2010 pinhole self-portrait of Japanese photographer Shikiko Endo

私が針穴写真に出会ったのは偶然の連続だった。
でも今改めて考えると、その偶然の積み重ねは、必然であり、運命だったのだと解る。
それは出会った瞬間に恋に落ち、そのまま片思いを続けているようだ。

空を撮るのが好きだ。青く青く抜けるような空が好きだ。
雲が流れていくのを撮るのが好きだ。
重たく垂れこんだ雲を撮るのが好きだ。
一日の終わりの日が沈むのを撮るのが好きだ。
じっとその日の出来事を振り返りながら。
キラキラこぼれ落ちる太陽の光を撮るのが好きだ。
自分の町を流れる川を撮るのが好きだ。
穏やかな海、荒れた海を撮るのが好きだ。
風に揺れる花を撮るのが好きだ。
線路のある風景を撮るのが好きだ。
車窓を流れる景色を撮るのが好きだ。

私は私の身の回りで繰り広げられる、自然の営み、人の営みを
針穴写真で撮り続けたい。

針穴写真。それはただ写真を撮るだけではない。
被写体を撮りながら、そこに自分の心を流し込む。
私の針穴写真から、私の心の声を感じてもらえたら、私はうれしい。

English Translation of text above.
It was continuous that I had met the pinhole photograph of a coincidence. But the accumulation of the chance is necessity and understands it when I think some other time now when destined. It falls in love at the moment when I met you and seems to just continue unrequited love. I like to take the sky. I like sky that comes off in blue and blue. I like to take the float of the cloud. I like to take the cloud that drips heavily. I like to take sinking of the last day of a day. While quietly looking back on happenings of the day. I like taking solar light to run down shiningly. I like to take the river that flows in my town. I like to take the quiet sea and the troubled waters. I like to take the flower that shakes to the wind. I like to take scenery with the railway track. I like to take the scenery that flows in the car window. I want to continue taking the natural working and the working of the person developed around me with the pinhole photograph. The pinhole photograph. It doesn’t only take the photograph. My mind is poured there while taking subject. If the voice of my mind can be felt from my pinhole photograph, I am glad.

CK → It’s a pleasure for me to bring talented artists like this to light. Shikiko truly is dedicated to practicing the art of pinhole photography. I enjoy how she takes the viewer’s mind and imagination on ride while she travels and uses her pinhole cameras. Her images give the viewer a chance to experience a moment in time viewed through the pinhole-eye of her camera. Thanks 遠藤　志岐子 and may your creative path lead to many more wonderful images. -Chris

Color film pinhole photograph of a spring Japanese landscape of cherry trees blossoming

Color film pinhole photograph created while riding an amusement ride in motion. Photo by Shikiko Endo

Two of Shikiko Endos color pinhole photos made into a diptych

A diptych of a color and black & white pinhole photo by Shikiko Endo put together by Chris Keeney

Two color film pinhole photographs of lights combined to create this diptych

Color film pinhole photo of the sunlight shinning through the forest canopy creating flare

Pinhole photographic diptych of a Japanese dragon fountain and a field of yellow and orange poppies

Two color pinhole photos of Japanese photographer, Shikiko Endo riding the train. Diptych by CK

Two pinhole photos - On the left Shikiko Endo riding the train - on right pinhole flowers - diptych by CK

Two color pinhole photographs created by Japanese photographer, Shikiko Endo

A collection of homemade pinhole cameras (as well as a PinHolga) by Japanese photographer, Shikiko Endo

You can find more of Skikiko’s photos on her Flickr photostream

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Shikiko Endo (遠藤 志岐子) and Reproduced by Permission

Jaroslaw Klups
June 2010 Featured Pinhole Photographer
Poland, Europe
Artist website: www.klups.free.art.pl

“Selfforms” – description of the work

My way to express a creative influence of people and places as well as a variety of situations that I happen to find myself in is through photography. The aim is to ‘objectively’ comment on my ‘true self’ in reference to the surroundings. I hope to cross a thin border and get an insight into an emotional mirror of the others who not only influence but simultaneously create and destruct me.
I am trying to find a universal face, without the artificiality of posing in front of the camera. I installed a pinhole camera in front of my face so that I could prolong exposure up to a few hours. It was supposed to objectivize vision: ephemeral gestures and short-lived mimics invalidated each other leaving only hardly visible traces.
19th century physiognomists believed short-lived mimics reveal the truth about man. I am looking for it in endurance: exposing my own face I am busy with everyday activities – I talk to my friends, listen to music, work, eat, walk, sleep and so on.
The initial result is astonishing. The first photograph depicts a face not much different from the one seen in the mirror. I decide to continue, and, after development, my impression is that I know much less abut myself than I used to… The obtained images are full of mysterious traces of the outside world, suggesting passages of time and their uniqueness. My surroundings become a synonym of some remote period in my life, and the image obtained – its mask, a hybrid of various emotions and reactions to the world.

The confined expression of time flow revealed by the photographs embodies existence within some secret universe. With time objects change their meaning – they undergo unconscious verification, separating important from insignificant. Each white strip or smear in the image offers evidence of the past and develops a feeling of calm, slow rhythm of time in relation to which I remain – relatively – unchanged.

CK → When I first saw Jaro’s Selforms pinholes, it made me think of what it might look like if you took a picture of yourself traveling through time. Yet another example of how pinhole photography is only limited by your imagination. It’s also a pleasure to be able to showcase another talented pinhole photographer from Poland. Thanks Jaro for being part of the series. -Chris

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Jaroslaw Klups and Reproduced by Permission

San Diego, California Portrait and Event Photographer | Please email ck@chriskeeneyphoto.com or call for more information 619-988-1705
All images © Copyright 2010 Chris Keeney Photography and may not be reproduced without permission
Event planning by Your Event By Erin

Martha Casanave’s Coastal Pinholes

My most recent pinhole project is “Explorations Along an Imaginary Coastline,” and lasted from 2000 to 2009. It was published in book form in 2006 (Hudson Hills Press). What inspired me to begin photographing at the shore, I do not know, as I have nearly always been an indoor photographer. I began visiting the coastline (Central California) on a regular basis, weighed down, like an inexperienced traveler, with too much baggage: camera, thermos of coffee, big bag of toys, shower curtain for sitting on wet sand, and more.

I put the 4 x 5 pinhole box directly on the sand or rocks, and stabilized it with sandbags. Even though the Leonardo camera has tripod sockets, I didn’t allow myself to use them. The directive to myself: I may place the camera anywhere a crab can go. The wide-angle, distorting view of most pinhole cameras is thus utilized best, from low angles. Also, working in this way takes me back to my childhood, when I played with toys, and lived closer to the ground and further from reality. The near infinite depth of field characteristic of pinhole cameras allows me to play with visual elements of near and far. The time dilations –- long, long exposures-– allow water to become cloud, person to become ghost.

For me, photography is like magic. One of the reasons for my fascination with the 19th century is, in fact, the invention of photography. But the pinhole principle, the camera obscura, which far predates the ability to “fix” an image, is even more mysterious and magical. Its allure is its very simplicity: a box with a tiny hole creating an image– no lens, no viewfinder, no shutter. An optical phenomenon, unadorned by modern technology. Pinhole photographers don’t “shoot;” they don’t “capture” images. There is no snap, no click, no buzz. There is no viewfinder. We don’t need batteries. We uncover the pinhole and the film receives an image, one we can’t see, slowly and in silence.

As the coastal work progressed, I began to occasionally photograph in the distance a solitary, mysterious figure in 19th century attire: bowler hat, frock coat, cane or umbrella. I asked myself: Who is this person? Where did he come from? What/who did he leave behind? What’s he looking for? This person gave the work an ambiguous, narrative quality and thus made it more interesting for me.

After the book came out, the work took an interesting turn. The 19th C mysterious figure became fascinated with tide pools. Therefore I began making images partially underwater. This necessitated the design and construction of a special housing for the camera, including a way to stabilize it for the very long exposures (10–15 seconds). I wear chest-high waders, as I must sit directly in the tidepools. This work progressed very slowly, as now it was not only weather dependent (I needed clouds or fog) but tide-dependent (I needed an extra low tide), and, of course, 19th C man-dependent.

Examples from earlier pinhole projects—“Pinhole Narratives” and “Leningrad in Winter”—can be seen on my website www.marthacasanave.com.

CK → First of all I want to say it’s a pleasure and honor to be able showcase Martha’s work as part of this ongoing series. I have always felt that pinhole photography is an art form that doesn’t belong to any specific time in history. The simplicity of the process reminds us that creating art doesn’t have to be complicated. By using equipment that doesn’t require batteries and fancy electronics, this enables the artist to create art spontaneously. And since I’ve grown up most of my life near the sea, I have learned to appreciate and respect the ocean above and below the water. Thanks Martha for sharing your words and images in this feature. -Chris

A note to those of you who enjoy my blog. I’m almost done with my book and hope to have more time in the future to post more frequently. Thanks for stopping by!

Photo of Martha Casanave loading her pinhole camera to make a underwater pinhole photo.

TECHNICAL ADDENDUM FOR “EXPLORATIONS”

Camera: 4 x 5 box pinholes, both Leonardo and Santa Barbara Lensless Camera, 3 inch focal length and 1.5 inch focal length
Film: Tri-X
Exposure times: 10 – 15 seconds on a cloudy day
Developer: HC 100, Dilution B
Housing for underwater tidepool photography: A homemade contraption
Prints: 16 x 20 inch silver gelatin prints, toned in selenium and tea.

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Martha Casanave and Reproduced by Permission

2010 color portrait of Polish pinhole photographer, Edyta Wypierowska - photo by - Andrzej Bogacz

Still Life I
“The fruits, photographs of which I have taken during a few minutes exposures, are in a strange stadium in-between of ripeness and rottenness. That state is ambiguous. During the exposure the fruits seemed to be ripe and juicy, however there is something on the photographs that foreshadows their near decay. It is not possible to opt for either of the features since each one of them has some traits of the other.
Using a pinhole camera in this case was intentional. Unpredictability of what may happen in a frame was essential. I did not want to have an absolute control. It was also important to me to have some inaccuracies in copying. I believe such on “inaccurate” seeing is closer to human way of perceiving the word since often we are unable to define and name everything precisely.”
The series includes 22 photographs were taken with the camera obscura.
Prints are silver gelatine contact prints, 8×8 inches.

Still Life II
”The pictures were taken with a pinhole camera. I have worked with daylight. For some of the motives I used a mirror to catch the sunlight and highlight certain elements of the composition.”

The negatives have 20×20 inches size and they are contact silver gelatine prints.

CK → It’s been a goal of mine for the past three years to produce monthly features on my website and blog on photographers from around the world that are doing new and innovative things with pinhole photography. A while back I came across this amazing Polish photographer that was doing some truly unique work. And since the world wide pinhole day is on April 25th this year, I wanted to have an artist I really liked. And since it’s springtime, I felt that Edyta’s pinhole fruit series seemed appropriate. So with the help of my pinhole photo buddy, Jesseca Ferguson and Edtya’s photographer friend Andrzej Bogacz, I was able to make this feature happen this month. I hope you find her work as inspirational as I do. Cheers -Chris

Find out more about Edyta on her website website: www.wypierowska.com

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.2 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.4 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.5 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.6 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.9 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.11 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.12 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.13 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.19 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Fresh Fruit Still Life I - No.21 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Still Life II - No.1 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Still Life II - No.2 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Still Life II - No.3 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Still Life II - No.4 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Still Life II - No.5 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Still Life II - No.6 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Still Life II - No.8 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Still Life II - No.9 - Black and white pinhole (lensless) photograph

Edyta Wypierowska's creative pinhole process photos

I first came to know Eddie and Saso after they had seen and were impressed by some photos I had created for the 2009 Culture Shock San Diego dance theatrical “Graffiti Life: The Color of my Sole. This was a creative collaboration between the Culture Shock San Diego dance troupe and local graffiti artist, Pose2. One thing led to another and we arranged the shoot you are looking at now. We all decided to do guerilla style portraits, where everyone drives from one location to another, stopping and shooting for a short period of time then moving on. Eddie & Saso started b-boying 15 years ago at Culture Shock San Diego and made a name for themselves by dancing with the acclaimed JabbaWockeeZ dance troupe. While they were with the JabbaWockeeZ, they toured with New Kids on the Block, opened for the 2009 All Star Game with Shaq, starred in the Gatorade G Series commercials as well as working with various artist such as Missy Elliot, Swizz Beatz, Daddy Yankee, etc. In 2001 they started their own crew called “Rock So Fresh”, which include the following b-boys, Fresh Finesse Optic, Tuff Rockin’ E-Swift, Eddie Styles, King Saso, Poe One, Rock/BugId Bandit, Sumo, Belle Roc, Get Busy Godoyski, Jazzy Jade & Destijl. Since starting the crew they have been in Gatorade G Series commercials and were honored with the 2010 Mighty 4 appreciation award. They now run the Breakin Habits workshop that focuses on the fundamentals of b-boying & b-girling. The crews goal for the future is to continue to spread knowledge to the community about hip-hop and hip-hop dancing (b-boying).

For one reason or another I feel that since I enjoy, appreciate and support hip-hop music, graffiti art and dance, I have become somewhat of a hip-hop ambassador for San Diego. So one of my goals is to keep educating people with my photos and words, that hip-hop culture is and has been important part of what makes San Diego style what it is today.

San Diego b-boys eddiestyles and kingsaso (Rock So Fresh Crew) in front of some Ocean Beach graffiti art on the Seedless Clothing building

San Diego b-boys, Saso and Eddie from the Rock So Fresh (RSF) crew in Ocean Beach (OB), California

San Diego graffiti art portrait of Eddie Styles in front of some fresh spray paint on the Undisputed fitness and training gym in in North Park

San Diego graffiti art portrait of King Saso & Eddie Styles in front of some fresh spray paint on the Undisputed fitness and training gym in in North Park

San Diego b-boy, King Saso in front of new graffiti art on the east wall of the North Park Undisputed fitness center

A portrait of San Diego b-boy, Eddie Styles in front of some fresh graffiti art in North Park

Graffiti street art portrait of Rock So Fresh b-boys, eddie and saso in front of a new painting in Encanto by Mr.Maxx Moses (Pose2)

Saso & Eddie (b-boys) at the Encanto, San Diego trolley stop at 26th & Imperial in front of some new graffiti art by Mr.MaxxMoses (Pose2)

I want to thank Liz Bernal for helping bring this shoot to life and for assisting with lighting. Many thanks to Seedless clothing in Ocean Beach and Undisputed Fitness and Training Center in North Park for allowing us to photograph outside of their buildings. I really like it when businesses support local graffiti writers by using graffiti art as a decorative element on their building. Art by the people for the people.

check out some videos and find out more about the Rock So Fresh Crew here

Self-portrait of March 2010 featured pinhole photographer, Imre Becsi from Hungary

If I only in a sentence summarize it, why make picture more than of 30 years, occurs to me then a famous sentence from Garry Winograd:
Because of that I make a photo,
let me ascertain that,
the some thing what kind will be on the ready photograph.”
And really of essence is in inside this sentence.
All other word and sentence just bad and unnecessary attempt.
What there is in the next sentences, nothing else, than a bad and unnecessary experiment.

I’m 45 years old.
Rather much this time it, that let me try to extract some kind of practical philosophy, to formulate for myself, from myself.
I did this so for a not long time:
“There have to be contrasts int he man’s life, that it is balanced.
And at what these contrasts play a more important role in his everyday life,
he is life will be in better horizontal the one at it.
And at what he has more dichotomies like this, he can make it more coloured at it”
One of my contrasts like this my hobby: the Pinhole photography.
His pair is my occupation, which one the full contrast of this.
I am a filmmaker, a director-cameraman.
I make advertisement short films, music videos and TV programs.
I shot 25 still pictures under one second and I using for this the most modern and most expensive film techniques.
I directing many men.
I working very increased one speed.
Why I selected for the Pinhole photograpy to this for contrast?
I was not searching, it found me.
Totally accidentally.
I was searching on the eBay when I noticed it a german produced pinhole camera.
That was beautiful.
I buy immediately, I knew nothing quasi yet then from this thing.
I shot only a roll of black and white film with him, but it was enough.
I fell in love with it very much.
Then already a year of his onto instant substances I make a photo with a Polaroid 600 SE medium format camera.
I pick up the shutter of pinhole camera and put to this camera.
So I prepared my first Polaroid pinhole picture.
Then a new world opened for me.

But something was missing yet.
A self-made pinhole camera.
I built it up until almost a year.
When I was ready and shot my first Polaroid picture… at this time the thing was totally ready, At this time I really became infected.
Alternates since then in me, what is the more important one for me:
to build a new camera, or I create to pictures with that cameras which already finished up
From five years has this things.
And from five of the years not day that, not deal with this thing.

Why?
Why pinhole photography?
“Because of the extreme optic angle.
Because of the long long exposures.
Because myself create the cameras from my own plans to all this, for one like that, that it is known what I want.
With them that pictures come into existence, of what I thought, there and then before the exposure.
That world, what I see from among with a pinhole’s photographer eye, reflect it was on ready pictures.
Ansel Adams said it:
“The photograph not chance the photograph is a concept.
It is needed for the good photograph, that the photographer foresee the picture. In the moment of the exposure, or before it there has to be in the photographer’s brain.”
And this is also true onto the Pinhole photography.
I know, many people why love this device.
Because of what Susan Sontag summarized in one sentence:
“I think so, the rawer camera, that the knows less,
to a more interesting and more expressive result provides,
and allows to bigger space for to creative accidental.”
I am on that, can I to do ignore this accidental and the contingency from my toolbar.

Why instant substance?
Exactly because of this.
That the planned sight and the ready picture – there and then – be to get beside each other promptly.
That let it clear from into, that the idea and the creating method, how much did they get to close beside to each other?
And if something is missing from a picture or arose I have a better idea or something simply did not get together so – there and than – let it be possible to make a new picture again quickly.
Because from his own mistakes it learns the man.
Mainly if they turn out quickly and immediately I can be corrected.
Because the end product counts only, that single picture with which I am satisfied, that I want to bring to home.
How many spoiled pictures needs for this?
Totally irrelevant.
The photographic topic was then there,
the sight came into existence then of my head,
then the I invent to method for that what my creating way to the picture,
then the good picture has to be ready want there.

Why do I use filters?
Because I do not want to give back the reality on my pictures as it is there in front of me, than as to see it I would like.
I want not only to show my photographic topics, on an other manner to see.
And not only simply with that toolbar, that the technical peculiarity of the pinhole camera:
like the very wide optic angle
or the long minutes exposure.
But with the alteration of the colours and contrasts.

One of the greatest Hungarian poets, Attila József writes it:
“See, do not be watching only!”
My interpreting is it, that see other, see differently.

Susan Sontag writes it in her famous book:
“Because you can to see something beautiful in everything
However, the beauty is in nothing from the beginning.
Must be to find the beauty, through a some other kind of view.”

Is pinhole photography it my other kind of view to that,
I can and shall see something beautiful in everything.

CK → All artists look for inspiration which will hopefully motivate and inspire them to create art themselves. When I first saw some of Imre’s photos, they gave me the feeling as if I was peering into a dream or some magical landscape in my imagination. A dream that I’ve either had in the past or possibly will have in the future. A romantic vision, if you will. I also was intrigued by his thoughts on making instant Polaroid pinholes photos and why he chooses that film for his favorite media. Thanks Imre sharing all this and I hope everyone enjoys the feature. -Chris

Title: Picnic // Color Polaroid pinhole photo created with homemade camera

Title: What is needed for a real pinhole camera picture: wind, backlight, clouds and two tolerant character

Title: Pink // created with homemade pinhole camera by Imre Becsi

Title: Kastély // color pinhole photo made with homemade pinhole camera by Imre Becsi

Title: And the rain went away towards the other coast // black and white pinhole photo created with homemade pinhole camera

Title: My small daughter plays it, that fell asleep while I got ready for taking a photo // created with homemade pinhole camera

Title: Roman Catholic church of St Stephen the King (13th cent.) // color pinhole photo made with homemade camera

Title: The last memory of the last year's summer // black and white pinhole photo

Title: Old Meeting Point // color landscape 4x5 pinhole photo made homemade with IKEA plant pot box camera

Title: The Road // black and white blue toned pinhole photo made with homemade 6x9 pinhole camera

Title: Protuberencia // color 4x5 landscape pinhole photo

Title: Dance With The Wind // 4x5 photo created with homemade pinhole camera using expired Polaroid Studiocolor instant film

Title: And the human humming top last ones span // color 4x5 pinhole photo created with homemade camera

Homemade DIY pinhole cameras (No. 2, No.3 & No.4) designed to take Polaroid instant films - created by Imre Becsi