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Pinhole Photography

Current Instructor: Beck Hamstead

Cost:

• $110 – Members,
• $150 – Non Members
• $75 – 17 (and under)
• $250 – Family (3 persons)

This intensive 2-Day course is designed to explore the fundamentals of pinhole photography through hands-on experimentation. Students will build their own pinhole cameras from scratch and learn the principles of light, exposure, and composition unique to this minimalist photographic process. The course emphasizes creativity, problem-solving, and a deep engagement with the basics of photographic image-making.

Pinhole Photography is a photographic technique that involves capturing images using a simple optical device called a pinhole camera.

Here’s a basic overview of the process:

1. Camera Construction: A pinhole camera is typically a light-tight box with a small hole (the pinhole) on one side and a photosensitive material (like film or photographic paper) placed inside on the opposite side.

2. Exposure: Light passes through the pinhole and projects an inverted image of the scene outside onto the photosensitive material inside the camera. Because the pinhole is so small, the image is relatively soft and lacks sharp detail compared to modern lenses.

3. Development: After the exposure time (which can be quite long due to the small size of the pinhole), the photosensitive material is removed from the camera and developed using standard photographic chemicals.

4. Result: The resulting image will have a unique, often ethereal quality due to the pinhole’s lack of lens. The depth of field is extremely wide, and the images tend to have a soft focus with noticeable vignetting.

Pinhole photography is valued for its simplicity and the distinctive, often surreal aesthetic it provides.