This image by Brenda Aguilar, was made by taping the camera to the underside of a public bench. It survived the six week exposure!
This week it is all about the website going live. This has been a labor of love and as I write this post, almost all the images still need to be uploaded. Yikes. I think once the design is in place that will happen in good time. The site is going to unfold and open very slowly, just like this form of pinhole photography. My goal is to post all the images that have been made in the Gallery, and then just keep adding them as they are exposed. This site is an Archive, where the images can live long term. In ten years you can go back and have a look at your image and even be able to find it. Because let's face it: anyone can make one of these simple metal tin cameras out of just about anything that is waterproof and light tight. And I am happy if people make their own cameras and send me their images to be added to the Gallery. Several people have already done this. And you certainly cannot tell any difference in the images. If you would like to make your own, contact me for some tips, I will be happy to share my highly technical approach.
I hope that this website will make the project more accessible to more people. Almost 3000 people have obtained or made a pinhole camera, tended it over the days, weeks or months that it was exposing and then sent it back to be scanned. Everyone has recognized and loved their image. But beware: there is a pinhole bandit about. Not just locally, here in Seattle where the Project is based but this bandit is everywhere. A scourge. The bandit(s) do not believe in magic. They find your pinhole camera in a public place and are intimidated. They seems to think the cameras are repositories for drugs or bombs or some sort of terrorist activity. Many people have placed their camera in pubic places. You can too. Just know that it could go missing, especially if it is visible. That said, the Pinhole Project accepts no responsibility for what ever happens to you and your camera but we are happy to replace cameras gone missing.
We will continue to chug along at about 1000 images a year. Each of those images average a month of exposure times. . . and .well you do the math---these cameras spend a lot of hours outside gathering time and light.
So back to the news. Thank you for visiting the site. I look forward to sharing your image with the world.