Pinhole #3

April 2021: Happy Pinhole Photography Day

Today - April 25th - is Pinhole Photography Day. So what happens on Pinhole Photography Day? I actually didn't know, up until a few years ago, there was such a thing as a specific day in the year dedicated to pinhole cameras and photographs and as I do with everything, I researched it. The goal is a humble one, which is to share and encourage the appreciation of this historic process and art form. Because I love the unique images that a pinhole camera produces, I'm doing my part, with this post, to spread the love.

Having acquired a box with the perfect dimensions to fit standard 8x10 photographic paper, and seeing that the black and red pinhole camera I constructed a couple of years ago might've been troublesome in transporting and attracting too much unwanted attention, I built another pinhole - "3rd time's a charm". Now instead of making the camera the usual black exterior, it's mirrored chrome! This design solves two problems: the mirrored vinyl wrap (left over from another project) will be more water-resistant and it will reflect/blend with its surroundings, so as not to be overly conspicuous, which may result in less ruined shots.

I had planned on spray painting the interior as I had done with the last two pinholes, but it turned out I didn't have the flat enamel paint I thought I did - this is reminiscent of the disappearing developer. I even took the can (of what I thought was paint) outside, donned my particle filter mask and goggles only to find out it was a can of finishing coat in my hand. &_& Sleep deprivation is no friend of mine.

After a couple of hours wondering how I could've missed the labeling on the can, I came up with another solution. I don't think enamel paint is needed for a pinhole camera, since the camera won't be sitting outside gathering rust. So I used some matte black poster board, I had sitting around for years, to line the inside of the box. And I ended up using the finishing spray to add a protective layer to the insides.  

The picture in this post is a tribute to my first successful pinhole photograph that was taken with my original pinhole, for a high school photography assignment; it was a close-up, double exposure of bleachers in a nearby park - yep, me shooting in a park, what a surprise.

to finding solutions,

❤ Christina