Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day - Is it dying? Can it be resuscitated?

Xylo · Jun 12, 2023

scyg said:
got a whole two participants

Well, as they say, two's a crowd

What I find is that people take low tech approaches for granted, especially in photography.
I once went to a local photo club year end exhibition and was talking to the lady who organized the event.
I had with me a crappy point & shoot and was enthusiastically talking to her. I was telling her that I plan on developing the film in cafenol. Her answer: why would you do that? you can get much better pictures out of the new Fuji X sensor!

So I changed a bit the subject and began telling her that I was real proud of my Ondu pinhole camera that was handmade in Slovenia. Her answer: I can put a pinhole cap on my digicam and get the same if not better results.

That's when I realized that some people simply will never get it.

I know Nicole Small had a similar experience as you in Montreal...

But at least you did get one person interested enough to at least come and see.

Donald Qualls · Jun 13, 2023

Xylo said:
some people simply will never get it

Well, there are a number of ways in which digital is objectively better than film. Cost per frame is top of the list (even if you use your memory card only once as some recommend -- for reliability reasons), then time/cost savings in processing. And some folks use free software for post.

None the less, I tried digital and gave it up. It's not photography to me if I don't have to think about how many frames are on the roll, plan ahead for having enough and the right kind of film with me, and especially if I don't get to smell chemicals in processing. Those who didn't grow up with film and process their own negatives may never understand that visceral connection.

Sirius Glass · Jun 13, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
Well, there are a number of ways in which digital is objectively better than film. Cost per frame is top of the list (even if you use your memory card only once as some recommend -- for reliability reasons), then time/cost savings in processing. And some folks use free software for post.

None the less, I tried digital and gave it up. It's not photography to me if I don't have to think about how many frames are on the roll, plan ahead for having enough and the right kind of film with me, and especially if I don't get to smell chemicals in processing. Those who didn't grow up with film and process their own negatives may never understand that visceral connection.

For the first paragraph I agree that digital is better for underwater photography. One does not need to come out of the water to load more film. May each shot in and of itself is cheaper but the cost of a new digital camera and all the software is a lot more expense that any film camera except Leicas.

I agree with the second paragraph. There was a member who's name I cannot recall that regularly posted, "I love the smell of hypo in the morning." Some of the members [ @Sean @MattKing] who started in the early 2000s should be able to supply the name.

Xylo · Jun 14, 2023

Sad thing is that so many people are not even willing to give things a try as they think they know.
Pinhole is one of those things.
Lets face it, it's horrible technology. It's slow, primitive, convoluted, super limited, not sharp in any way, low resolution. And on digital, it shows every single speck of dust on the sensor. It can't take pictures at 1/4000th of a second. It can't expose at ISO 1,000,000,000. There are a ton of things like that that make it bad. And a lot of people only see that.

But on the other side, it has the beauty of simplicity. It's photography in what has to be it's purest form. Just light and a sensitive surface. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's a bit like that proverbial box of crayons. Give somebody a box of 48 Prismacolor pencils and they will produce something. Give somebody a box of 8 Crayola crayons and they will have to work to produce something which will invariably be more interesting than the first one.

In photography it's the same thing. And the pinhole camera is the one that can set your imagination free.

Sirius Glass · Jun 14, 2023

Xylo said:
Sad thing is that so many people are not even willing to give things a try as they think they know.
Pinhole is one of those things.
Lets face it, it's horrible technology. It's slow, primitive, convoluted, super limited, not sharp in any way, low resolution. And on digital, it shows every single speck of dust on the sensor. It can't take pictures at 1/4000th of a second. It can't expose at ISO 1,000,000,000. There are a ton of things like that that make it bad. And a lot of people only see that.

But on the other side, it has the beauty of simplicity. It's photography in what has to be it's purest form. Just light and a sensitive surface. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's a bit like that proverbial box of crayons. Give somebody a box of 48 Prismacolor pencils and they will produce something. Give somebody a box of 8 Crayola crayons and they will have to work to produce something which will invariably be more interesting than the first one.

In photography it's the same thing. And the pinhole camera is the one that can set your imagination free.

Back to basics. It teaches us to appreciate what we have.

Don_ih · Jun 14, 2023

Xylo said:
Lets face it, it's horrible technology. It's slow, primitive, convoluted, super limited, not sharp in any way, low resolution

Just wait until pinhole arrays replace both lenses and sensors. It's-a-coming. And it'll be able to render in 3d, also. It'll be magical.

Xylo · Jun 15, 2023

Don Heisz said:
Just wait until pinhole arrays replace both lenses and sensors.

Pinholes are actually being used regularly on satellites as they allow for incredible reductions in weight and can be used to image things that can't be focused by lenses. They're also used in high energy physics on a regular basis.

But for the layman, it is a horrible thing as it doesn't allow for the sharpness, resolution, speed and efficacy that an iPhone can; hence that camera club lady's reaction.

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day - Is it dying? Can it be resuscitated?

Xylo

Donald Qualls

Sirius Glass

Xylo

Sirius Glass

Don_ih

Xylo

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