Pinhole Photography

While most of my photographic output is created digitally, in recent years I’ve begun to explore film photography too. Through this I’ve discovered a love for the most basic form of photography, shooting with a pinhole camera. Thousands of years ago mankind discovered that when light is focused through a small opening an inverted image of the world outside is projected onto the other side of the aperture. Pinhole photography is simply a smaller scale version of this, with a tiny opening projecting whatever it sees onto film.

The cameras I use are made by a company called Ondu Pinhole in Slovenia and are beautifully crafted from wood, with perfect, laser etched pinholes to capture clear images. Not only are they wonderful objects in their own right, but they make surprisingly sharp images, especially considering there are no lenses involved.

I currently have three cameras - two which 120 roll film and a third which uses 4x5 sheet film.

Why pinhole photography?

There’s something about the pinhole aesthetic I love - that slightly soft, ethereal feel. Pinhole photos have a different look, even when using larger formats, which create a greater sense of sharpness. From a practical point of view there’s also something very therapeutic about pinhole photography - it simply can’t be rushed.

Composing images

Most pinhole cameras capture a wide field of view, so you have to think carefully about your subject and composition. With no viewfinder one has to think about all the elements of the scene which will make it into the picture and you almost always need to be closer than you think could be possible. The framing lines on Ondu cameras help with composition, but even those only give a rough idea of the limits of the image.

Gathering light

The next consideration is the exposure time. With a tiny pinhole (mine are 0.3mm - around f160 in terms of lens apertures) it can take a long time for enough light to reach the film to make an image. On a bright, sunny day this may take a second or two, but in a forest or a gloomy church it could take minutes or even hours. With digital photography it’s entirely possible to shoot hundreds of frames in a day, but with a pinhole camera I’m pleased if I’ve managed four frames in an hour!

Film choice

The final choice a pinhole photographer has is selecting the right film. I personally love monochrome pinhole photos and often shoot with Ilford FP4+ film, but colour can work just as well. I’ve recently experimented with Kodak Ektar colour film and really enjoyed the results, so that’s something I will try again.

Daily Pinhole Project

Through 2021 I have shared a new pinhole image every day on my Instagram account which is devoted entirely to this genre of photography.

I began by creating at least one fresh pinhole photo every single day through January to kick start my year. I’ve learnt a huge amount through this project, learning how to get the best out of these unique cameras. Recently I’ve enjoyed exploring the possibilities of capturing movement through long exposures and I have lots more ideas still to play with. Please do pop over to Instagram to see the results of my explorations here.

Click on any of the images to see them larger