Pinhole Photography

Lenox laser is presenting a look into pinhole photography being used to capture the details of a laser experiment. If you are new to pinhole photography visit our previous blog (What Is Pinhole Photography.) Josh Anderson and Joe d’Entremont used some everyday items such as a wedding ring, a lightbulb and tubing to capture the drastic detail of each item giving them a unique look. Credit to all pinhole photos here go to Josh Anderson and Joe d’Entremont.

5 mW laser pointers were pointed at the base of a G 25 vintage Edison light bulb in this image. Given that red and green lasers were used in almost gives a sense that you can see gases inside the lightbulb. Camera used was a Canon 70 D.

This photo shows plastic neon translucent rods and flash speed light that captured the stillness of the warm neon glows. Camera used: Canon 70 D.

Shows a gold wedding ring and it captured movements giving the sense that there are four while there is only one. This was done by locally illuminating the ring with the flash then moving the ring to its new location in the dark.

A clear tube was placed inside a 3 sided Styrofoam sleeve. The camera was looking down the center of the tube while the laser pointers were pointed at the tube at a 45 degree angle towards to bottom corners of the Styrofoam channel. While taking the photo the laser pointers were lightly shaken to give the desired effect.

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 3^rd 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.