Pinhole photography is photography using a pinhole or aperture instead of a lens. These apertures are tiny holes used to focus light and capture the image. Using a camera in this way creates a light-proof box between the aperture and sensor allowing the pinhole photographer to capture the subject of the photo. Once light passes through the single point on the aperture it is inverted and captured by the film, sensor, or screen. A unique property of pinhole photography is when capturing an image there is no defined focus within the field of view. This along with controlling the amount of light allowed into their photographs gives pinhole photographers a unique perspective on the art of photography.
The history dates back to 330 BC with Aristotle questioning the ability to make a circular image when shining through a square hole marking the first reference to the optic laws that make pinhole cameras possible. In 1000 AD Alhazen (Ibn Al-Haytham) invented the first pinhole camera. He was the authority on optics during his time in the Middle Ages. To learn more about the history of pinhole photography, cameras, and photography as a whole, please visit the International Institute of Optics and the 3rd Annual Light Seminar.
Lenox Laser’s Joe d’Entremont and Josh Anderson took to experimenting with pinhole photography using pinhole caps from Daystar Laser. Daystar Laser’s pinhole caps allow for pinhole photography using a digital camera. Below is a selection of photos from the experiment.
To find more information about pinhole photography or to get started yourself please visit Daystar Laser.