|
|
|
|
Pinhole Cliche
In Japanese there are two words describing ones intentions: "giri" and "ninjo". Giri means doing something out of duty. Ninjo means doing something from the heart because one really wants to do it. Could the cliche photo be the result of giri and the artistic "masterpiece" the result of ninjo? Recently a magazine editor looked at my online portfolio. She hasn't seen my original prints yet and knows nothing about pinhole. Later over the phone she asked innocently, if these kinds of images could only be made with a pinhole camera. It is not the first time I have been asked this question. And I find it hard to answer. I used to think the answer was yes. Then I saw West Coast photographer Patrick Jablonski's photos in a gallery in California. I thought for sure they were pinhole photos. The sea was white and soft, the clouds dreamily streaked across the sky. But I noticed the rocks were really sharp, large format lens style sharp. Then someone told my simple self how it could be done. Select the lens' smallest aperture and put a dark neutral density filter over it to slow down the shutter speed even more. Voila, one creates a pinhole-like image using a regular camera. I admit I use a similar technique when "forced" to use a standard camera. Simply use a tripod (a discipline I have mastered from using pinhole cameras), and use the slowest shutter speed I can get. I sometimes stress the fact that I use a pinhole a camera as a "sales" or "publicity" point. The world of photography is a competitive place and one needs all the help one can get. But in truth I prefer not to mention it unless asked. I want the images to stand on their own, regardless of how I made them. I use pinhole cameras because they are the best tools to help express my vision. People are often surprised my photos are made with these simple cameras. I take this as a compliment. Other times it is obvious. I consider myself as coming from the traditional world of photography. Though I use a simple pinhole camera to record the image, once in the darkroom I employ standard "state of the art" know how. Yet I do strive to keep the feeling of pinhole through my choice of printing paper, the tone of the print, and critical editing. |
