Inspiration: Pinhole Photography
For those who may be drooling over an expensive new lens or wondering whether you can justify sacrificing food for a new ring flash, here’s a reminder that beautiful photos can be captured using the simplest of kit. The pinhole camera is made up of three basic elements: a light-proof container, some film and a pinhole. As there’s no need for a lens, you can make one out of pretty much anything from a Coke can to a cereal box. Too easy!
This coming Sunday 26th of April is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day so it would be almost rude not to give this a try some time soon. If you’d like to make your own pinhole camera, here are some useful links to get you started:
- How to Make and Use a Pinhole Camera
- Download, print and build your own pinhole camera
- Pringles Pinhole Camera
- How To Build a Matchbox Pinhole Camera
If you’d like a bit more technical info on exactly how these low-fi cameras work, these links may be of interest:
If you’d just like to marvel at some stunning pinhole photography, take a look at these works from talented bubblers who’ve fallen for the charms and simplicity of the humble pinhole camera:
Won’t somebody play me? by Duncan Waldron
Bubbles by Paul Cotelli
Cranston Water Tower by Paul Lavallee
a light on the horizon by Colin Powell
Pinhole Polaroid – “Experimental Farm II” by DavidAmosPhotography
If you’re planning some pinhole photography action this week, feel free to show your masterpieces off in the comments below. Don’t forget to add your work to the PinHole Photography group too!
Jan Piller
Wow! these are great! I always tyhought I might give it a try some day… maybe now is the time!
RaptorGirl
I once did one of these. Admittedly, it’s a black and white negative, but the result was still something else. I think I should scan it and invert it to see how it looks.
Jo O'Brien
I just can’t get over Steph Tout’s Biscuit Tin, used to create some amazing panoramic pinhole montages.
Sashy
thank you for this post. i bought a pinhole kit a couple of months ago but was too lazy to assemble it… you got me going now.
jemimalovesbigted
This is cool! I have just been making my very own pinhole over the past couple of weeks, based on Steph’s biscuit tin, but with some of my very own personal additions! I will post a journal on how to for sure and share the results in honour of worldwide pinhole day (didn’t know there was one) So thanks for the info guys!
MuscularTeeth
i know juilee pryor has some damn cool pinhole photos.
Soxy Fleming
this looks like so much fun…I wonder if I have the patience…
Juilee Pryor
oh my goodness World Pinhole Day is nearly on us again…. how fabulous….gawd I love pinhole cameras … they are just so much fun….... here is one of a skeleton I did last year…. it’s the negative and the postitive of the shot and it’s called pinhole bones #1
.... there are another couple called bones # 1 and bones # 3 as well
if you click the link it will take you to the page where I ramble on about it a bit….. also I’ve got them on tee shirts and bones #3 is one of my fav tees at the minute….
pinholes ares just so much fun…. Steph Tout is an absolute master at it…. her images are just the best I’ve seen…. that biscuit tin camera of her’s is real ripper…. she has it down to a fine art…. mistress of pinholes for sure….check this one out… called Williamstown Bay it’s just so good I can’t quite believe it…..
and cheers Mr Teeth…. :)
Juilee Pryor
bugger sorry about the double image… don’t quite know how that happened…. anyway be sure you check out Steph’s amazing panoramas…. they really are something else…..
Joanne Bradley
This is so cool! Reducing photography to its very purest essence! Thanks for the info!
Izzy Williams
check out work by ann hamilton – she uses her mouth as the pinhole camera – brilliant!
Mathew Reed
Gosh, I haven’t done one of these in a while. Well I guess less than a year, but still. It’s good to see an article try to inspire some of the older methods in photography. I love it when the pinhole emulates that real old fashion black and white silent movie feel. When it’s really high contrast and grainy.
Untitled Pinhole
Pinhole Self Portrait
Colorskim
aaahhh pinhole is amazing! only i don’t have a dark room to finish my film :(
but there’s still a pinhole camera here :D !!!
Paul Lavallee
Thanks for the recognition of my work!
mwfoster
The Pinhole Camera has entered the digital age. I’ve seen adapters for the popular Dslr and they cost under $100 dollars U.S. I been temted to buy one but I’ve resisted up to now
jemimalovesbigted
Great Site for Pinhole Construction
Steph Tout
I would marry pinhole photography if I could! Love it. Thanks for the reminder about Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day…it always passes me by, but I coincidentally have a shoot organised for Sunday so this year it won’t!
And cheers for the mention, Jo and Juilee…your support is hugely appreciated. Love the bones, Juilee!
And check out Lisa’s amazing camera design – I can’t wait to see the images she creates with it.
Soxy Fleming
I did it with added coffee!