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The Art of Pinhole Photography: The Beginnings and the Prospective

In times of ubiquitous dominance of digital photography and the number of possibilities it has to offer, using the camera obscura technique and pinhole cameras seem awkward and dated. However, there is a large group of pinhole photography enthusiasts who appreciate the poetic elegance of the enormous depth-of-field effect obtained by using this cult technique. As pinhole photos are taken without any lenses, the images are softer and suffer from greater chromatic aberration while wide angle images remain rectilinear.

How it all started

The basic principles of the pinhole were mentioned early in Chinese texts from the fifth century B.C. A Chinese philosophers, Mo Ti, conducted a series of experiments and recorded the first formation of an inverted image with a pinhole screen.

One of the first devices that gave way to the invention of pinhole cameras was the camera obscura, which in Latin means “dark room” or “darkened chamber”. This optical device, now used only for entertainment, projects an image of its surrounding onto a screen. It consists of a box with a hole on one side which transmits light directed into the inner surface of the box, where it reproduces an upside-down images that preserves color and perspective. Then the image can be projected onto paper and traced to produce the accurate representation.

Nowadays, to shoot a pinhole picture you need to have the pin-sized hole placed directly in front of the film. Some photographers like experimenting with self-made gadgets, like cardboard plates, shoe boxes, or some other common household items. Others buy special pinhole cameras from distributors such as, Retro Photographic.

The Magic of Photoshop

You can experiment with pinhole photography without having to buy a special camera by creating the same effect using Photoshop. You can tamper a bit with photograph taken with a film or digital camera and process it using your image editing program. Some pinhole enthusiasts would object to that method of digital manipulation and claim that the only way you can get the pinhole picture is by using a pinhole camera. Some photographers take photos to understand and experience the process: making a pinhole camera, planning the pictures and taking them with a self-made device. Others emphasize the result, which is the picture itself. For both groups, pinhole photography, which has undergone its revival, is a great hobby and a source of sheer pleasure.

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