Showing posts with label photography pinhole camera adventure experimentation creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography pinhole camera adventure experimentation creativity. Show all posts

Monday, 20 June 2011

Heligan Pinhole Poppies


Heligan Pinhole Poppies, originally uploaded by Wulfus.

This is the best result from the first film through my second homemade pinhole camera. I've found that most pinhole camera shots tend to be rubbish but on every film I put through there is usually one gem. These experiments in pinhole photography have often produced surprising and completely unexpected results and it's the unexpected which makes the process so fascinating. The fact that the films have to go off to be processed and then put through the scanner to see what you've got makes the experience all the more exciting - gratification is delayed and the surprises almost seem bigger when they come.

The unpredictability of the homemade pinhole cameras feels like grappling with the raw science - the basic physical fact that light passing through a small aperture forms an upside-down colour image which may be captured if you place a light-sensitive surface behind that aperture. It may be tamed by lenses and view-finders but there's none of that with a pinhole camera...


Sunday, 15 May 2011

The mystery of the pinhole

Kew Tree Pinhole

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.

Tower Bridge Pinhole

Pinhole cameras are great - everyone should try using one.