3/10/11 – Meeting Justin Quinnell!

Today we met Pinhole Photographer, Justin Quinnell. I looked at his work online before the day to see what he was all about and absolutely loved his stuff, particularly his 6 month exposures and images captured from inside his mouth!

6 month exposure - Angel.

Cocktails

Justin taught us how to make a pinhole camera using an old beer can, following steps like covering the ends of the can (after one end being opened with a tin opener) with black card and gaffa-tape to make the inside light tight, and using a pin to make the ever important hole that the image is projected through.

I really enjoyed my day with Justin and found his enthusiasm and work ethic really passionate and encouraging. I love the curve you get on the negative, something that I originally wasn’t quite expecting, but found the distortion it gave really added to the image.

I currently have a 2 month exposure set up in my kitchen, directing the can outside the window so it follows the path of the sun - fingers crossed it will work but something tells me it could go wrong... Just have to wait and see! Who knows what I'll end up with!

Camera Set Up

The view

So why use pinhole camera made out of an old beer can? Well I started reading a book called ‘Plastic Cameras: Toying With Creativity’ by Michelle Bates and read a sentence that has stuck in my mind since: “The core reason for using any particular camera is the way the images will look in the end. Each camera and lens interprets the world in its own way, and the photographer needs to find the one that compliment his or hers artistic vision.” So I guess it’s time to explore and find what suits me!!

Sources:

Bates, Michelle. Plastic Cameras: Toying with creativity. 2011, 2nd edition. Oxford, Focal Press.

http://www.pinholephotography.org/