Pinhole Project Update

Hello!

This may be controversial but I’m trying to find ways to continue the pinhole project and I realize I need to start charging for prints. From here on out if you want a print it will be $10 to help off set the cost of production. I am having low vision problems and I have to hire an assistant to make the prints.

Also, I will be out of town until April 25th, so if you have cameras to send back, hold on to them for the next two weeks. I’m going to New York because I have 4 photos (that I took many years ago before I got into pinhole photography!) up April 15th - May 28th in Focus on the Flatfiles: Views from Red Hook Curated by Maureen McNeil in connection with her solo exhibition, Light + Material at Kentler in Red Hook, Brooklyn. I will be at the reception Sat April 15th from 4-6pm, if you live in NYC hope to see you there!

I Have Stepped Across a Line

I am no longer a digital photographer but a full time pinhole photographer. There is a certain stigma good and bad attached to pinhole photography. The first stigma is that pinhole is simple and not done seriously. I want to discourage this way of thinking. It is not simple and I am serious about it. No viewfinder, no focus, no real shutter speeds or aperture choices do not mean it is easy. Pinhole photography requires patience and timing. It is not something that just happens. The second stigma involves the waiting. I recently shot a wedding in pinhole in New York. The young people there were very enthusiastic about pinhole and knew what it was. The only thing they asked, was to see the images now. That can’t happen and I hold images in my mind that I like and I am a patient person who is happy to wait. For waiting is the crux of pinhole photography. A few positive things about pinhole: it harkens back to the beginnings of photography. I do most of my work on film. I am happy with that. I like the tactile feeling of film; the fact that the negative really exists. I like to work in the past.

I am sharing with you today some images I have made over the last several years. Not all are totally done still but they work for me. I hope you will like them too. I started shooting with the pinhole camera over thirty years ago. I am finally strong enough to say I am a pinhole photographer and do nothing else. It is freeing and feels good to me. I no longer care whether others like what I do. I hope they do but if not that’s life. The first row is from the Willapa Bay AiR. 2nd row is from Civita where I stayed in Italy on a fellowship and made lots of pinhole images. The 3rd row is long exposure pinholes from various homemade cans. The 4th row are various pinhole weddings. The 5th row are prints from 4 x 5 inch negatives from my book Innards. The 6th and 7th row are various images shot over the years beginning with an image from the Breaks in

Sputh Dakota and ending with the Point of a Pencil one of the first portfolio prints from LoupeHoles, a still life portfolio. You can see most of these images (with titles) on my website: janetneuhauser.com There are many more that I have not published here.

A New Pinhole

The two hole saltine pinhole I took to Willapa and made the image on the Stairway to the Cabins, I re-exposed at home when I came back from Willapa Bay. I am pretty happy with how it turned out—much better than I expected and completely different from the last camera (also a two hole) I exposed in the same spot. I will show them both here so you can see how different they can be. I have also been busy processing the pinhole film images I made at Willapa. They had to be changed to black and white due to light leaks in the camera. I have them done now and if you would like to see them go to my film website, janetneuhauser.com The Willapa was wet and rainy for the whole month I was there. Apparently I placed three long exposure pinholes just below the tide line. Who knew the tide would come in that far. I did not know. They are badly water damaged and I am just lucky to get the cameras back. They stayed up for some time but not for the whole month. I posted them on the website just because I could……..Please scroll on the images below to see all of each image. Both images were shot through the screen door. Thanks for looking.

Getaways in the Future

I am pleased to announce that I will be at the Willapa Bay artist residency for the month of October. I was awarded this fellowship to do pinhole photography (what else?). I have been working away making a lot of experimental pinholes, long exposure to put around the Bay when I arrive. I only get to leave them up for a month. That month is important because if anyone has cameras out exposing, I must process them before I leave and send them back to you and then you need to not send me anymore cameras until November when I return. The post office will be holding my mail and so I won’t know if you sent in a camera and did not read this. I hope that you will get this information in a timely manner.

I am so excited to go the the Willapa Bay. I love that area so much and applied for this residency way before the pandemic began. I assumed that I did not receive it but then I received a lovely telephone call the other day asking if I would come for the month of October. My only hesitancy was my eye and I was afraid to say yes without asking my doctor. My sight is coming back and who needs eyes to do pinhole photographs anyway? Of course my doctor was very happy for me and said, your eye looks good, go. So I am off. I have been going to the Long Beach peninsula since 1985 because my dear friend Maureen’s parents lived there. I have taken hundreds of photographs down but very few pinholes. Maureen’s parents passed away a few years back and I have not been down since.

What will I shoot? I can think of so many places and I will have my car. There is of course, Oysterville, and then Leadbetter State Park, the ocean, the cemetery near Oysterville, the piles of oyster shells everywhere. And I hope to go to Bay Center which is one of my favorite places, across the Willapa Bay. My daughter grew up going down there and we always used to drive through Bay Center, out on a peninsula that is almost an island.

What is a Getaways? I have many of these images. They are from pinhole cameras that are placed on the car while taking a road trip,. I have done several recently. They are not of the Willapa Bay but what I have been doing recently via the long exposure pinholes. Enjoy and as always thanks for reading.

Jenny Riffle

Jenny Riffle is an accomplished photographer. She has a BA in Photography from Bard College and an MFA in photography from School of Visual Arts in New York City. She grew up in the Northwest and her pinhole work reflects her love of nature among other things. A true artist, Jenny uses pinhole photography differently than most people. She loves the round can and is not afraid to put her cameras up in the woods within Seattle and also the woods around her mother’s house north of Seattle as well as her brother’s house in upstate New York. Her pinhole work has evolved—at first she made images of downtown Seattle, then found her voice in the woods and there she has made many images. The twelve images presented here are less than half of the total number she has made all in the last two years. No small feat. So go to the pinhole photographer’s section and take a look at the amazing work of this person. I would like to plug a books of hers coming out soon: It’s Raining . . . I Love You: Self-Portraits by Jenny Riffle and Molly Landreth published by Minor Matters Books and a previous book called Scavenger published by Zatara Press.

Eric Riedel and Barry Christensen Show

Eric Riedel has been a member of the Pinhole Project for several years.  He has taken over 45 images.  About half of those are in collaboration with Barry Christensen, a Skagit Valley artist and neighbor of  Eric’s.       

They are showing about 20 of their collaborations with a four-hole camera.  Each of them makes part of the image, exposing two holes at one time.   At their recent opening they answered questions for me and helped understand how they work.

How has the collaboration changed since you began working together or has it changed at all? 

Eric:  We talk a lot now.  About what we are trying to do and if our vision has some sort of connection.  In the beginning we did not talk at all.  We simply acted.  Now we are more accustom to what the camera is seeing.

Barry:  Sometimes Eric will say that doesn’t work, its too dark in here.  He never would have said that in the beginning.

Where do you think you will go from here?

Both:  We will just continue. 

This is a show worth seeing.  Barry and Eric’s work is made of gentle colors and not so gentle subject.  Carved pieces of wood fight, one walks through the odd spaces they create and find ins and outs, portals and other phenomena.     

 Here aresome of my favorites from the show and of course the card that was published. It was hard to pick my favorites and on a different day I know I would make different choices.  Go to https://www.thepinholeproject.org/pinhole-photographers#/eric-riedel-1/ or once you are on the site, search Barry Christensen.  Either way you will find their works. 

David Chui

David is a member of the pinhole project and an accomplished photographer in his own right aside from pinholes. He took my online night workshop this past spring and made some outstanding images. He has been making pinholes of the Aurora Avenue Bridge, a span that crosses Lake Union high above the water.. It has been a difficult process for him and for me: the first or maybe the second image he made was taken down by who knows who? A pinhole bandit for sure and it was disappointing to say the least. Pinhole photographers devote so much time to the process, an exposure of three weeks this time of year is barely enough. So imagine how they feel when a camera is taken down by a stranger for no apparent reason or that something else happens? David also had one camera come back to me that was completely blank, a mystery we have not yet solved. I trust him when he says that the shutter cover was taken off. (This sometimes happens to people who do not take the cover off). His most recent image had gotten a bit wet, not terribly bad but wet with water stains none the less. That happens when it rains as much as it has been. So I commend him for continuing and applaud his great work. Here are three of his images that explore the beauty and mystery of this long exposure process using one subject and two images showing the placement of his cameras.

Reflections on Shooting Pinhole Photographs

I have been shooting pinhole photographs for over 25 years. These days, I pretty much do not shoot other types of photography. I have noticed certain moments that occur while shooting pinhole, worth sharing and not evident in other types of photography. First there is the sun trail. The light from the sun is bright! The long exposure pinhole captures the trail as it goes across the sky. If there is no trail or gaps, it means the sun did not come through the clouds that day. or it means your camera was pointed away from the sun. Sun trails tell how long you have exposed the camera. Single sun trails are not very long exposures. Thick sun trails which flow all across the sky can represent at times up to a year of exposure. Patience is a virtue in pinhole photography and leaving a camera up for a year requires a lot of patience.

Flattening of bodies of water: long exposure pinholes, over time, flatten out large bodies of water. A very rough sea can look quite calm. Over several days, the tide goes in and out and creates a large flat body of water, without a beach.

Things that sit in the same place day after day: If you look closely at some interiors you can see, for example, where a white cat has laid in a chair day after day. And curtains that are mostly shut when opened will record the bright outside light.

What I love aboutt any type of pinhole photography is that I am never quite positive about what I will get on the paper or film. There is a certain amount of guesswork and estimation and it is helpful for to be positive about the outcome.. Long exposures make the colors very vibrant and do not record any people. People simply move through the frame too quickly. That is not to say you can’t record people with the pinhole camera. You just need bright light and short exposures and this usually works best with film not paper negatives. I have shot both long exposure pinholes on paper and shorter exposures on film. Both are interesting and the shorter exposures often capture people. I scan the paper negative from the long exposure images and I scan the negatives from the film based pinhole and print both digitally. I do not do any manipulation except to enhance the contrast a bit and get rid of the dust from my scanner.

I have also used various cameras always homemade that are either film or digital based. While recently on a fellowship to Civita, an old Etruscan hilltop town in Italy I had a month to make photographs; it was dark in November and December when I was there and I photographed mostly with film but put about 30 long exposure pinhole cameras out. I shot on film everyday and I used an app, called Pinhole Assist which made my exposures about 30 seconds and was very exact. I did not want people in my images and instead felt that there were many ghosts lurking about in this 3000 year old town. I wanted to capture them and make some different images of this already over-photographed place.

Janet Neuhauser A road trip—the camera was taped to the car’s back window. With sun trails! Six week exposure.

Janet Neuhauser: A shorter exposure of the photographer and pinhole artist Jenny Riffle. Exposure was about 30 seconds on film.

Jesse Tampa, 2 hole camera set in her living room. Six month exposure. Look closely and you can see her white cat who sleeps every day under the front window.

Eric Riedel and Barry Christensen have been working with a four hole camera, each of them exposing two holes for several weeks. Images are mysterious and wonderful.

I've Been Alphabetizing the Pinhole Project

I just finished reorganizing the Bainbridge High School students folder. Instead of by year as it was, it is now organized by photographer, alphabetized by first names. All the images made by one person are now in the same place. I found many double uploads (how did that happen?). I also found many students who had made ten or more images and thus got their own folder. Their folders are under the Bainbridge High School Student category. All of the BHS students were pioneers who began with the pinhole project in a time when I had no idea what it might be. It has definitely evolved over time. In the beginning I simply wanted to bring Pinhole photography to students without access to a darkroom. Please visit the site several times and take a second and third look and understand, as I am beginning to, how these cameras see. I will add more tags as time goes on. I will change out featured images—there are so many from which to choose. Next I will alphabetize the other folders. Right now, I need a break. And congratulations to the BHS students who made over 2200 images….Below are some of the standouts just from the first few letters of alphabet. So many great images. From left to right, top row: Abigail Harrison, Abe Muldrow, Aidan Parrish, Abigail Mikami; Middle Row: Akio Hanson, Alyssa Estes, Allison Spence, Anika Vroom; Bottom Row: Annabelle Hill, Asher Van Slyke, Anton Easterbrook, Amy Stephens.

They Said It Wouldn't Last

A lot of the pinholes on this website are from when I was a photography teacher at Bainbridge High School. I really started the Project in order for my students there (and at PCNW where I was also teaching) would have a way to experience the pinhole camera without a darkroom. The students at both places made wonderful images for several years and I felt so good that they loved the process as much as I did. Now almost two years since I left BHS, the Pinhole Project thrives, despite what the naysayers utter. I get about 4 or 5 cameras in the mail each week and people often stop by the studio unannounced to bring me a camera. (Which is always a great surprise). I feel fortunate to be the director of the Project and that so many people want to continue making images.

I make images in this fashion as well.. It requires patience because the longer the exposure in general the better the sun trails and the better the image. It is so tempting to take down the camera sooner than later. I exposed one camera two years. Not because I wanted to but because I just did not get back to it where it was under a bridge in California. When I went back, the camera had not been touched. Pretty cool. So I am happy with the number of people willing to give this a try, happy with the images and happy to continue to make cameras and hand them out. I post today to show off some recent arrivals. I try to process them ASAP and post immediately to the website.

This is just a sampling and if you want to see more, feel free to look at all the folders in the Gallery. In the meantime here are some pretty wonderful images: People have photographed their homes, leaving the cameras up for six months or more, have used two hole cameras, been first users and also shot enough to earn their own folder on the website (10 or more images). Round cameras are always popular. If you have a special metal can, bring it on over and we will make it into a camera. I have paper up to 11 x 14 inches. Bigger cameras need more holes. Two, three and four cameras are awesome. So if you would like a camera or have a tin you would like to bring by, contact me via email and leave a street (land) address and we will send one out to you. . Donate to the Project or not, we will still send you a camera!

Recent arrivals:

The images in the grid above are by the following pinhole photographers, left to right

Top Row:

Eric Riedel and Barry Christensen: two hole camera, take a look at their folders!

Alan Marrero: First time user, exposing a second camera now.

Laura Brodax: This one was placed on a wall outside her home

Henry Glovinsky: Inside his new house in LA; a crazy pinhole that works!

2nd Row:

Mario & Luciana Colafrancesco: Made in Rome, Italy. by this awesome husband and wife team.

Kirsten Wilhelm A street, I think in front of her house.

Jesse Tampa: From the series of the inside her apartment; Look closely and you can see her white cat

Louisa Williams: She just did her tenth pinhole and now has her own folder on the website

Third Row:

Meghan McNeil and John Barcarro: A round pinhole exposed only 19 hours. A record for a short exposure

Kenneth Loen: Sent in while I was in Italy. Wonderful pinhole from down town Seattle.

Meghan McNeil and John Barcarro: Their front door. These two collaborators now have their own folder

Jenny Riffle: Made while she was on a fellowship in White Salmon, WA

Welcome to February

I returned from my fellowship in late December and have been working everyday on all the pinhole images I took there. About 35 long exposure pinholes have been published on this site in a folder called Civita. di Bagnoregio in the Gallery Section. Take a look. People thought I was a wee bit off placing these cameras all over the town but none were damaged or messed with at all. The fierce rains and winds damage some and all but one were useable. . I used regular altoid tins for most of cameras and used some two hole tins and one three hole and a few square tins that I love a lot.. I left about 15 altoid cans in Civita for the people there to use and we shall see how they come out. In the meantime I give fo you a pinhole that was exposing through the windows on top of the door to my studio while I was gone.. It is a three hole camera made out of a Scotch box and I exposed it for almost 90 days. Since I had been doing a lot of diptychs and triptychs on film in Italy , it seemed right that this one would turn out like those. If you would like to take a look at thr images on film from Civita, , they are at janetneuhauser.com in the blog section, two posts, one titled Images from Civita and the other titled More Images from Civita. I felt that they belonged on my personal website because they are so different the images here: on film and in color, and 10 second exposures.

On another note, I returned to ten pinholes that had been mailed in and were being held at the post office while I was gone. I think all have been scanned and posted now. One from a pinhole photographer, Walt Newman, who lives on a boat out on the Kitsap Peninsula, seems to have been lost in the mail. It was sent to me almost two weeks ago via UPS and it has never appeared. They are searching and I hope it is found because it is a three month exposure inside of a boathouse looking out. Imagine!

So the Pinhole Project keeps on keeping on. Thanks to all of you who continue to make such great images. It is, I admit, a kind of addictive thing. You do one, wait a long time and then see it and get the impetus to do another and another. Crazy I know but true. Happy Pinholing!

From Above My Studio Door

Just a note

Hello to all the pinhole photographers out there. This is just a note that I will be on a fellowship from this coming Wednesday until December 14th. I will be making pinhole images! A dream come true. Why am I telling you this? Please do not expect a turn around of your image during this upcoming time. I will be out of the country. Please either expose your images until December 14th , or take down the camera now and store it with the pinhole covered please or get it to me before this Wednesday, October 23rd. That all folks. I am busy making pinhole cameras, packing up and preparing. Excited to do nothing but make images……Will be doing both film in my 4 x 5 pinhole camera and in my 120 Zero 2000 and long exposures on paper. Will of course post many when I return.

A recent pinhole with a camera that has been part of the project from the beginning. Curious because you can see through the windows. I don’t understand why because the curtains are opaque and mostly stay closed.

What Have I been Doing?

People are always asking me what do I do each day. As if I did not have anything to do when I am not teaching. As many people know, I retired a year ago from 24 years of teaching high school. Now, I have become a full time pinhole photographer. I have been dedicating my time to shooting pinhole photographs for myself, and updating and maintaining the Pinhole Project website. (I actually alphabetized each folder on this site, so you can find your image easily). While I miss the social aspect of my former job/life, I do not miss the crazy amount of work that it took to keep all running. I had an average of 125 students a semester working in all types of photography, both digital and film, in studio and on the street, in color and black and white, pinhole to large format cameras. Now life seems both more complex and simpler. I have come upon a new idea and it is very exciting to me and of course has to do with pinhole photography. I recently got a new version (exactly the same) of my old Zero 2000 120 pinhole camera. My old one, which I had used for over 20 years had worn out and was literally falling apart. The new one is a gem and I am so happy to have it. I have long used a Leonardo 4 x 5 inch pinhole camera with color negative film. I love that camera but the 4 x 5 film has become quite expensive to operate with the film close to 10.00 a sheet for film and processing. Until I learn how to process the film, I am shooting less with this camera and more with my Zero 2000.

So what have I come upon? It is of course, like all things pinhole, a happy accident. The Zero 2000 can be set to shoot a big rectangle, a smaller rectangle and a vertical almost square image. I set it to take the middle size rectangle and advance it for the smallest size image. The result is a wonderful overlap and the negatives have no black line between them. Even though this is not the Pinhole Project work, I will show a few images here because I am so excited. The first time I did this it was not intentional. That was about 4 years ago and I did not think too much about it, having no time to really investigate the idea. Then I tried it again about 3 years ago and now I am shooting regularly this way. Here are some images shot with the Zero set the way I have described:

Museum of Glass, Tacoma , WA

this image was made from two negatives, each exposed for about 45 minutes. Charlie Parriott and his daughter Helena Parriott had received a glass blowing residency from the museum and I was lucky enough to be able to shoot on the floor while they worked. Here is another one:

Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA

This image was also made of two images side by side on the film. The exposure was a bit less and people showed up more even though they are still shadows. I have shot a bit with this camera. I just shot the Climate March this way the other day and am waiting for the images to come back from the lab. Here are some shot in the summer. I have wanted to capture people and just began to using this technique. Again, all images are side by side on the film, no black line between them.

Martin and Roberta outside the coffee house, Georgetown, Seattle. Two ten minute exposures.

Self Portrait on couch with herb garden outside. Two ten minute exposures.

So these are some things I have been working on.

PINHOLE SPOTLIGHT: ANGELA PROSPER AND THE WILD PACIFIC TRAIL

Angela Prosper long-time friend and former student at Photographic Center Northwest is a woman of many talents. Her first pinhole (seen below) was created in 2013 at the beginning of the project and it shows a view from the old cherry tree in her backyard, facing the sun. It was used in many different ways and stood out from the beginning.

Angela recently made five more pinhole cameras and headed up to the beautiful west coast of Vancouver Island to the little town of Ucluelet . She spent a week there and walked the Wild Pacific Trail, looking for places to put up her pinholes. Angela and her partner Grant wanted to capture images in a small window of time between 3 and 5 days. Far less than the typical exposure of several weeks. They set cameras up all along the Wild Pacific Trail and Ucluelet Inlet leaving them for less than a week. They hoped no one would take them down (which is what the Pinhole Bandit does) and that the bears, wolves and cougars would not attack them. Most importantly, they prayed that the images would be fully exposed before they had to leave the area.

Lucky for Angela and Grant and the Pinhole Project, all five pinholes were still in their spots on the final day of collection; They took them down and drove the 8 hours back to Seattle. Here are the images: A beautiful collection complete with titles. Angela, you rock. Find out more about this amazing person on her instagram page: @prosper_photo.

First Angela Prosper image made in 2013.

Here are the images from the Wild Pacific Trail, West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Angela Prosper, Wild Pacific Trail View 2

Angela Prosper, Wild Pacific Trail View 1

Angela Prosper, Sunrise at the Ucluelet Inlet

Angela Prosper, Trees of Black Rock Resort

Angela Prosper, On the Porch.

All images were made this past month! September 2019.

A new two hole interior from Jess Tampa

Jess Tampa is a pinhole photographer who has been involved with the Pinhole Project since the beginning. She has seemingly narrowed down her images to interiors of her house in Oakland, California. Recently she came to visit and brought an old two hole camera that has been used by many people. She set this camera on the bookshelf at the end of the living room, unsecured and left it for about five months. Amazingly no one moved it or touched it during that time. She was surprised by the outcome because the curtains around the windows were closed most of the time the image was exposed. This is yet another example of unexplainable phenomena that happens with this type of photography. Why did the trees outside the windows show up so well?

If you look closely, you can see her white cat who laid on the same chair day in and day out. The other amazing thing that happened with this camera is how the floor swooped down and became the ceiling for the image on the bottom. Oh and did I mention the lights that hang around each window. how they showed up? Very cool. I show you this image in the hope that it will inspire you to expose a pinhole camera inside your house for up to six months or longer. You can see more of Jess’ pinholes on this site in her folder. Thanks for reading…..

Some Images from Everywhere

The images from Everywhere folder contains images by people who were not my students. They are people who I met as a photography colleagues or who are friends, family, or people who have found the Pinhole Project on the internet and decided to join.. In my last news post, some of my favorites over the years from the students at Bainbridge High School were featured. Granted they were all assigned to build a camera and do at least two images per semester. Most did many more. That is the main difference between this folder: and that one: here these people are volunteers and worked out of the kindness of their hearts and the love and the joy of making an image in a little metal tin.

I have learned so much from them. Some I chose because they were among the first to expose an image: Henry Glovinsky and my dear friend who has passed on, Constance Parriottl started the project off. Angela Prosper was among the first as well. Others made images in round cans, and also inside sometimes exposing for six months or more. Paul Heyn was the first to expose an image in his car. I thought he had hung his camera n a swimming pool at first. My nine year (at the time) niece, Malana Neuhauser is perhaps the youngest member of the Project. And Mitch and Lucy Kern are the only father/daughter team that I know of.. I love getting their cameras in the mail (from Canada) with a sweet note from Lucy every time. You can see many other images by these people on the website. Most of them have done more than one image. I am grateful for their participation. Next I will feature those people who have done more than 10 images and have earned a folder on this website titled with their names. Hope you enjoy these photographs. On a different day I would have picked different ones I am sure. There are so many great images!

Charlie Parriott

Carol Troy

Gilman and Forlini

Constance Parriott

Henry Glovinsky

Angela Prosper

Dara Phillips

John and Meghan McCarro

Jen Parker

Jill Enfield

Susan Gans

John Dahl

Helena Parriott

Judy Haselton

Lynn Collins

Leslie Siemer

Lisa Shaw

Malana Neuhauser

Judy Seigel

Marjie Clark

Maureen McNeil

Miya Sukune

June Crane

Martin Imbach

Mary Ann Greco

The McMullens

Minoff and Glovinsky

Mitch and Lucy Kern

Rick Bidlack

Paul Heyn

Paul Hoskin

Roberta Greene

Tiffany Clendenin

Ray Deardorf

River Augenstein

Such Great Images from Bainbridge High School Students

I have spent the last few weeks working on the Pinhole Project website, going through my external hard drives and thumb drives and updating updating updating. The students at Bainbridge High School have made some incredible images over the last five years. I have put them on the website in eleven folders which equal about 1800 images. I loved doing this labor, and labor it was to make the website better and to begin to create an actual archive. I felt like I really got to know the images in the project in a new way. I decided to take out 10 or so if I can only choose that many. So I went through the archive and marked the ones that popped out to me. I ended with 95. Way too many. I am hoping to post 30 here. We shall see. Hard to leave so many out. I have always said there are no bad pinhole images. So true. Each one is unique. You can find these scattered throughout the BHS folders. Here are the best of the best. Thirty-two total. Enjoy looking!

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Cameron Dymoke

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Lauren Cummings

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Megan Kozlosky

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Eli Ritter

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Christy Carley

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Elijah Burns

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Paige Brigham

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Charlotte Furner

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Emmett Watson

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Tia Preston

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Kolin Hawkins

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Jordan Davis

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Ethan Peloquin

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Caroline Narjarian

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Ezra Tweeten

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Jacob Anderson

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Max Popken

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Julia Goessman

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Kendall Vasek

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Lauren Gilliam

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Lexi Moroch

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Mary Burgess

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Maya Sutriasa

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Nicole Mingo

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Robby Davis

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Max Thomas

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Ruby MacFarlane

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Ryan Cox

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Wesley Houser

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Jamie Manning

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Kenny Dosono

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Lexi Kruger

Some Camera Pointers

I am often asked questions about the pinhole camera that at first glance seem simplistic. Recently I realized how many people are asking the same questions and I wanted to review the camera making process and placing it. I will do another post about how they are processed after exposure.

One of the first questions I am asked, is what type of tin can be used? The answer is simple: if you are exposing outside, then you need a metal tin that can withstand the weather and be made light tight. I make hundreds of cameras a year from Altoid tins; they are plentiful and I have a stack always in my studio that people donate. What I like about the Altoid tins is that they are big enough (I am not talking about the very small Altoid tins), can be made light tight and waterproof very easily. And most important they are getting a new lease on life, recycled! That said, just about any metal tin works outside: round tins, large cookie tins (especially around the holidays) are easy to find. I have even made cameras out of metal martini shakers and Ovaltine cans found in thrift stores. I love the old round metal film cans, still available and still great. Last year, an art teacher gave me several pencil cans: metal, rectangular and/or square about 6 inches by 6-10 inches. These we made into multi-hole cameras and got some amazing results. Last week, a friend gave me his very wonderful box that a bottle of great Scotch had come in. I am working on it to make it into a three hole can.

If you come across any can that is metal and you want to use it, send my a photograph of it (taken on your phone) and we can talk about how to use it. Another question that I get asked is how do you make a pinhole camera? I have a drill press and drill a 1/2 hole in the tin. I pound the hole flat with a hammer then sand the tin inside and out, wash it and spray it black. Then we make the pinhole out of brass shim stock from the auto parts store (one of the few things I have to buy), get a perfectly round hole, tape the shim stock inside the can, add two sided tape to hold the paper inside, make a cover for the pinhole and tape the can shut. Voila. It is easy and I have taught dozens of people how to make a camera. The pinhole project makes lots of Altoid and round tins and you can ask and receive one at any time. And not have to make your own. I just made 18 to take with me to a yoga retreat and will give them out to whoever wants one.

The next question concerns placement. People tell me they keep a camera for months, trying to decide where to place it. Because of this dilemma, some people never place them. If you have had a camera a long time (like a few years) go ahead and expose it! The paper will be fine.

Consider these guidelines:

1. There are no bad pinholes, just about any place works just fine.

2. The cameras are all pretty wide angle. That means things in the distance will appear small, so something in the foreground close up will balance that well.

3. There is a pinhole bandit about! Place your camera on private property, out of the weather if possible and in some place you can check on it frequently. The pinhole bandit takes cameras down! But do not forget: you can put your camera in a car and drive around with it. The inside of the car will be in focus. Go to my blog post called Getaways and Home to see some car pinholes.

4. Be patient! A four week exposure is not too long. I have left cameras exposing much longer. And if you would like to do an interior, leave it up for six months. The photographic paper we use is not sensitive to tungsten lights so it takes a long long time to expose.

5. If you are lucky enough to have a four or three hole camera, you can open the pinholes for different amounts of time and in different places. It is a wonder to behold but you need to make sure you have the camera oriented the same way each time.

6. Be sure to place your camera securely so it does not move. I use packing tape on concrete, brick, or any surface that does not accept tacks or a staple gun. On wood you can use the tabs on the camera and place it securely with tacks.

7. Please see an earlier post that goes into great detail about placing the camera. You can access it here: http://www.thepinholeproject.org/news/2016/11/12/how-to-use-a-pinhole-project-camera . Then if you have questions feel free to email me at longexposurepinholes@gmail.com

Any other questions? Email us and we are happy to help out. After all that is what we do. And if you would like to donate any amount at all to the Pinhole Project, your donations are much appreciated. The Pinhole Project is based on your donations.

Nicole Croy: She has made hundreds of images and sometimes climbs trees to put her cameras up very high. This beauty was exposed for a long time: look at that sun trail!