Pinhole Camera

Our lives have been changing at a rate unseen in history. The technology that has become an everyday part of our lives is astonishing. We have computers, cellular phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), satellite dishes and so much more. We can communicate with almost anyone, almost anywhere and at almost any time. Some think that these things have made our lives much simpler, but many would say that they have only complicated things. The same can be said for photography.

Only a few years ago, our choices were simple. We bought a roll of black and white film, shot it using one of a handful of cameras available and took it to the drug store to have it developed and prints made. Some years later, we were introduced to the world of color photography. Our choices were limited to only a few different types of film, but we soon left our black and white film behind for the exciting world of color photography. Over time, we have seen advancements in film and equipment that one could only dream of even 20-25 years ago. How many color films are there to choose from? How many film cameras, let alone the market-dominating digital cameras? It truly boggles the mind. But, have these innovations made our lives as photographers any simpler or have they only served to confuse us? The amount of equipment I carry when I go out for a day of shooting is astounding. Multiple film and digital cameras, lenses, tripods, and so much more are carefully packed. It takes up a lot of space in my vehicle. I, for one, have decided that it may be time to step back and return to the basics. Way back to a time before digital. Even farther to a time when lenses were non-existent. I have discovered the wonderful world of pinhole photography.

The earliest writing of viewing an image through a pinhole dates back as far as the 5th century BC, but it is generally agreed that the first photographic application of using a pinhole aperture was done by Sir David Brewster in the 1850s. It was not until the 1870s and the development of dry plate emulsions that this method of photography became practical. Since that time, many pinhole photographs have been taken and formulae developed. In the 1920s, cameras with lenses became affordable to the general public and the pinhole camera began to lose favor. After that, pinhole cameras were used mainly as science experiments and by a few photographers who were still clinging to their roots, or who were interested in obtaining images with the soft focus produced by cameras without lenses.

During the 1960s and 1970s, many photographers once again began to look at photography as an art form. There was much experimentation and a small rediscovery of the magic of pinhole photography. By the 1980s, pinhole images were regaining a strong foothold as an art form. In 1984, Eric Renner established the Pinhole Resource in New Mexico and shortly thereafter published what many consider to be the best book available on the subject, Pinhole Photography: Rediscovering a Historic Technique. Now, through the internet, pinholing has been rediscovered by thousands. Like me, many were looking at a way to simplify things and produce images which would be noticed. There is even an annual Worldwide Pinhole Day when pinholers from around the world are encouraged to get out and take pinhole photographs and publish their favorite so that others can share. The URL is http://www.pinholeday.org.

My journey into pinhole photography began when I saw some of the beautiful images being made with these cameras. At first, I was hesitant to leave technology behind, but I am glad I did. I researched cameras and techniques until I finally decided to build my camera from a kit made by Jay Bender (http://www.benderphoto.com). I decided on this kit as it has 3 different focal lengths, 33mm, 65mm and 87mm, which are approximately equivalent to 9mm, 18mm and 27mm in the 35mm world. Now that's what I call wide angle! After applying the many different formulae, I decided on the following pinhole diameters: 33mm focal length = .22mm dia, 65mm focal length = .33mm dia and 87mm focal length = .43 dia. The f-stops resulting from these pinholes are f150, f197 and f229, respectively. I made my own pinholes using the brass shim stock provided in the camera kit, an enlarger, a very fine beading needle, crocus cloth and a lot of patience. The kit itself was very well made and required only three evenings to complete. With some judicious shopping on eBay, I was able to get several film holders at very good prices. I bought some Fuji Velvia and Agfa APX100 and I was set!

For my first images, I wanted to photograph subjects that I could return to. I had no real idea of just how well I had done in making the camera or producing the pinholes so I headed to a local park.

Now, before I go on, I need to confess something to you. Technology is not all bad. I say this because I use it when taking pinhole images, but in a slightly unconventional way. Let me explain. With the long exposure times associated with these extremely small apertures, reciprocity failure in film becomes a very real issue. My memory is not all that good at times and I wanted to be able to concentrate on things such as composition and not on the film, so I downloaded a program to my PDA which lists some 100 varieties of film. This little program allows me to meter my subject using aperture priority and f16 and calculate the exposure time based upon my aperture and film, including reciprocity failure. It is a very handy tool.

My very first image was taken using Velvia. There was a small stream flowing under some moss covered trees that caught my eye. I decided on the 33mm focal length, set up the camera as best that I could, metered the subject and, using the aforementioned program, determined that I would need a 3-minute exposure. There was no breeze so this was not a problem. I took out the dark slide, opened the shutter and started the countdown using a stopwatch. When time was up, I closed the shutter and reinserted the dark slide. I did it! My first pinhole image! I then took another in the same area but, sadly, I had a light leak and the shot was mined. I have since learned from that experience. I had exposed two sheets of Velvia and wanted to try some B&W also so I headed off down the trail. The next shot is of the trail, with a rail fence along the right. I was hoping to get a good example of the single point perspective obtained when using a pinhole. I chose the 65mm focal length, which required a 6-minute exposure and again, no wind so no problem. I began my exposure when a jogger ran down the trail, followed shortly by another. Knowing that they would only be in the frame for a relatively short period of time, I was not concerned. If they had stopped however, it would have been a different matter. When I was finished, I headed back towards my vehicle, knowing that I would be able to find a subject for the second sheet of APX100. I found an old log which pointed to a nice view of the forest. I set up and made a 10-minute exposure with the 33mm focal length. Now, all I needed to do was have the film processed and check out the results. I headed off to the lab.

When I picked up my film the next day, I found out a few things about my camera and the images it produced. As I mentioned earlier, I found that I needed to exercise more caution when loading the film so as not to create light leaks but I also found that I really liked what I saw, with certain exceptions. My images were round! While some of you may like that effect, I see it as a waste as only a portion of the 4x5 film had any image on it. It is a personal choice. I went home and made some modifications to my camera to expand the field of view and allow full frame images.

Since that first image, I have been taken in by pinholing. I can head out and know that I am going to have a relaxing time, while capturing images with a unique look. I find myself looking at things in a different way, having gained some idea of how they will look through that very small hole. Build yourself a pinhole camera and discover for yourself just what I mean. Life is good.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Photographic Society of America, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group

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