Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Days of the Pin Hole Camera























I love art making and especially using new techniques (to me) and interesting even odd materials. I was the kid late summer handling the erasers, pencils and purchasing my large box of crayons. I had an easel (my father built for me) and a couple of tins of colors. I loved it all and still do...a thrill for me is to walk the aisles of a good art store and sometimes even a craft store, looking for the perfect something, stones and stuff! If I collect anything it's art supplies.

This pinhole camera was my adventure into early photography. Out of a child's science book...I found instructions on creating the camera. The red oatmeal box was one of my favorites until Quaker Oats replaced the paper lid with plastic. I had all sorts and sizes of containers (I painted the outside (not necessary only the inside need be painted solid black) and attached a piece of tin (pie plate) with a needle hole for the view finder. I took my cameras to Yosemite, Hawaii and my backyard. I would expose the film and count Mississippi 1, Mississippi 2 (tourists shook their heads?) and then take my one hope per box home for processing. I turned my laundry room into a part time dark room and had mixed results but I loved every minute of the adventure. Mostly dreamlike images of trees, rocks and water. I had several shows and attached my poems to each image. Entered juried shows and did very well on awards....it was great fun and once again doing what I love, making art with a new or odd techniques in new or unusual ways. I was able to take advantage of the technician at the local college for help in processing and probably could have taken it further but gave it up when I moved to the beach. The framed piece is a pinhole image of my backyard...we lived on a waterway and had a big old oak tree....the oatmeal box created a fishbowl effect.

21 comments:

  1. That is just fascinating, and what a terrific photo. I love that fishbowl effect!
    I really enjoyed hearing how you enjoyed all things pertaining to that special camera.

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  2. Fascinating. I love reading about your childhood art adventures and pin hole photos. On the Cape there is a class in pin hole photography given by an artist from Ptown I think.

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  3. There is something magnetic about the images from a pinhole camera. I admire your energy and enthusiasm for doing something quite out of the ordinary. (Ordinary being to snap off something from a Brownie, an Instamatic - or nowadays - a digital.)

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  4. that is the best story...what an innovative one you've always been. and what treasures these photographs and memories shared are. thank you.

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  5. Those types of cameras are wonderful. I have a friend here who makes them in pottery. They are quite an art piece.

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  6. I love your latest post, especially since I have had on my do to list the construction of a pin-hole camera. I love the results one would achieve, as you have put it so perfectly 'dream like'.

    Images from a pin-hole device take us back in time to the beginning of photography and even Camera Obscura.

    Thank you for sharing
    Egmont

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  7. How fun! A great collection. Thanks Mary Ann.

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  8. This is so interesting. What fun you had and all the wonder of childhood and it still sounds like fun.

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  9. I have never really heard much about this pinhole camera and the effect is fascinating.

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  10. I remember being totally fascinated as a girl reading about how to make a pin hole camera, but never tried. Wonderful post, Mary Ann.

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  11. You are a great writer - on top of all your artistic skills. A joy to read.

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  12. Babs, Thank you, love techniques and materials...they hold mystery for me.

    Suki, Sounds like you will have plenty to explore when you move to the Cape...pinhole is fascinating.

    Patrice, Actually I was awful with my Minolta...I was always reading the manual...pinhole was my answer and I loved the mystical results.

    Nancy, True, it was a wonderful place of exploration...very mixed results but when it was good... it was a prize!

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  13. Zappha, I would love to see these clay pinhole cameras...does your friend have a blog?

    Egmont, Thank you and please do share your pinhole photographs when you get to the project. I soaked some of the images in a sepia toner and they were quite beautiful.

    Leslie, Thank you, can't find some of them...they are somewhere...must have put them in a safe place and now can't remember?! ha

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  14. Donna, Several years ago I was spending time in the children's section of the library...great place for the easy to learn projects!

    Willow, Thank you...pinhole can be taken to many levels artistically!

    Karen, I thought you were the families designated writer? Room for two of us! ha

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  15. I still have Jordan's pinhole camera but not the print. I think your framed photo wonderful in atmosphere and gradations of black. To bad you don't live in a museum and you could hang everything. Wouldn't that be fun. The Versailles of Santa Cruz!

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  16. wow, Mary Ann - these are wonderful!

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  17. What a great story - creating your own camera sounds like so much fun. My Dad had a Brownie way back...

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  18. Such an interesting post. I've heard about pinhole cameras off and on but never really knew what they were talking about.

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  19. oh, wow! what memories - now i have to do another one myself - it's been many many moons since i made one! thank you for the wonderful memory and inspiration for another - great fun post -

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  20. Pat, I have stacks of work in the shed and haul old work in and new work out...some spaces on the wall are ever changing!

    Jeane, Thanks!

    cathsheard, I so enjoyed this pinhole camera project. My family owned one of those Brownie's too!

    Robyn, Simple...I was looking for simple and of course it became much more.

    Gypsywoman, I'm glad to read the word inspiration...show us all when you return to the pinhole camera!

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  21. Fascinating story! I love the black and white and red picture too! Thank you.

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