Pinhole self-portrait
Two second exposure
Ilford 3200 b/w film at f/138
Zero Image 2000 6x6cm
pinhole camera
"My wife and I experimented with a Zero Image 2000 6x6cm pinhole camera back in 2006 and, upon viewing the resulting first frame from a roll of Ilford PanF-50 b/w film, I was hooked. I'm still drawn, now and then, back to that same location on an antique iron railroad bridge in Savage, Maryland, to the moment when I unwittingly found something remarkable...
Through a pinhole, the mundane appears miraculous. Previously unseen and remarkable aspects of a scene are revealed in startling detail. Through it all, I'm charged with enthusiasm and curious about what else is possible.
Pinhole photography surprises me, and each frame that I record is an experiment. What magic will rectilinear projection work this time? How will the blur of time, spread out over minutes and hours, smooth out portions of the scene, and what will that smoothness look like – feathers, cotton, or a milk of flowing smoke?
I experience vertigo when staring up limestone, granite, or marble columns in an architectural pinhole photograph. It's a reliving of reality that transcends the original scene. I crave this immersion, this potent mixture of the near and far, in textures ranging from rust to granite to skin, all rendered with tactile intimacy.
Ironically, I use the simplest wooden boxes, free of the complexity of multi-element lenses, to find such drama in existence. I am relaxed, patient, and mindful with the pinhole camera, shooting worry-free in all weather conditions. Each photograph is framed in a gentle darkness, with edge distortions that beckon me to push the envelope of what I call beautiful.
Since 2006, I have used a Zero Image 2000 6x6cm camera and a Zero Image 4x5 camera as my main instruments of photography. With the Zero 4x5, I shoot almost exclusively with the 25mm focal length, providing an ultrawide view with a 160 degree diagonal and several stops of vignetting across the field. I am currently constructing a camera using an old Hasselblad film back and a Prontor-S shutter to create a camera that will enable hand-held, precisely timed shooting with high speed 120 film.
I have experimented with architecture, landscape, macro, and portraiture photography using pinhole cameras, and my imagination is perpetually generating new ideas and new experiments to try. I could summarize it best here — through the pinhole, the real becomes surreal. This simple instrumentality of hole-in-box enchants me and brings me joy and wonder about beauty in the world...
I am a member artist at Studio Gallery (www.studiogallerydc.com), one of the Dupont Circle art galleries in Washington, DC, where I show prints of my pinhole photographs and interact with other photographers, painters, and sculptors."
CK → Well I must say, this pinhole photographer really understands the art of pinhole depth of field. When I view Scott's pinhole photos, I find myself thinking, "Wow, look at all that detail and dimension". By looking through his photos, you can tell that Scott knows how to use all the right ingredients to make great pinhole photos (ie, 4x5 film, tripod & cable release and lots of interesting use of depth). Thanks Scott for sharing your words and images this month.
Title: The Massive National Archives
Thirty second exposure at f/138
Fuji Acros 100 B/W film
Zero Image 4x5 pinhole camera
Title: Deft Hands
Two second exposure at f/138
Ilford Delta 3200 B/W film
Zero Image 2000 6x6 cm pinhole camera
Title: Scottish Masonic Temple
Ten second exposure at f/138
Fuji Acros-100 4x5 B/W film
Zero Image 4x5 pinhole camera
Title: The Madonna
Fifteen minute exposure at f/138
Fuji Acros-100 4x5 film
Zero Image 4x5 pinhole camera
Title: National Shrine Ceiling
40 minute exposure at f/136
Fuji Acros-100 4x5 B/W film
Zero Image 4x5 film pinhole camera
Title: Messiah Mosaic
20 minute exposure at f/138
Fuji Acros-100 film
Zero Image 4x5 film pinhole camera
Title: National Shrine Columns
Ten second exposure at f/138
Fuji Acros-100 4x5 b/w film
Zero Image 4x5 pinhole camera
Title: Steam Jets
30 second exposure of the side of an old steam locomotive
Zero Image 4x5, Fuji Acros-100 at f/138
Title: Jes
Three second exposure at f/138
on Kodak TMAX-400 using
a Zero Image 2000 6x6cm
film pinhole camera
Title: With This Ring...
One second exposure at f/138 on
Kodak TMAX-400 medium format film
6x6cm Zero Image 2000
film pinhole camera
You can see more of Scott Speck's pinhole photos at:
www.scottspeck.com
or on his Flickr photostream integrity_of_light
All photos © 2009 Scott Speck and Reproduced by Permission
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