Last Updated on 08/20/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
All images by David Cordero. Used with permission.
Stuck in a rut? You might need to take on something simple yet experimental to refill your creative juices. Heading somewhere nice with a pinhole camera in tow could be something to new to try for you. Barcelona-based fine art photographer David Cordero did exactly that and went home with a bunch of serene seaside snaps.
While pinhole photography is the simplest it gets when it comes to taking pictures, it’s certainly possible to make something creative and eye-catching out of it. Depending on how long you make the exposure, you can get some moody results, just like David’s dreamy seascapes. Because all pinhole photos are essentially long exposure snaps, anything moving in your frame will blurred. So think carefully about what you want to shoot and how you can use the blur to your advantage.
The beach was a perfect location for this, as we can see in David’s photos taken using a wooden pinhole camera. Instead of waves and ripples, the water is rendered as misty, somewhat painterly strokes. If serene imagery is what you’re after for a landscape shot, definitely take a pinhole camera with you somewhere with plenty of flowing water.
You may also want to check out some haunting photos by Matthew Pringle for more dreamy pinhole inspiration.
Curious about how far you can take your pinhole photography? We’ve got just the right stuff for you to go full experimental. If you’re not yet shooting with a pinhole camera you’ve made yourself, that’s a great way to start. Make one from a Spam can, a shoebox, and even put 25 pinholes on it if you want to get a little trippy. You can even make a sophisticated pinhole camera with zoom using some 35mm or medium format cameras you already have and a nifty bellows attachment. As for projects, why not try self-portraits or some cool Solargraphy?
Don’t forget to visit David Cordero’s website and Behance portfolio to check out the rest of his projects.
