Pinhole Photography

Composition: The composition of each image is very different from the next one. For the first image I wanted to frame with an emphasis on the instruments. For the second and third images the frames are more improvised and random as I moved the camera during the exposure. All of these images are brightly lit as they are long exposures, however they all seem to be of low contrast. Each image encompasses soft edges and a fuzzy atmosphere, both of which are aspects of pinhole photography.

Concept: My first image is about music and abstraction by using the pinhole, while my second two images are about movement of the camera body during the exposure. The second two images reveal my concept of abstraction through lighting and camera movement. In the third image I accidentally created an owl-like face, which I found to be very successful. The use of the pinhole relates to the content by reflecting the qualities of a pinhole such as softer edges and a fuzzier presence. The content in these images is very fuzzy, as though you are looking at everything through a bed sheet. I wanted to take a more abstract approach to the pinhole photos, so I decided to move the camera during a 5 second exposure and see what would happen.

Method:  For the first image I set the camera on a tripod and took a long exposure of my friends playing instruments. There is not much in focus, however I like the quality of the fuzziness. The second image is of a colorful lightbulb; it is a 5-second exposure and I am moving the camera in a zig-zag motion during the exposure. For the third image I am moving the camera in circles during a 5-second exposure while focused on a ceiling fan. This is my favorite image, as it appears as though there is a haunting face within the image.

Motivations: My intention was to create abstract pinhole photographs that incorporated movement in the image.

Interpretation: My friends have said these images are incredibly abstract and hard to understand. I agree with them on this, as these images are incredibly cloudy and hard to interpret with regards to what is in the image (excluding the first image---in that one the subject matter is distinguishable).

Evaluation: ...

Extension: If I were to create more pinhole photographs, I would focus more on creating a still and focused image rather than an abstract, blurry image. I would imagine it is much easier to do what I did than to create an image based on still subject matter.