pinhole photography
The technology of pinhole cameras dates back thousands of years, and is believed to be first referenced in ancient Chinese texts. Pinhole photography became popular in the 1890s. Commercial pinhole cameras were sold in Europe, the United States and in Japan. By the 1930s the technique was hardly remembered, or only used in teaching. Its simple use of wood and a thin sheet of metal with a tiny hole through it, replaces the glass lens of modern cameras. Without the aid of a view finder and corrective filters, the world is captured in long exposures enshrouding the landscape and objects with light.
With over 20 years of experience as a pinhole photographer, Walega creates a representation of the world that is uniquely surreal, serene and contemplative. “The results are a welcome escape from my work in photojournalism and documentary work. The process fulfills a need for meditation and a suspension of perfection sought after in my other forms of image making.”
no lens, no filters
Where’s the Lens?
In this series, I employed ultra-wide 4”x5” wooden pinhole cameras. To use a wooden camera is to lose the exacting power of a glass lens and to let go of any preconceived notion of sharpness.
Pinhole photography is lens-less photography. A tiny hole replaces the lens. Light passes through the hole and an image is formed in the camera. Exposures can be long, ranging from a few seconds to several hours.
