I’ve been really enamored with pinhole photography as of late. I know this must be partially due to the recent passing of World Pinhole Day (April 29th) and also to the recent work I’ve seen from my peers. For those of you who are entirely unfamiliar with the subject of pinhole photography I invite you to check out this resource for more information. Whether you build your own camera, purchase one, or build your own camera obscura, pinhole photography is all about experimentation.
A quick summary on pinhole cameras and pinhole photography:
- Pinhole cameras can be made from boxes which are nicely sealed to prevent light. Along with the box you will also need some material for the pinhole, such as a disposable baking sheet. Then, using a needle to create the “pin” hole, these cameras are easily crafted from household items. The other component is the film. Usually black and white or color sheet film is used.
- Pinhole cameras are also readily available already constructed and ready for use. From simple plastic bodies to elite handcrafted wooden cameras, there is a pinhole for every price range.
- Due to the nature of the pinhole camera having an incredibly small aperture (usually in the range of f/100 to f/300), the exposure times can range from seconds in bright sunlight to much longer periods of time (minutes, hours, days, months, even years).
- Tripods and cable releases are particularly important when shooting pinholes.
- Slower films (ISO 200 and below) are usually preferred for pinhole photography due to the extended exposure times.
I shot my first pinholes on World Pinhole Day using my Lomography Diana+ (which has a pinhole aperture setting). There are many resources on the internet for calculating exposure times for different sized pinholes. One can be found here. I decided to experiment loosely and used 100 speed film indoors with exposure times ranging from 4 minutes to 15. While I have been waiting to see the results, I find myself more fascinated with pinhole photography than ever. I would like to share with you some pinhole images taken by a handful of talented photographers. Most of these were submitted to the FilmWins Flickr Group (which JUST passed 10k photos in the Group Pool, thank you!).
Charterhouse by Tina Rowe. More can be found here: Flickr/Twitter
From The Forest Floor by Jeff Soderquist. More can be found here: Flickr/Twitter
Newport Beach Pier by Steve M. More can be found here: Flickr/Twitter
Processional Way by Martin. More can be found here: Flickr/Twitter
Untitled by Simon Ponder. More can be found here: Flickr/Twitter
Trees, Titan Pinhole – Delta 100 by Simon Kidd. More can be found here: Flickr/Twitter
Pinhole: People Movers by Herschel Pollard. More can be found here: Flickr/Twitter
205/365 – 24/7/11 by benman31 on Flickr.
Journey – Paper Negative (Inverted) by Brendan Comey. More can be found here: Flickr/Twitter
I feel as though the photographs above really capture the variety that exists within the study of pinhole photography. I only hope that this post inspired you to continue shooting with pinhole cameras or purchase one and experiment for the first time. Remember, if you are new to film photography the best way to get help is to tweet a question with the #believeinfilm hashtag on Twitter. There are many people out there who are ready and willing to help you out. They also like to send film cameras and film to those who want to give film a shot!
As always I am open to comments, suggestions, recommendations for my own pinhole endeavors, and any sort of feedback you may have.


































