organs, Formaldehyde, HIV+ Blood and relics all designed to be the sacred bridge of a communion offering between myself and the subject. All to witness and be a tool of the horrors of creation and the beauty of decay presented by the author light and time.


CK → Interestingly enough, the first time I met Wayne, he wasn't toting a pinhole camera, but instead he was playing the didgeridoo for the Wicked Tinkers. In 2004 I was asked by the band to photograph them playing live at the Long Beach Celtic Musical Festival in California. After seeing and hearing the band play along with talking with Wayne in person, I was instantly inspired by Wayne's passion for making art... whatever form it may be. Ironically, It was until after I'd photographed the band that I found out that we both shared a simlar interest for pinhole photography.

Camera: Dragonfly
Wayne Belger's Dragonfly pinhole camera

Camera: Wood
Wayne Belger's "Wood" Camera

Camera: Yemaya
Wayne Belger's Yamaya underwater pinhole Camera

All photos © 2008 Wayne Martin Belger and Reproduced by Permission

October 2008 Feature

Pinhole portrait of Michael Hensdill

ForeverSouls

Michael & J Hensdill

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Guesstonia, NC
USA

Foreversouls on Flickr

As a photojournalist I spend my time looking for fractions of seconds
that when combined with the right light and the correct framing tell a story
and capture the essence of a moment in someone’s life. Everything is digital. Everything is quick. Photography has become computerized and negatives have been replaced by pixels. The darkroom replaced by the laptop.

Working with the pinhole blender camera is like being inside that refrigerator box once again. The images I make with the blender surprise me and allow the wonder of photography to return. The camera requires light to paint upon the film’s surface for seconds or even minutes which seems to melt the moments into a single frame. There is little to no precision required as the camera inverts and bends the subject matters, weaving color and shapes back into themselves, creating the essence of the scene instead of its exact reproduction.

All the blender images here were made with Chris Peregoy’s
Original 120 Pinhole Blender camera"

CK → I always admired how this photographic couple celebrated their life together through photography. They both would create and post images to a Flickr photostream called Foreversouls. They just didn't post pinhole images, but other photos that documented their lives as husband, wife, parent and professional. About a year ago I remember seeing some of Micheal's pinhole blender shots and thinking they were quite unique. I liked how many of Micheal's pinscapes would tell a story as one image blended into another.

All photos © 2008 Michael & J Hensdill and Reproduced by Permission

September 2008 Feature

1999 self portrait of Claudia Wornum made with pinhole zone plate camera.

Claudia Wornum

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

California
United States

www.claudiawornum.com

"The first time I saw pinhole imagery was in an alternative photography class. I was amazed that you could use the long exposure times to 'ghost' figures in and out of the final picture. There is a wonderful series by Julie Schachter in The Visionary Pinhole by Lauren Smith. These photos were so inspirational, so innovative to me, I'd never seen anything like them. I mulled over the possibilities but didn't begin in earnest till about a year later when I was completely bored of my current batch of lens photos. I decided to shamelessly imitate Ms. Schachter's ideas. After a lot of challenges: working out how to get any image, much less and interesting one, I learned I wanted an entirely different outcome. I had started backpacking and was far more drawn to landscape. I also wanted to use the open ended possibilities of the home made pinhole camera to make a foundation for experimental processes. I could cut a full roll of 120 mm film in half and create a continuous panorama. I could use 8 in. x 10 in. Ortho Litho films, placed side by side in giant aluminum cans to get an extra wide angle, detail rich large format image.

I particularly liked to solarize the Litho in the darkroom. The huge surface area of the negatives provides a lot of information to explore. I develop my own color negatives so I can tweak the process at any point. I use black and white film and print chemistry on color films and vary the temperatures and timing on everything. Expired films seem to work best for me, they carry their own surprising quirks and I feel less precious about the investment, consequently I'm even more inclined to break the rules and take risks. It's a long way from my inspiration but I still plan to adapt Ms. Schachter's 'Bathers Series' into a subjective vision, possibly involving alternative processes, certainly using a pinhole camera."

CK → As we all head into the Fall season, I am happy to announce this next pinhole photographer feature. Claudia's pinhole solarizations of nature inspired me the first time I saw them. Being a nature lover myself, I enjoyed how her solarized pinhole C prints gave me a unique perspective into back country landscapes she traveled through.

All photos © 2008 Claudia Wornum and Reproduced by Permission

August 2008 Feature

2007 pinhole self portrait of FX Lantrua
(FX for François-Xavier) created with a homemade 6x9 120 film format camera.
titled autoportait

FX Lantrua

(François-Xavier)

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Marseille, France

François-Xavier on Flickr

You can also find his work here
at sinlab.com

"I began shooting with a pinhole cameras because I wanted to simplify my photography approach as much as possible. I wanted to go back to the simple source, to the basis of the photographic image creation. A box, a hole and a piece of photo sensible material.

This statement created needs of experimentation, of technical improvements and of diversification of my shooting systems, giving them different results and distortion of my environment."

CK → I was pleased to have accidentally run across this talented French photographer and pinhole camera maker. I was especially impressed with François' homemade Omniscope images. They really give a unique perspective of the classic and modern architecture that you find around France.

All photos © 2008 FX Lantrua - (Francois-Xavier) and Reproduced by Permission

July 2008 Feature

2008 pinhole self portrait of Peter Wiklund
titled The awakening

Peter Wiklund

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Stockholm, Sweden

www.peterpinhole.com

"I started taking pinhole photographs in the early 1990s, after having seen some image (don't remember which one any longer) with an extremely tempting expression. Yep, that was how I saw the world as well! I discovered the wonderful magazine "Pinhole Journal" (R.I.P.) and started taking my first steps into this mysterious and oh so appealing new world of imagery. Since then, I have mostly worked with 120-film in an old bellows camera turned into a very wide-angled pinhole camera. But lately I started using other cameras as well; film canister cameras and some commercial pinhole cameras such as the amazing anamorph Abelson Scope camera.

The pinhole camera is a tool that allows me to create images that I can imagine - but not always see. But most of the time it is a tool that helps me a lot in the image-creating, since it involves a great deal of chance. I seldom know exactly what the images will look like - which quite often make them a lot better than they had been if I had worked mainly from my own plans. I also really just love opening the camera, seeing the light flowing into it, creating a unique image - an image that can never be repeated... (I just hope the exposure is somewhat correct! ;-)) "

CK →Looking at Peter's photos is liking going on some psychedelic trip. I really enjoy the unique perspectives he explores with his pinhole photography. BTW, I plan on adding a number of Peter's image with this text in the near future, so please check back.

All photos © 2008 Peter Wiklund and Reproduced by Permission

June 2008 Feature

2008 Holga self portrait of Seán Duggan
titled World Traveler

Seán Duggan

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

www.seanduggan.com

"Pinhole photography is magic. With a small box that slowly collects time and light you can make the most amazing images. This slower and more contemplative form of photography is a welcome detour from the megapixels and digital imaging technology of my "day job" simply because it it so wonderfully non-tech. The process is a throwback to the way photographers first made images back in the mid 1800s and I  appreciate this connection to the early history of photography. Intellectually, I also love the fact that this image-making "technology" was written about back in the time of Aristotle, and even earlier (they just didn't have the ability to record the images back then). For me, photographing with a pinhole camera is as much about the experience of making the image as it is about the finished photograph. My memories of venturing into the world to create pinhole photos are as cherished as the actual images that I collect in that amazing magic box."

CK → I like how Seán mixes up his film pinhole and toy camera work with his digital photography.
After looking through Seán's gallery of Zero Image 6x9 pinhole images titled "Artifacts of an uncertain origin", I felt even stronger about how I believe one practice helps the other. It's not about film and it's not about digital, it's about how the final image effects the viewer. I also like how Seán is no stranger to helping others learn how to make their own photos better. Check out he's up to on his website seanduggan.com (Sean Duggan: Digital Photography & Photoshop Workshops). Thanks Seán for sharing yours words and images with us. Keep up the great work! -Chris

All photos © 2008 Seán Duggan and Reproduced by Permission

May 2008 Feature

2008 Pinhole self portrait of Jon Krummel titled Bike Path 01

Jon Krummel

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

www.jonkrummel3d.com

"Pinhole photography is so much fun! My brother Brian taught me the process nine months ago and I was immediately hooked. It gets my creative gears going because everything in the process is a variable and open to creative exploration.  You can play with the shape of the camera, orientation of the picture plane, type of paper or film, length of exposure, alternative processing, and on and on. I love thinking up ways to make new cameras, it really appeals to my puzzle solving nature. Watching an image materialize out of the developing ether is absolute magic and I love the dark spooky atmosphere you get with black and white paper negatives. What started out as a cool way to keep in touch with my brother across the country, has developed into a real passion for me, and my brother and I have never been closer."

CK → In October of 2007 I featured Brian Krummel's pinhole photos on this page. As time passed I discovered some photos created by photographer by the name of Jon Krummel. I thought, "hmmmm, could these two people be related?" I soon realized that they were related and thought, how perfect it would be to have them both featured here together. Having a brother myself, I can relate to the relationship that Jon and Brian must have. I also think it's great how the process of creating pinhole photography has brought these brothers together.

Title: Getty Stairs
Homemade Pinhole Camera

Title: Angel Moulin Rouge
Homemade Pinhole Camera

Title: Motorcycle 02
Homemade Pinhole Camera

Title: Chinese Garden
Homemade Pinhole Camera

Title: Old Tractor Chestnut Tea
Homemade Pinhole Camera

All photos © 2008 Jon Krummel and Reproduced by Permission

April 2008 Feature

Noriko Ohba

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Japan

Noriko Ohba on the web:
- www.tea-room.net
- Flickr photostream (Tearoom)

"The reason why I like pinhole photography is that my curiosity is always stimulated. I always find the process of making the photo exciting. The time spent creating pinhole photos heals me. When I am looking at subject with my camera, I learn the sense that I am talking with myself. I think more so, when I'm taking flower and the plant pictures."

CK → I like the connection that this Japanese pinhole photographer has with her Zeroimage pinhole camera. Her photos are just what you'd expect to see when using that beautiful wood pinhole camera.
It is my pleasure to feature this artist as this April's pinhole photographer.

Title: Dream Colors
Taken at Osaka Park Japan // Zeroimage 2000 // 35mm Pinhole Image

Title: Medicine Of My Smile
Zeroimage 2000 35mm Pinhole Image

Title: I wanted to meet you this year
Pinhole Blender // Pinscape

Title: Yasaka collage
Pinhole Blender // Pinscape

Title: Blue and Blue
Zeroimage // Zero2000 Pinhole Image

Title: Like Fireworks
Zeroimage // Zero2000 Pinhole Image

Title:Waveswinger
Black and White 6x9 Holga Pinhole // Okayama

Title:Collage
Pinhole Panorama // Pinscape // Osaka

Title:Spring Beautiful Scene
Zeroimage// Zero2000 Pinhole image

Title: Hill of Flowers
Zeroimage // Zero2000 Pinhole image

Title: Breath
e100vs Zeroimage// Zero2000 Pinhole image // Roppongi Hills

Title: Little Mermaid
Velvia RVP Zeroimage// Zero2000 Pinhole image // Osaka

All photos © 2008 Noriko Ohba and Reproduced by Permission

March 2008 Feature

Drawing by Andreas Wolkerstorfer. You can see more of his Andreas' drawings here

Andreas Wolkerstorfer

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Austria

Andreas Wolkerstorfer on the web:
- www.wolkerstorfer.at
- Flickr photostream

Click here to see Andreas' camera
collection and photo galleries

"I can get very close to a basic process of picture making if I use a homemade pinhole camera. It is something special that the photographic film or paper is not separated by a lens or any other technical material from the surrounding. Light directly writes down on paper what can be seen through the very small hole in the can or the box."

CK → I remember years ago when I first saw Andreas' photos, I thought "wow" this guy is passionate about photography. I think after you take a closer look at his amazing collection of drawings, photos and movies... you'll feel the same way.

All photos © 2008 Andreas Wolkerstorfer Reproduced by Permission

February 2008 Feature

Photo of pinhole camera maker and photographer, Michael C. Pastur
in his home shop.

Michael C. Pastur

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Denver Colorado
USA

Michael Pastur's
Flickr photostream

Michael Pastur's YouTube videos

Polaroid Super Shooter Pinhole
Camera Conversion (part 1)

Polaroid Super Shooter Pinhole
Camera Conversion (part 2)

"I'm always drawn to pinhole imagery. With it's simplistic capture of light and shadow. The ability to record a span of time, turning a busy sidewalk or any action into a translucent wave of motion. It's inherently illustrative and ethereal image quality. Like a minds eye glance where, not all the information is there yet, it is all there... all we need.

Be it an altered 35mm film canister, altoids tin, a store bought production or highly over-engineered ABS plastic prototype (with rise and fall), every pinhole camera has it's own voice. And I view in appreciation and wonderment of how image makers combine that voice with their own."

CK → Michael's home built pinhole cameras are a lot like a performance motorcycle... uniquely designed, precision engineered and built with a mindful eye for how it is to be used. His cameras are as beautiful as the photos he creates with them. Thanks Michael for sharing that vision with all of us.

All photos © 2008 Michael C. Pastur Reproduced by Permission

January 2008 Feature

Self portrait, taken with Zero Image pinhole camera along Waterfront Park, Portland Oregon. March 2007.

Danielle Hughson

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Portland Oregon,
United States

Danielle Hughson's (manyfires)
photos on Flickr

"There are many things that pinhole photography has taught me: to be still, to be watchful, to wait without expectation, to appreciate the passage of time in the form of light and movement. From the moment a very wise friend put a pinhole camera into my hands, I've been exploring the world in ways I never knew were possible. And to this day, I never quite know how an image will turn out... for pinhole photography (at least to me) is far from being an exact science. It forces me to do more than think about a final image - it forces me to dream about the many possibilities of that final image. In that way, this type of photography tells a story... to be read later at one's leisure, written not with letters but with words of light and motion."

CK → After discovering Danielle's pinhole photos via Zeb Andrews Flickr photostream, I soon realized that she had her own an eye for seeing the world through a pinhole. I enjoyed the fact that Zeb and Danielle were friends that help inspire each other to create pinhole photographs. I was impressed how Danielle poetically captured the magic of life with her own creative flare.

All photos © 2008 Danielle Hughson reproduced by permission

December 2007 Feature

Photo of Zeb Andrews at Cannon Beach Oregon with haystack rock in the distance. Holga Image taken by Danielle Hughson

Zeb Andrews

Featured Pinhole
Photographer

Portland Oregon,
United States

Zeb Andrew's
photos on Flickr

"For me, pinhole photography is about a vision of time. A pinhole image captures a span of seconds, minutes, hours or even days. This is a key difference from more traditional photography, which operates in the realm of fractions of a second. I am fascinated by the pinhole's natural ability to realize a span of time in a single image, an ability that humans do not have outside of our imaginations. Pinhole photography also forces me to slow down, be patient, to interact with the scene and the moment I am attempting to capture. Instead of firing of a quick exposure and being more of a transient observer to a specific moment, I become more a part of the scene. Ultimately though, pinhole photography is about vision, and that perspective through a pin sized hole can unlock amazing worlds that were previously hidden and often even unimagined."

CK → Zeb is one of those photographers that when you look at their photos you become captivated by them. They draw you into a world where only your imagination can travel to. His use of the Zero Image pinhole camera to poetically create images of the life around him, is a true celebration of the art of len less photography.

All photos © 2007 Zeb Andrews, reproduced by permission

November 2007 Feature

"Arunas has studies art for 15 years, he has been a photographer, traveler, rebel, philosopher, poet and generally calls himself a "freely wandering soul". In 1982, after completing his studies at the Art Academy Arunas joined the Art Photographers' Union in Lithuania and starting practicing photography seriously. He traveled through the former Soviet Union, Siberia’s mountains, Soviet Asia republics and beyond the Polar Circle near North Sea. He also had his own photo studio teaching youngsters (12-16 years old) photography, from very basics, mixing chemicals, making emulsions, film processing, printing to advanced. In 1991 Arunas moved to New York, where he now lives and works as a freelance photographer for Anthology Film Archives and others. He lives with his wife Oksana and 3 year old son, Vincent. Under influence of my friend and photographer Gintautas Trimakas I took a closer look to pinhole phenomena and that was it - I was treacherously ambushed and trapped by it. Now I’m totally into this very intimate process."

CK → There is something beautifully human about Arunas' Polaroid pinholes. From the inventiveness of how he makes his cameras to the images he creates with them. I also admire how he shares that love of pinhole photography with his family.

All photos © 2007 Arunas Kulikauskas, reproduced by permission

October 2007 Feature

"Pinhole photography allows me to remove all preconceived barriers about my own work and start from scratch. I often can't expect the end product from camera and the variations in the film plane, exposure time, and subject all result in a beautifully strange image. The simplicity of the camera construction allows me to focus on creating the image, rather than the egotistic politics of camera brand and film stock. The softness of the pinhole image adds a dreamlike and surreal feel to my interpretation of the world. The reactions that I get from people when they see my pinhole cameras constructed from tin cans and cereal boxes are, as Mastercard says, priceless!"

CK → One of the great things about the art of pinhole photography is that you can make a camera
from just about any container that can be made light tight. Brian's unique collection of pinhole cameras illustrates this creative process well. It also reinforces my belief that's it's not about the camera, but what you do with it.

Title: Water Castles II
Camera: Honey

Title: The Great One
Camera: Wooden 4x5

Title: The Birds
Camera: Smarties

Title: Illusion Of Levitation
Camera: Hula-Tini

All photos © 2007 Brian Krummel, reproduced by permission

September 2007 Feature

"There is a beauty in the ancient principle of pinhole imaging which deserves to be embraced by timeless camera design – let art create art."

CK → It was a pleasure to discover this pinhole camera maker and photographer, Juergen Kollmorgen. Not only does he make beautiful pinhole cameras, but he also uses them
to create art with.

Pinhole photo taken with Chamaeleon Panorama 6x6/2 Serial No. 111 - Baomo Garden

Panoramic pinhole camera delivers 16 panoramic images (6x9/2) with a medium format 120 film.

Pinhole photograph taken with Leica Pinhole pancake

All photos © 2007 Juergen Kollmorgen, reproduced by permission