Lensless photography, which creates images without the benefit of glass or plastic lenses, is growing in popularity. The most common lensless technique employs a small pinhole made in a suitable material, such as aluminum baking ware, using a sewing needle. If made carefully and of sufficient size and placed on an existing de-lensed camera (or any light tight box), an image can be produced and captured just like in a ‘real’ camera. The phenomenon, associated with the term “Camera Obscura”(literally ‘room dark’) has been known for centuries, originally attributed to the Chinese, and used extensively by artists in
Europe.
Images created using a pinhole have remarkable clarity and depth of focus. In fact, since the hole is so small, effectively creating a very small aperture (i.e.a high ‘f’; number), everything is in focus.
Many variations on pinhole photography exist, For one Pinhole technique I use a converted ‘Brownie’ type camera fitted with a pinhole. They are two types: straight shots of one image, on film, scanned and printed using Photoshop; and what I term “pinhole photomontage” whereby several images of an object are photographed sequentially on separate frames of film, scanned into Photoshop and stitched together.
It is possible to make a camera using multiple pinholes that will take a 360-degree image. My version of this uses a large popcorn tin fitted with six pinholes evenly distributed around it’s circumference.. This camera uses a sheet of light sensitive photo paper as it’s ‘negative’ which measures 8 x 11 inches! The images are unpredictable and quite interesting.
The Polaroid SX-70 camera and film sadly are no longer in production, but the technique involves physical manipulation (i.e. pushing) of the surface of an image using a stylus or dental tool in such a way that the still-soft emulsion is moved about, producing a watercolor-like effect. Scanning and computer-aided manipulation can be used to further enhance the image. Other Polaroid techniques, such as image and emulsion transfer, have a very artsy feel, and bring yet another dimension to photography.
