pinhole from Without Lenses

Turning the world on its head

Erin Malone — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:17:28 GMT

“My first few photo trips with my pinhole camera resulted in terrible photos, but I loved the way the camera felt in my hands and I loved the way I was able to express myself, and it was so different from standard photojournalism, that I didn't give up and just kept shooting.”

I can't recall when I first stumbled across Sheila Bocchine's pinhole work, but I re-discovered it in the news articles and website material for the Urban Landscape show, that was held in France during the first part of 2008. Investigating further, I discovered that Sheila was doing work traditionally reserved for lensed cameras—wedding photography. Intrigued, I set out to find out a little bit more about how she came to be doing this work and discovered an exuberant artist, eager to share her joy of pinholing with everyone around.

Erin Malone: I really like your work from your garden series—I find that work very whimsical. Are you still adding to that body of work?
Yes, when I find gardens that I must photograph I take notes and contact the owners. I have three gardens right now that I'm going to photograph. It's a bit hot right now in Phoenix, so it will probably have to wait until the fall. Most of those photographs came from my grandma's yard in Concordia, Missouri and from Gracie's garden in Phoenix. I would love to travel, photographing the mesmerizing worlds of garden ornaments. I totally believe they come alive at night!

I am intrigued by the fact that you are doing wedding photography with pinhole - what prompted you to start doing that?
I started experimenting with pinhole portraits when I lived in NYC and was loving the result I was getting. When I moved back to Phoenix, my boyfriend (Gary Millard, who is also a photographer) and I, started photographing weddings and because of the wonderful, dreamy effect that pinhole creates, I wanted to only photograph them in pinhole. He photographs the wedding in digital and I photograph it in pinhole. It works out perfectly because we're able to offer something that no one else in Phoenix is doing and it's the artistic compliment to Gary's great wedding photographs. I also love how, because they are long exposures, I am able to capture the energy of their wedding. For evening weddings I'll leave the shutter open for 20-30 minutes.

How did you get your first wedding?
We booked a lot of friends and family weddings to begin with. I had just moved to Phoenix, but Gary has lived here most of his life and his family was in the restaurant business so they knew everyone! Gary had been using their restaurant as his personal art gallery so when we plunged into wedding photography, we had a great response.

Are you getting clients who understand the uniqueness of what the images will be like? (do you have to explain how it all works first or do they seek you out BECAUSE your work is lensless?)
It really depends on the client. If they are in the local art scene then they generally come to us because we offer pinhole photography. We photograph the weddings of many artists, musicians and poets. We owned a photography gallery for two years in downtown Phoenix, so that helps us get the artsy crowd as well. Other clients are definitely intrigued, so I make sure to always bring my pinhole camera to our consultation. They like the soft focus and romantic effect of the pinhole camera. Once they see the camera they tend to get very curious and start to ask many questions. I love explaining pinhole photography, I spend a lot of time doing that. It's funny, Gary has tons of photos of me showing off and explaining my camera to strangers! But we definitely get clients who request no pinhole; one my favorite was ‘I do not want any of those pin-prick photos at my wedding’. So I definitely think the client is someone who already appreciates art, is interested in alternative photography, or is looking for something special and unique.

Besides doing weddings, have you branched into any other more commercial applications of your pinhole work?
Yes! I show my work in galleries and museums. I LOVE doing that. I recently had a show outside of Paris, France, and I'll be showing in London in July. It thrills me to pieces to see my prints printed large, usually 30x30, hanging in exhibits. I curate photography exhibits and show quite often in Phoenix as well.

Babs and Kiera, Phoenix Arizona, November 2007

Pink Flamingo, Gracie's Garden, May 2006

I also have recently started selling my pinholes in postcard form on etsy: http://www.daisyjellybean.etsy.com. I have been making and sending postcards for as long as I can remember so I finally decided to open a shop. It's doing really well. My dream with this venture is encourage people to send thank you notes, birthday wishes, get well messages etc... to send something in the mail that will make the recipient smile and have a fabulous day. I put the postcards in vellum envelopes so the postal workers can also enjoy the pinhole postcard on it's journey. Once the journey is complete they are perfect for framing, so they are beautiful frame-able mail art!

What is your favorite camera for your work?
I always use a medium format pinhole camera by Zero Image.

How long have you been photographing?
I think I've always been interested in photography. My parents always had a video camera or a film camera with them, documenting our lives. When I was 8, I told my mom that I wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic magazine. I used to sit in my room with the magazines looking at the photos and using a dictionary to look up the words I couldn't understand. I distinctively remember her telling me that photography wasn't a real job! HA! So I went through life wondering how photographs were taken and put into books and magazines! I remember taking my first photograph when I was 9, there was a moment when I could tell something amazing was happening, and at the time I didn't know, but there was definitely a spark! My dad was in the military and we were living in Sicily. We had spent the day at Mount Etna, Catania and in my personal favorite city in Sicily, Taormina. It was evening, the air had my favorite Italian smell of wood burning (probably pizza), and the cobble streets were strung with lights. I took a photo of my family and as I pressed the button, I remember thinking to myself, that's what I wanted to do with my life. My parents bought me a new camera almost every year for my birthday starting at age 10, for some reason, I had a knack for breaking them! I was always taking photos and still love looking through old photo albums. In High School I was the photo editor of the yearbook and the student newspaper. On my 18th birthday I used all my birthday money and some of my own saved money to buy my first 'real' camera, a Nikon N50, it's also when I said I wanted to go to college for photojournalism. I went to undergrad at Columbia College Chicago and majored in photojournalism. I was also the Photo Editor of The Columbia Chronicle, our school paper. Before I left Chicago I saw the Zero Image pinhole camera at a photography store in Chicago was definitely intrigued. When I was living in Arizona, I had a dream that I was using that camera to photograph the sunsets, and was printing them wall size like Andreas Gursky's photographs, and the dream was so powerful, that the next day I ordered one from Hong Kong. That was pretty much the beginning of my love for pinhole photography. It definitely took a few years to master the camera but now I won't shoot with any other camera. My first few photo trips with my pinhole camera resulted in terrible photos, but I loved the way the camera felt in my hands and I loved the way I was able to express myself, and it was so different from standard photojournalism, that I didn't give up and just kept shooting. I took notes for 2-3 years, until I mastered the length of exposures and could gauge the depth of field. I moved to NYC to attend graduate school at Pratt Institute and spent the whole two years experimenting and learning how to use my favorite toy!

Were you a photographer when you had the gallery? What prompted you to stop doing that—I would think having a place to show your work every now and then would be pretty cool?
Yes I was a photographer when we had the gallery. Being the owner and curator of four white walls was fantastic! We were open for two years but weren't making enough to stay open. We sold many pieces if the price was under $100, but maintaining the gallery with a few hundred dollars a month in sales just wasn't feasible. As much as I loved the gallery, closing was probably the best thing to do for my pinhole photography career. The gallery took all of my time and I was busy promoting the artists I was exhibiting, I never had time to focus on myself. When the gallery was open, I exhibited a couple times a year, but ever since it closed I'm exhibiting almost monthly! Sometimes you just have to choose what is best for you... and I'm happiest when I'm pinholing and exhibiting!

Bodybuilder, Venice Beach, California, January 2008

What inspires you?
My imagination inspires me —it's pretty wild! I dream up ideas and then I have to seek them out. Traveling inspires me, I try to get out of town as often as I can, even if it's a road trip to a new town three hours away. People's stories inspire me, I'm always talking to the most random individuals. Learning inspires me, I'm always reading books, magazines, blogs... Artists that inspire me... I never remember anyone's names but I read a lot of art blogs and my favorite art magazine, Art Forum. Suzanne Falk is a local photorealism painter and she definitely inspires me. I know she's a painter but her pieces are so incredible that sometimes I mistake them for photographs. Photographers on flickr inspire me. I've met so many wonderful and talented photographers through flickr and before that, fotolog. Looking at the world through their eyes is such a treat for me!

What's your next big thing?
Oh, the next big thing.... I think getting my name out there globally. I'm pretty famous locally but would like to be represented by galleries in Scottsdale, New York City, San Fransisco, Santa Fe, Chicago, London, Paris, anywhere in Italy(!), Tokyo... I also really want a new excuse to travel!

I'm also looking forward to my pinhole postcards taking off! I could definitely spend all my time making postcards and taking pinhole photographs to exhibit!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to take their pinhole work commercial - i.e. to do weddings or other events?
Just start doing it and add it to your portfolio. When you meet with clients, show them that you offer something very unique.

TELL EVERYONE!

I talk to a lot of people and I'm always telling people what I do. I hand out business cards and postcards all the time. I've actually started handing out more postcards than business cards. The front of the postcard is one of my favorite images and the back gives a little background info and some starting off prices.

Sheila Bocchine is an internationally known pinhole photographer. She received her undergraduate degree in photojournalism from Columbia College Chicago and her Master's degree from Pratt Institute in NYC. Her pinhole photographs depict a fanciful interpretation of life; an ethereal documentary. Dreams that have come to life—she chooses pinhole as her medium for the surreal, dreamy quality that expresses how she sees life's energy.

Camera Roundup

Erin Malone — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:52:25 GMT

Leonardo Camera, from Pinhole Resource

Merlin Paintcan Cameras

120mm Original Pinhole Blender,
from Pinhole Blender

One of the great things about the lensless community, is the passion so many people have for not only making images, but for making cameras as well. It appeals to the left-brain—more architectural—side of the discipline. For those of us who are not that technical or handy, there are a few people who share their passion for making cameras with the rest of us who are not so technical.

The handful of commercial camera-making ventures out there, are generally small endeavors—often the outgrowth of personal passion. They persevere despite the world pushing a digital agenda.

Without Lenses was curious about how many of these companies got started and what they think the future of pinholing looks like. We spoke through email with Nancy Spencer and Eric Renner of Pinhole Resource, Chris Peregoy of Pinhole Blender and Jim Kosinski who makes the Merlin Paintcan Camera and asked them each a few questions. The makers of the Zero Image declined to comment for this article.

....................

The Leonardo

We were lucky to catch up with Eric Renner and Nancy Spencer, proprieters of the Pinhole Resource and former publishers of the Pinhole Journal. Eric and Nancy make the Leonardo pinhole camera and their website store is one of the only places to find a variety of interesting and unusual pinhole paraphernalia, including cameras, pinhole shutters and books.

Without Lenses: Where are you all located?
Eric Renner / Nancy Spencer: Southwest New Mexico. 30 miles east of Silver City, in the Mimbres Valley, it's very rural!

WL: How long have you been making cameras?
ER/NS: The Leonardo has been made since about 1995. Both Nancy and I have done pinhole for many, many years.

WL: How long does one camera take to make?

Molly Caged by Adam Hawkey
Leonardo Pinhole Camera,
Polaroid type 55, f250

Molly CU by Adam Hawkey
Leonardo Pinhole Camera,
Polaroid type 55, f250

Sleepy Sister by Adam Hawkey
Leonardo Pinhole Camera,
Polaroid type 55, f250

ER/NS: In production, a 4x5 - 3 inch Leonardo takes about an hour. We have made over 4000 of these.

WL: How many folks work with you?
ER/NS: Just the two of us. When Eric's two sons were in college they helped too, while on vacations.

WL: What kind of workspace do you have?
ER/NS: Just a very small shop with a bench saw and a drill press, no heat. Most people would not consider it a workspace.

WL: Which camera did you start with?
ER/NS: Eric made many pinhole cameras to do art with before the Leonardo, the earliest ones were mat board and could take a 75 foot roll of 9 inch high film (aerial film) making 6 pinhole panorama images. (1968). If you look through Eric's book "Pinhole Photography: Rediscovering an Historic Technique" you'll see some of the cameras.
Nancy started with an oatmeal box. By 1995 we started to make the Leonardo in all sizes.

The Santa Barbara pinhole camera was one that Pinhole Resource initially sold as well as the 4x5 Pinhole Camera Kit and the 120 film PinZip, in about 1988 was when we initially carried those.

Pinhole Resource Inc., a 501 3 c non-profit started in 1985. When it got difficult to pay for the printing costs of Pinhole Journal in 1995, we started to make the Leonardo cameras which then made it possible to keep Pinhole Journal alive. By that same time all the major camera suppliers wanted to carry pinhole products.

WL: What's the oddest camera you have ever made?
ER/NS: Hard to say which is the oddest. People have related to the red pepper camera, since it acts like a natural safelight. The most complicated one Eric ever made used a 10 foot piece of photo paper and had thousands of holes around it. He was teaching at the Visual Studies Workshop in 1974 when he made that camera.

WL: Where can people buy your cameras?
ER/NS: At the Pinhole Resource website - pinholeresource.com, Calumet, Freestyle Sales, Glazer's Camera in Seattle and others.

WL: Do you drill your pinholes yourself or have them made?
ER/NS: Minute Aperture Imaging makes our pinholes, that's Bill Christiansen. They are high quality micro-drilled and polished pinholes.

WL: What about zoneplates and seives - are those available or are you thinking about adding them?
ER/NS: Pinhole Resource started selling zone plates and were the first to do so commercially for pinhole photographers. The original zone plates (75mm to 300mm) were made by Kenneth A. Conners and then he turned their manufacturing over to Pinhole Resource . Sam Wang was able to make very short focal length zone plates (38mm and 45mm), so he makes ones we sell for digital cameras, Nikon, Canon EOS, Minolta, Olympus and Leica.

WL: Have you seen growth in the amount of orders since digital has become so pervasive or are you seeing a decline?
ER/NS: There are more people ordering digital pinhole and zone plate body caps and less large format cameras. We get orders from everywhere in the world.

WL: It seems to me that there are more people making cameras than ever and there are more "commercial" ventures. What are your thoughts on this?
ER/NS: As long as money is to be made there will be any number of quality to inferior pinhole cameras on the market. Pinhole Resource has always tried to carry the most unusual ones and the ones of the highest quality. Some of the most unusual pinhole cameras, the Hexomniscope and the Omniscope, made by Matt Abelson, are sold by us. We also sell a Abelson Pinhole, Zone Plate Slit Turret Kit and the Apo II Turret made by Bill Christiansen.

WL: Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, any parting thoughts?
ER/NS: We have 4 new books out: "on deaf ears" by Nancy Spencer and Eric Renner—pinhole images of our assemblages, lens images of the assemblages; "Under the Blue" by Nancy Spencer—pinhole and zone plate digital landscapes; "American Disguise" by Eric Renner—how images impact culture; "Flight" by Nancy Spencer and Rebecca Wackler—a story of a woman and her swans told in pinhole photographs; and the fourth edition of "Pinhole Photography: Rediscovering a Historic Technique" by Eric Renner comes our in Nov, 2008.

..................

The Merlin Paintcan Camera

Merlin Paintcan Camera creator Jim Kosinski is also a teacher, ranging from kindergarten to university level. His cameras are often used in workshops with kids and his website is full of great advice for how to become a pinhole photographer, even without a darkroom. When Without Lenses launched, one of our first congratulatory emails came from Jim. We caught up with Jim to learn more about his path to making these cameras.

"Paper" Tulips by Deborah Kac
Merlin Paintcan Camera, F/200 at 3 minutes

Chillin by Deborah Kac
Merlin Paintcan Camera, f/200 at 4 minutes

Without Lenses: Where are you located?
Jim Kosinski: We're located in the picturesque village of Cherry Valley, on the northern edge of the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. We look over the Mohawk River valley to the Adirondack Mountains. Cooperstown is just a few minutes away.

WL: How long have you been making cameras?
JK: It all started around the turn of the century and MERLIN cameras went on sale about 5 years ago.

WL: How long does one camera take to make?
JK: Making the actual camera is short in time but long on getting all the materials & supplies stocked and ready to roll. Packaging is crucial and that takes a lot of extra effort. Boxes undergo a wicked amount of stress during the shipping process!

WL: How many folks work with you?
JK: Mostly I work solo, but will get one or two people to help with a large order (for example, 150 - 200 cameras). It is important to get the cameras out to customers quickly!

WL: What does your workspace look like?
JK: The workshop is that of a typical cottage industry.

WL: Which camera did you start with?
JK: The first MERLIN was made from a gallon paintcan and it had a complete darkroom inside: paper, chemistry, safelight & processing container. It was scaled back to just the camera due to the cost of making all the components by hand.

WL: How long before you expanded to make other sizes?
JK: The quart size, just right for the hands of children, was added within a year. I'm currently working on a combination pinhole camera & camera obscura.

WL: What's the oddest camera you have ever made?
JK: Are there any odd cameras? One customer expressed a fear of photographing people and I made her a special camera labeled "Merlin Custom Paints". This was used in outdoor cafes and helped her to overcome those fears. Another interesting camera had multiple pinholes and a removable lens. The shutter was a strip of paper with a window cut-out, which could be pulled across an aperture at different rates, depending on the brightness of the scene. It also had a simple screen, which could be used to preview an image or to study image formation, as in classical physics experiments. My cameras tend to feature a flexible design so photographers can use their imaginations and manipulate the way light is captured to form an image.

WL: Where can our readers get a Merlin?
JK: Cameras are available through distributors and directly from me. Ordering information is available on the website www.paintcancamera.com

WL: Do you drill your pinholes yourself or have them made?
JK: Each camera is hand made and the pinholes are precision drilled.

WL: What about zoneplates and seives - are those available or are you thinking about adding them?
JK: They are not currently available but they are interesting.

WL: Have you seen growth in the amount of orders since digital has become so pervasive or are you seeing a decline?
JK: Orders have dropped. The digital age took over faster than anyone imagined it would.

WL: It seems to me that there are more people making cameras than ever and there are more "commercial" ventures. What are your thoughts on this?
JK: This is true, of course, but the cost of starting up an "alternative camera" business is high and their photo-market share is actually pretty small. It also takes a lot of work! My approach has been to tackle the relatively complex process of teaching & learning photographic art & science with a simple, inexpensive solution while other companies address the less complicated task of taking a photograph, but use more complicated cameras.

WL: Where do most of your orders come from - who's doing the most pinhole photography out there, in your opinion?
JK: Most of my customers have been involved in education programs, and it has been a pleasure to work with and help many teachers & students around the globe. Mostly this is online, but sometimes I get to visit the class, where the activity and personal interaction is great fun for everyone, and very educational, too!

.....................

Boothe Park #2 by Bruce Berrien
Pinhole Blender Mini-120, multiple exposures

Looking Up At Trees #26 by Bruce Berrien
Pinhole Blender Mini-120, multiple exposures

60 Chestnuts, Flying Cloud
by Heather Champ
Pinhole Blender mini-35, Three 2 minute and 30 second exposures

Buddha, Japanese Tea Garden
by Heather Champ
Pinhole Blender mini-35, 5 second exposure

The Pinhole Blender

One of the most interesting and creative cameras (in my opinion) available is the Pinhole Blender. Round cans with multiple pinholes, these cameras blend multiple exposures onto one strip of film creating amazing and beautiful images. I first met Chris Peregoy at the f295 symposium last year when he was trying out his new, smaller mini-cameras.

Without Lenses: Where are you located?
Chris Peregoy: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

WL: How long have you been making pinhole cameras?
CP: I've been making the Pinhole Blender, since 2002 but I've been making pinhole cameras for about 15 years

WL: What prompted you to start making cameras?
CP: My first Pinhole Blenders were made as Christmas presents in 2000. My friends thought it was such a good idea and that I should start an online business to sell them.

WL: How long does one camera take to make?
CP: To make one camera it would take over 24 hours to assemble it and allow the paint to harden. I can cut that down by working on many at once.

WL: How many folks work with you?
CP: One, its just me. Sometimes for a large order I'll hire one of my students to help with assembly.

WL: What does your workspace look like?
CP: My workshop is in my basement. I finish the assembly, attach lenses and box up in my studio on the second floor of my house.

WL: Which camera did you start with?
CP: The Original Pinhole Blender 120, the three-hole 120 camera was my first. This is the one based upon my Christmas present.

WL: How long before you expanded to make other sizes?
CP: About six months after I started selling cameras I was asked if I would make a 35mm version. I started selling them about six months after that.

WL: What's the oddest camera you have ever made?
CP: I made one for a camera swap called the Seven Day Camera. It was a 4 inch tube about 20 inches long with 7 pinholes along the length. The entire roll of film wrapped around the center core in an upwards spiral. A control knob allowed the user to rotate the center core http://taco.thoma.be/gallery/The-Seven-Day-Pinhole-Camera-of-Chris-Peregoy Another odd camera that's received a lot of attention is my coconut camera. This is basically half a coconut with a hinged back, It uses photo paper or single sheets of film cut to fit in the coconut. I used a cork for the shutter and attached a lanyard to the user could wear the camera around their neck. http://www.f295.org/wordpress/?page_id=71

WL: How did you start selling the cameras?
CP: I started by announcing my camera in the Pinhole-Discussion mailing list http://spitbite.org/pinhole-discussion/list.html

WL: Where can our readers get a pinhole blender?
CP: Pinhole Blenders are sold in the US and through out the world from my website
http://www.pinholeblender.com And are sold through distributors in Japan, England, Germany and Switzerland.

WL: Do you drill your pinholes yourself or have them made?
CP: I use single slot aperture grids. These are precision pinholes that were originally produced for Electron Microscopy.

Chris Peregoy in his workshop making Pinhole Blenders

7 Day Camera, by Chris Peregoy

WL: What about zone plates and sieves - are those available or are you thinking about adding them?
CP: My mini Blender series are supplied with both a pinhole and a zone plate. I make my zone plates myself with a high resolution film recorder onto Technical pan film developed to a high D-max.

WL: Have you seen growth in the amount of orders since digital has become so pervasive or are you seeing a decline?
CP: Orders were pretty slow for the first two years but picked up quickly when I started selling in Japan. Now with distributors across Europe I'm seeing an overall increase everywhere. I think users are drawn to the DIY aspects of pinhole image making. Perhaps they have made a simple box camera but now want to move on to film. I think blogs have played a big part in the recent increase as well. People see interesting work on flickr or f295 and they want to get in on the fun.

WL: Where do most of your orders come from - who's doing the most pinhole photography out there, in your opinion?
CP: I first thought my cameras would appeal most to students. I now think that most are going to advanced camera users and professional photographers that want a release from their digital cameras.

Drill Your Own Precision Pinhole Apertures

David Walters — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:07:05 GMT

Items that you’ll need:

an appropriately sized quilting needle
a pin vice
a micrometer
a cardboard drink coaster from a local eating establishment
a magnifying device (for us older folks)
a suitable pinhole material, the thinner the better
extra fine sandpaper, I like to use 1000 or 1500 grit
scissors

Gather all of your materials and use a clean, well lit area on which to work. Having everything at hand will make the job go smoother and be less frustrating.

Pinholes provide better image (more “sharp”, as it were) the more accurately “round” they are. Oval or out of round pinholes give blurry pictures, laser cut pinholes give sharper images due to their accurate shape. Matching an appropriately sized pinhole to a particular camera’s focal distance will yield the best, “sharpest” image. This is a convenient way to make your own pinholes that are fairly accurate in size and shape.

Lay out your pinhole material; the thinner the material, the better. A good hobby store should carry brass or stainless steel shim stock or you can use the aluminum from a beverage can. I have had consistently good results from .002 inch copper sheets that I bought years ago at an art supply store. Copper is soft, accepts the drilling process and sands well too. You'll need to find an appropriately size for your pinhole; I have used several pinhole calculators available online. For this demonstration, I'll make a pinhole that measures .0225". That would be an appropriate size pinhole for a camera with a focal length of 190mm. Please note: I apologize for the mixing of metric and standard measurement, my micrometer measures in inches while I still measure most camera construction in metric. There are metric micrometers available for purchase.

You'll need to dial the desired number into your micrometer. There are several ways to learn to set up a micrometer. I learned how to use mine from the instructions that came with the tool, an online tutorial and from experience in working with it. I paid approximately $25 for my micrometer at a local hardware store. Simply put, each complete rotation of the barrel of the micrometer measures ¼ of 1/10 of an inch. The .0225 inches shown on the dial represents the same measurement that should be the diameter of my finished pinhole.

Take a quilting needle that won't fit through the measuring rods when set to your pinhole size. A number 8 needle will do in this case; a number 8 needle should have a shaft size of .0240 inches. Place it gently-point first-into the measuring rods on the micrometer until it stops, don't force it. When it does stop in the measuring rods, the diameter of the needle is .0225 inches, get it? Good!

Bring the pin vice collets up over the other end of the needle and gently tighten the pin vice. By pushing the pin vice all the way up to the measuring rods on the micrometer and then securing the needle, you'll end up with a needle sized to make a pinhole that is fairly close to .0225 inches in diameter.

Now, to drill your own pinholes; patience is the key. The pin doesn't “drill” through the material as much as it is pushed through and the rough, protruding edge on either side is smoothed off. Place the metal stock on the drink coaster and press down onto the material with the pin vice and needle while rotating the pin vice with your fingers. Push and spin the vice slightly until you have dimpled the material. Now, lightly sand the opposite side with the sandpaper.

Repeat the process with the pin vice; spinning and pushing, flipping and sanding, until the pinhole enlarges slightly with each turn. Flip, sand and drill again until the pin vice collets are almost touching the metal sheet. Sand across the pinhole in different directions, slowly and with light pressure so as not to elongate your pinhole.

After repeating the process several times, the pinhole will be finished. Once again, patience is the key and you'll have to use your own judgment as to when the material is sufficiently sanded and there is no more material that needs to be removed. This is a side-by-side comparison of a hand drilled pinhole that I made and laser drilled pinhole taken with a lensed, digital camera. The two images are fairly identical, the price of the pinhole being the only great difference. The laser pinhole is fairly costly and the hand drilled pinhole cost next to nothing to make, mostly your time and effort.

Good luck and good pinholing.

Noriko Ohba: Featured Artist

Erin Malone — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:06:51 GMT

View Slideshow

I am in love with you, zero2000 medium format camera

Our first featured artist is Noriko Ohba, a pinhole photographer living in Japan. I first noticed her work on flickr and have been following her work for the last couple of years. I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do.

Your Location? I was born and grew up in Hiroshima. But, I live in Osaka now.
Osaka and its surroundings is a very beautiful area. Classical and modern buildings, cityscapes and nature coexist well; Osaka is a wonderful city.

Breath, zero2000 medium format camera

How long have you been doing Pinhole work? I began to take the pinhole photographs from the early 2004. I am surprised because only four years have passed.

What cameras do you use? I use three cameras in large part.

1: Zero2000 Deluxe (Zero image)
This camera gives me courage to take the photo.

2: HOLGA (altered)
I removed all the boards and the partition of inside of this camera. and I'm taking 6x9 formatted. I love the tunnel effect of this camera.

3: Pinhole Blender
This camera annoys me very much. But, it's very happy and can take a fantastic photograph like the fragments of the memory, by taking different colors and different scenery from three pinholes on this camera.

My favorite???
It is very difficult to decide it. If you insist... I like the altered HOLGA. I have an attachment to this mostly because I remodeled this camera by myself but this camera is in the worst shape of the three.?

Reflection, Pinhole Holga medium format camera
Your favorite subject? My favorite subject is a flower, the gradation of the sky at the magic-hour (the time as it is darkening after sunset), and buildings. These have become the themes I photograph.

Pink carpet, zero2000 medium format camera
See more of Noriko's work: Website :: flickr