I made myself a pinhole camera back in the autumn and the results have been amazing me ever since. The pictures produced are nothing like conventional photographs - the focus is soft to the point of being vague, there's no viewfinder so there's no question of composing pictures and exposure is a matter of rough guesswork. The body leaks light which puts odd streaks and clouding on the images. Some would argue that the camera should go straight in the bin and 20 years I'd have agreed with them.
However, I'm older and a bit wiser now and I see the imperfections of the homemade camera as a source of intrigue and excitement... The results are impressionistic and atmospheric - something I would not be able to capture with a digital camera, even with manual focus.
The picture above was taken in Kew Gardens - I simply propped the camera on top of my bag at the foot of the tree trunk and guessed the exposure... The result was spooky and dramatic. The image below shows Tower Bridge on a beautiful April day that felt more like June. It's great to capture an iconic landmark in an atmospheric, off-beat way.
Pinhole cameras are great - everyone should try using one.
