Pinhole Mania

Here’s another pinhole photo taken on Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. I went into Picasa and cropped the sprocket holes on this one so it looks more “normal.” 

At first the idea of pinhole photography seemed really “trippy” and cool to me but most of the pinhole photos I saw were just “bad photography masquerading as art,” – in my opinion!

Now, having experimented with pinhole photography myself and having viewed literally thousands of pinhole photos I still think a lot of what I have seen is of dubious merit but there is a significant number of really great pinhole photos out there too.

I confess that I am also somewhat prejudiced. Pinhole photos produced with high quality, commercially available pinhole cameras or DSLR’s with the lens removed and a pinhole drilled in the body cap are “cheating,” again – just my opinion. The fact that both of these routinely produce excellent pictures, often free from the distortion and “pinhole effect” generally seen in the photos produced by more “humble & honest” pinhole cameras, would seem to validate that opinion however.

That said, I am intrigued by and contemplating an experiment involving one of my 35mm SLR bodies with the lens removed and a hole drilled in the body cap. More specifically, I intend to drill a large hole in the body cap and attach a very thin brass plate with a pinhole in it centered over the larger hole in the body cap. Is this “cheating?” Well, maybe. It depends. 

My biggest complaint about my home made cardboard pinhole camera is the film advance mechanism. It worked well enough but was difficult to use and when the black tape started coming off I cut my picture taking short for fear of light leaks ruining the film. If I can use one of my 35mm bodies instead and still get the same pinhole quality & effect I have just solved the problem.

As a side benefit, I may actually be able to use the built in light meter and perhaps even “see” through the viewfinder well enough to compose my shots better than the “point & shoot & hope for the best” approach used with my home made camera.

As always, I’ll be sure to let you know what happens.