Category Archives: Inspiration

Inspiration week of 9/19

Forth-bridge
[singlepic id=487 w=600]Forth Bridge, ©Rudi Neumaier 2016[/singlepic]

Rudi Neumaier is a talented and prolific photographer that used his Reality So Subtle camera to make this photo of Forth Bridge, which is 9 miles west of Edinburgh City Centre. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s just over 125 years old. Rudi has a lot of work available online, between his Flickr site and his personal website – I highly recommend a look.[spacer height=”20px”]

Beach
[singlepic id=485 w=600]Beach, ©Fitt Tamás 2016[/singlepic]

We previously featured a photo from Fitt Tamás back in the week of 7/18. As before, he used his Natasha 612 to make the capture, but this time on Delta 100 film. The photo was taken at the Lake of Balaton, the largest lake in Hungary, as people walked in and out of the water. People’s unfamiliarity with pinhole cameras allowed him to photograph the scene without interrupting the people there. Tamás has some amazing work on his Flickr profile that is definitely worth looking at.[spacer height=”20px”]

Eighty Minutes Of The Night
[singlepic id=486 w=600]Eighty Minutes of the Night, ©Eric K.F. Li 2016[/singlepic]

Eric Li made this excellent capture over the course of 80 minutes, as the title suggests, using his Ondu 6×12 and TMAX 100. It’s a stunning example of what can be done with pinhole at night with a little patience. Coincidentally, Eric was also previously featured on the 7/18 weekly post! He’s an extremely talented photographer – with or without lens – and you should check out his Flickr profile to see what he’s been up to since we last featured him.[spacer height=”20px”]

Pinhole Pittsburgh 1
[singlepic id=488 w=600]Pinhole Pittsburgh 1, ©Dennis Salizzoni 2016[/singlepic]

Dennis Salizzoni made this moody image of the Roberto Clemente bridge in Pittsburgh, PA with his ZeroImage 6×9 loaded with Acros 100. Dennis has a very stylistic trend in his Flickr profile, with great lensed and lensless work to be seen.

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Inspiration Week of 9/5

This week brings a few new pieces to help get your creativity going. Fall is almost here, and this is the time of year that I personally feel the most charged to get out and shoot new work. Seasonality not withstanding, if you are needing a little direction in your creative pursuit, check out the 12 creative challenges we shared a couple days ago!

Low Season
[singlepic id=472 w=600]Low Season, ©Vincenzo Caniparolli 2016[/singlepic]

Vincenzo Caniparoli is the Italian photographer who captured this wonderful beach season, using his homemade 4×5 camera with Fomapan 100. It’s a truly wonderful example of the medium, having captured the spirit of the day. He has a great deal more excellent pinhole and lensed work on his personal website and on his Flickr page.[spacer height=”20px”]

Twenty Eight Point Five
[singlepic id=473 w=600]Twenty Eight Point Five, ©Eric K.F. Li 2016[/singlepic]

This is the second time we’ve shared work by Eric Li, who has an exceptional eye for great photos. Previously we shared one of his pieces on the 7/18 inspiration posting. I highly recommend checking out the rest of his work on his Flickr page.[spacer height=”20px”]

 

6
[singlepic id=471 w=600]6, ©Konstantin Murashev 2016[/singlepic]

Konstantin Murashev is a talented photographer out of Murmansk. In this scene, he captured a portion of time with 6 of his friends as they gathered in a Moscow apartment. Konstantin has an excellent way of seeing, and I encourage you to look more on his Flickr page, or follow him on Facebook.[spacer height=”20px”]

 

Inspiration Week of 8/22

This week for our inspirational post we’re happy to bring you something on the more experimental side. Playing with these techniques will usually give mediocre results at first, but with a bit of effort, the work will pay off. Once learned, I’d love to see how you apply these techniques to your own creative vision. Don’t forget to share your new work with us – here’s the submission guidelines!

No Title
[singlepic id=467 w=600]No Title, ©Vanesa Henseleit 2016[/singlepic]

Vanesa Henseleit is a talented and stylistically unique photographer from Santiago, Chile and she made this photo using partially overlapping multi exposures. It’s a wonderful example of the technique! Vanesa also dedicates a decent amount of her energy to her group, Lucky Pinhole, which conducts workshops, projects, and calls for pinhole work. I highly recommend you check out more of her work on her website.[spacer height=”20px”]

Scarecrow
[singlepic id=468 w=600]Scarecrow, ©David Stenström 2016[/singlepic]

David Stenström made this haunting image with a Robert Rigby 4×5 camera loaded with Fomapan 100. The exposure was roughly 2 minutes while the camera was pointed at a friend standing in a field of peas, whom David instructed to move slightly to bring the motion feel. David has some great work on his Flickr profile that is worth looking at![spacer height=”20px”]

Nite Flights
[singlepic id=466 w=600]Nite Flights, ©Andy Martin 2016[/singlepic]

Andy Martin has a great project on display at his website called Nite Flights, combining long night time pinhole exposures and motion to get a visual embodiment of chaos. You can find the rest of these images on his website by clicking here. He also has more great work on his Flickr page.[spacer height=”20px”]

 

Inspiration Week of 8/15

Welcome to this week’s set of pinhole inspiration! It’s been a busy week – as the Call for Entry came to a close, we got a flood of GREAT work! We’re very excited about this upcoming project. Don’t stress if you entered and haven’t heard back yet – we have some catching up to do!

Low Season
[singlepic id=449 w=600]Low Season, ©Vincenzo Caniparoli 2016[/singlepic]

Vincenzo Caniparoli made this image recently in Sardinia, Italy as part of his work looking at popular holiday locations during the less popular hours. He used his homemade 4×5 camera with Fomapan 100 to capture the reminiscent scene. You can find more of Vincenzo’s wonderful work on his personal website and his Flickr page.[spacer height=”20px”]

Untitled
[singlepic id=453 w=600]Untitled, ©Petr Stul 2016[/singlepic]

Petr Stul provides us this beautiful rushing scene that pulls you in close. You can find more of his work on Live Journal, Facebook, 500px, and Flickr.[spacer height=”20px”]

Lunargraphy in summer
[singlepic id=450 w=600]Lunargraphy in Summer, ©Dirk Ahrens 2016[/singlepic]

Dirk Ahrens produced this lunargraphy photo as a first attempt, and a quite wonderful one at that. The experience has taught him a lot, which he’ll use to produce more. The moon stayed low in the sky because of the summer latitude. You can find more of his work, which will soon include more recent lunargraphs, on his Flickr page.[spacer height=”20px”]

Pordenack Point
[singlepic id=451 w=600]Pordenack Point, ©Mark Rowell 2016[/singlepic]

Mark Rowell made serene this photo with his Zero Image 45 loaded with New55 film from Pordenack Point looking across Zawn Trevilley towards Carn Boel. He has more great imagery on his Flickr profile.[spacer height=”20px”]

Trouville crépuscule
[singlepic id=452 w=600]Trouville Crépuscule, ©Etienne Boissise 2016[/singlepic]

Etienne Boissise likes how “pinhole sets you free from the ordinary eye’s perception” and how holding the camera over a long exposure involves the hand and body in a way that other forms lack. The result in this beach scene is extraordinary. You can find more of Etienne’s work on Flickr.

Inspiration Week of 8/8

Summer is winding down but it has been a looong week here. Lots of meetings, and LOTS of great entries coming in for the Call for Entry (only a few days left!) – we’re looking forward to the weekend here at ƒ/D. Thankfully, some fresh pinhole inspiration to keep the spirits up![spacer height=”20px”]

Summer Eyes
[singlepic id=440 w=600]Summer Eyes Diptych, ©Victor Senkov 2016[/singlepic]

Viktor Senkov made this warm image with his converted Lubitel 2 pinhole camera and Kodak Portra 400. He is a very accomplished photographer and works in many forms of the medium. You can see more of his work on his Flickr profile.[spacer height=”20px”]

Pinhole Session with Ben
[singlepic id=438 w=600]Pinhole Session with Ben, ©Bernie Vander Wal 2016[/singlepic]

Bernie Vander Wal hails from BC, Canada who took up pinhole photography 5 years ago because of the way it related to the aesthetic of painting that he’s trained in. He builds his own cameras and mostly captures his local landscape, but has been branching out to portraiture. This photo is a collaboration with his grandson Ben, as he introduces the young man to the art form. You can find more of Bernie’s work on his Flickr page here.[spacer height=”20px”]

Restaurant
[singlepic id=439 w=600]Restaurant, ©Paul Jones 2016[/singlepic]

Paul Jones made this image outside the Lost Soul restaurant in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC. He’s got a solid body of good pinhole work on his Flickr profile, and I encourage you to check it out.[spacer height=”20px”]

Forest stream
[singlepic id=436 w=600]Forest Stream, ©Alexander Popov 2016[/singlepic]

Alexander Popov made this double exposure to create a wispy feel to the forest using his DIY 6×6 pinhole camera. Double exposures can be tricky, but it definitely worked for him. You can find more of his excellent work on his Flickr page. [spacer height=”20px”]

my favorite tree
[singlepic id=437 w=600]My Favorite Tree, ©Dieter Schneider 2016[/singlepic]

Dieter Schneider captured this moment of his favorite tree using an Ondu 4×5 camera. Dieter has developed a truly remarkable and consistent feel to his work and I encourage you to check it out on his Flickr page.

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Inspiration Week of 7/25

Welcome back, friends, for the latest installment of our photos to get you inspired for the weekend. Just a short set this week as coordinating things for our open Call for Entry took up a chunk of time. Hope you enjoy this set! When you’re done, there’s lots more to check out at the past features gallery! Use the newsletter signup on the right side of the page to get these updates mailed to you weekly!

Look Back
[singlepic id=425 w=600]Look Back, ©Dirk Ahrens 2016[/singlepic]

Dirk Ahrens made this photo as one of his first pinhole photos. Before this, he was working a lot with solargraphs until he picked up a Sharan Wide 35 and loaded it with Agfa APX 100. This foggy scene is from 1850 meters up in the Alps, at the passage between Kanzelwand and Fellhorn as rain fell in the valley. You can find more of Dirk’s Alps photos, solargraphs, and other work on his Flickr profile.[spacer height=”20px”]

GW Metro
[singlepic id=423 w=600]GW Metro, ©Scott Davis 2016[/singlepic]

Scott Davis is an experienced photographer in historic printing processes, and has recently started to work in pinhole for additional inspiration. He’s developed an appreciation for the simplicity of pinhole and how it lets him focus on the image, not the equipment. As he states: “Working with cameras that don’t have lenses or shutters per se, or at least that have primitive ones, means that serendipity becomes important in my work…What interests me is the capture of whole seconds, minutes and even hours of time in a frame, contrasting the things that move in the scene with things that remain static.” I encourage you to learn more about his work and processes at his site, dcphotoartist.com [spacer height=”20px”]

 

Lake Erie
[singlepic id=424 w=600]Lake Erie, ©Kier Selinsky 2016[/singlepic]

I made this photo of Lake Erie from the shores of the small city of Avon Lake, near Cleveland, OH, at about 8PM as the sun got low in the West. It was an exceptionally calm day, and my family and I enjoyed just basking in the warmth. I made this photo with my Zero Image 69 and Kodak Ektar film, exposure was about 9 seconds.

Inspiration Week of 7/18

Usually I start these weekly inspiration posts with some entertaining banter about the photos, but this week I have something more urgent. ƒ/D exists for two main reasons: to promote the art of pinhole photography and to promote those artists who – regardless of reputation or education – work with pinhole.

However, because of my persistent reaching out to photographers through other sites, I’m at risk of being shut out as a spammer. I need to throttle back on the unsolicited messages, and I need pinhole photographers to meet me halfway.

If you have work of your own or someone else’s that you’d like to be considered for sharing, I encourage you to do one of the following:

  • Like and message ƒ/D about your new work on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fslashd
  • Email ƒ/D about your new work at [email protected]
  • Tweet at ƒ/D about your new work @fslashd
  • Sign up for my email newsletter (right side of the page) – I haven’t sent these yet, but will be doing so soon

With your help, I can still send weekly updates of great pinhole photography!

Don’t forget our open Call for Entry!

Körök / Circles
[singlepic id=411 w=600]Körök Circles, ©Fitt Tamás 2016[/singlepic]

Fitt Tamás made this dramatic capture with his 6×12 medium format “Natasha” pinhole camera with Kodak Ektar 100 film. Fitt enjoys the super wide angle panoramic format because of the challenge it provides in finding that perfect location and scene. The long exposures and ritual process of pinhole give him the opportunity to observe more of his environment around him. You can find much more great work by Fitt at his flickr page.

 

Untitled
[singlepic id=414 w=600]Untitled, ©Michael Nelson 2016[/singlepic]

Michael Nelson has a very strong style to his work, which he applied with great results to this pinhole photograph. You can check out more of his work on his Flickr page.

 

祝 金沢開業
[singlepic id=409 w=600]祝 金沢開業, ©Takahiro Chiba 2016[/singlepic]

Takahiro Chiba used an Abelson Scope Works Omniscope to make this mind-bending capture of Kanazawa Station, Japan. The Omniscope has an anamorphic feature to it, that allows the light to come in at a 90º angle to the film plane, causing such radical distortion of the image. Anamorphic is also a favorite tool of ƒ/D interview subject, Jana Obscura. I invite you to check out more of Takahiro’s excellent work on Flickr.

 

My Ninety Seconds
[singlepic id=412 w=600]My Ninety Seconds, ©Eric Li 2016[/singlepic]

Eric Li made this image with an Ondu 6×12 and Kodak Ektar film, with a 90 second exposure over water. This was only his 3rd roll through a pinhole camera – look for great stuff to come from this guy. You can see more of his work on his Flickr page.

 

Pinhole Photo
[singlepic id=413 w=600]Pinhole Photo, ©Vanesa Henseleit 2016[/singlepic]

Vanesa Henseleit is from Santiago de Chile where she runs a group called Lucky Pinhole. Her group conducts workshops, projects, and respond to calls for entry where pinhole is appropriate. This is a great example of stutter stepping an image – difficult technique to get good results from, but when you do, they’re truly remarkable. You can find more of Vanessa’s work on her Flickr page.

DIY Paper Obscura Camera 6×12
[singlepic id=410 w=600]DIY Paper Obscura Camera 6×12, ©Jason Huang 2016[/singlepic]

Jason Huang made this still life image with a paper 6×12 pinhole camera. It’s an excellent example of the soft and luscious mood that pinhole can give to even simple subject. You can find more of Jason’s work on his Flickr page.

 

Remember to respond to our open Call for Entry! It’s free!

 

 

Inspiration – Week of 7/11

This week’s inspirational imagery is all monochrome. I can never decide what I like more – color or black and white. Sometimes I waffle week to week – this week it’s mono 🙂

After checking out these awesome examples, I want you to do two things:

  1. Take a look at some of the other great inspiration we’ve shared
  2. Consider answering our free Call For Entry!

 

160623_apx_03
[singlepic id=397 w=600]160623_apx_03 – ©Sandeha Lynch 2016[/singlepic]

Sandeha Lynch made this photo with his “Picket Pinhole” camera, which is a panoramic camera that utilizes 3 pinholes, creating the unique overlapping image. This scene on the Tawe River and marina area in Swansea, Wales was made on Agfa APX 100 and developed in Rodinal. You can find more of his excellent work on his personal website or his Flickr account.

 

 

Untitled
[singlepic id=400 w=600]Untitled, ©Jon Burtoft 2016[/singlepic]

Jon Burtoft, based out of Cornwall, made this rough coastal image at Westward Ho! in North Devon. The low tide there exposes large black rocks with these deep fissures like the one seen. Jon likes to get to the coast to photograph when the weather turns for the worse, to capture the essence of the coast. After 13 years of photographing the area, he’s gotten to know it very well. I encourage you to check out his work on Flickr, or follow him @jburtoft on Twitter.

 

 

Spare Anchor
[singlepic id=399 w=600]Spare Anchor, ©John S Bohn 2016[/singlepic]

John S. Bohn made this image with a Skink Pinhole f71 Sieve on a Zorki 4K camera, with Fuji Superia. The image was made on the ship he’s been working on for 5 years now. John has some great work to look at over on his Flickr page.

 

 

Brussels Rd Point – Rue Antoine Labarre
[singlepic id=398 w=600]Brussels Rd Point – Rue Antoine Labarre, ©Jeanus Loctet 2016[/singlepic]

Jeanus Loctet used a homemade pinhole box camera that he loaded with Ilford paper cut to 10×15. He made this image in winter, as a double exposure using the 2 pinholes he has in the camera – exposing at the same time without the camera moving. He has some very well executed photography worth checking out on his Flickr page.

 

 

Inspiration – Week of 6/27

This week’s inspiration set is crowded with solitude. Whether a peaceful mountain lake, a respite in blue, a hangout spot, or a summer wind in the park – pinhole delivers! After enjoying these, if you need more, head over to our archive of previous inspiration pieces.

Passage
[singlepic id=374 w=600]Passage, ©Daniel Rock 2016[/singlepic]

Daniel Rock captured this stunning scene of Lake Louise with his favorite pinhole camera, the Holga WPC 120. He had it loaded with Fuji Acros, which he prefers for its acutance and exceptional reciprocity characteristics. He pursues images like this because they “reveal the hidden layer that await in every photographic opportunity. Although Lake Louise has been shot by thousands, few get past the surface.” He certainly achieved his goal on this shot, and you can find more of Daniel’s work on his Flickr page.

 

All space manifests full of blue light
[singlepic id=373 w=600]All space manifests full of blue light, ©Nils Karlson 2016[/singlepic]

Nils Karlson created this minimalist image with his RealitySoSubtle 4×5 loaded with expired Fuji160NPS, which happened to go through some botched chemistry. The title comes from the Tibetan Book of the Dead – appropriate for the contemplative mood of this image. Keep an eye on Nils as he’s going to be publishing some great work in the future. You can follow him on Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

Windy Locust
[singlepic id=375 w=600]Windy Locust, ©Kier Selinsky 2016[/singlepic]

I shot this photo with the Pinholga conversion that I documented previously. The camera is equipped with a RealitySoSubtle 0.3mm pinhole and I had a red filter on for this exposure. It was a very windy day and the young Black Locust tree was whipping around. I used the multi-lapse technique to bring a little stutter to the feeling and I really enjoy the frenetic feel of the result. You can connect with me on Instagram or on Flickr (my Flickr account is woefully out of date, hopefully I’ll have that updated soon!).

OHSU
[singlepic id=376 w=600]OHSU, ©Emre Vildirim 2016[/singlepic]

Emre Yildirim is based in Portland, OR and is a very accomplished photographer. He captured this geometric scene with TMAX 400. Skinny on commentary, but heavy on great imagery, I suggest you check out his Flickr profile to see what I mean.

 

 

Inspiration Week of 6/20

For this week’s inspirational set, we bring 4 movements, all from Europe. Which is appropriate, I suppose, since the whole world is looking to Europe today due to the passage of the Brexit. No matter your political leanings on the issue, we think you’ll find these works inspiring. If you need more, as always, you can check out our recap galleries!

Pinhole No.1
[singlepic id=370 w=600]Pinhole No.1 ©Christian Schaus 2016[/singlepic]

Christian Schaus wielded his Zero Image 2000 loaded with Ilford Pan-F to make this image at Jervaulx Abbey Park, in Yorkshire Dales, England while on holiday in August last year. This trip was his first time using a pinhole camera, where he fell in love with the simplicity of it, and he hasn’t used any other format since! You can find more of his fantastic pinhole images on his Flickr page.

 

Stockholm Central Station
[singlepic id=371 w=600]Stockholm Central Station, ©Gunnar Eld 2016[/singlepic]

Gunnar Eld loaded his Ondu 6×6 with HP5+ for this scene of the Stockholm Central Station, and as a result of the 6 minute exposure, most of the people have vanished from the image, which “adds another dimension to images where only things more permanent stay visible. Perhaps a thought that applies to other things in life as well.” Indeed. You can find more of Gunnar’s work on his Flickr page.

 

Machina
[singlepic id=369 w=600]Machina,©Zoltan Adam Varga 2016[/singlepic]

Zoltan Adam Varga made this abstracted detail of a washing machine with his homemade 6×6 pinhole camera and Kodak Ektar 100. His camera is made of LEGOs, plastic sheets, a mouse pad, and aluminum beer can for the pinhole. Something to remember if you ever lament not having the shiniest and newest camera! You can find more of Zoltan’s remarkable pinhole photography on his Flickr page.

 

Untitled
[singlepic id=372 w=600]Untitled, ©Maciej Mucha 2016[/singlepic]

Maciej Mucha made this impressionistic capture in London with a homemade box camera loaded with Ilford IVMG paper. He held the camera for 25 seconds while making the exposure of skyscrapers. A creative boldness that has paid off very well in this case! You can find more of Maciej’s excellent pinhole work on his Flickr page and on his portfolio website.