I began making pinhole photographs in my first college photo class at
the University of New Orleans in 1977. My instructor, Ron Todd directed
me to the book "The Hole Thing" by Jim Schull, which was to my
knowledge about the only book on the subject available at the time.
Though somewhat lighthearted in tone and sketchy on technical particulars
it gave me enough information to get started. My first paper negative photographs
made with a cylindrical Quaker Oats Box were of the Zephyr-a wooden roller
coaster across the street from the university. Everything about Pinhole
Photography at the time was fun to me- making my own camera, eating the
oatmeal cookies my mother made for me and tearing off the tape covering
the pinhole on the Oats box to make a timed exposure. Back in the darkroom
it was always a surprise to see just what was in the picture. Although I
did not use the camera to make art at the time I was aware just how different
Pinhole photographs were. There was a mysterious quality to the images,
as if the camera had a sort of energy all it's own. No one else in my class
was interested in Pinhole Photography and so it became for me one of those
enjoyable pastimes that I came back to occasionally over the years. In 1979
I entered Jay Bender's ( at that time teaching in Illinois at Carbondale)
survey of Pinhole Photography exhibition. I purchsed a set of slides from
the show and realized for the first time that people were using Pinhole
cameras to make serious art. These folks were spread far and wide, but somehow
I always thought how great it would be for us all to be able to come together.
In the late 1980's I saw an article in a photo magazine that mentioned Eric
Renner and Nancy Spencer and their Pinhole Journal art magazine. I subscribed
and was immediately taken by this beautifully illustrated magazine and the
fact that there were excellent photographic fine artists who used Pinhole
exclusively as their primary imaging device. In 1990 I became interested
in Zone Plates ( a type of pinhole photography) and began to manufacture
wide angle ones for the Resource. Many conversations about Pinhole Photography,
life and art later I got to meet Eric and Nancy in the summer of '95 at
the Pinhole Resource summer workshops. Meeting twenty or so fellow photographers
all so interested in Pinhole was an experience I'll never forget. Many had
portfolios of unique and beautiful images that they had never even sent
to the Pinhole Journal for consideration. Modesty seems to be an attribute
of many pinhole photographers. Pinhole photographers are still spread far
and wide, but I figured having a web site for Pinhole where both those familiar
and new to Pinhole can tune in will help support Eric and Nancy in keeping
the art and technique of Pinhole growing. Light and Love... Back to Richard's home page
