You better make sure you finish that can of Quaker Oats by April 26th, because it’s World Pinhole Photography day! Remember making your very own camera in grade school, using nothing but a can or box, some electric tape and tinfoil? It’s such a simple concept, but so quirky and unpredictable; magical even?
The beauty of pinhole cameras is that the possibilities are endless. Anything can be turned into one as long as it’s light tight, has a teeny hole, and you can stick film or photo paper inside. If you thought it was cool taking pictures with a shoebox, try using a jet hanger as a camera (http://www.alternativephotography.com/articles/art100.html). Don’t have a jet hanger laying around? Eh, ok. Do you have a mouth? You could be like this guy! (http://pinholephotography.org/gallery/gallery.html)
Maybe you’re into instant gratification, and in that case, there are multiple tutorials about turning your digital SLR into a pinhole camera by using a modified body cap in place of a lens (at the risk of leaving your image sensor susceptible to dust and dirt, so be careful, pinhole warriors!)
How ever you chose to celebrate, whether it’s a making a camera of your own, or just finding some cool pinhole pictures to look at, don’t forget to take a little time to pay homage to the principles of photography that make our lives a little bit more awesome.
A Haiku for Pinhole Day:
You think it’s oatmeal
But I’m watching you with it
And you’ve been exposed!
No comments:
Post a Comment