First of all, it is simple to construct pinhole cameras with easy accessible material. A photographer is in this way in full control of the process of taking pictures from the very beginning.
Furthermore, the number of pictures is limited, as a pinhole camera normally contains just one film sheet. The photographer is, therefore, forced to think thoroughly of the final result. It's actually an opposition to the modern digital cameras and the infinity of pictures taken by them.
The pinhole camera allowes a pretty fair sharpness of all the plans present on the picture, which is quite difficult if not impossible to achieve by standard cameras.
Finally, although the photographer has to think of the final result, he cannot fully control the frame or the general impression of the picture entering the camera. Therefore, the pinhole photography remains to be a kind of game. And this is maybe the aspect I like the most.
While exploring the possibilities of the pinhole camera and its beauty I decided to stick to some principles in order to make the game more interesting for me and for the others.
And the principles are as follows:
1. I use only the pinhole cameras made by myself and made only of easy accessible material.
2. The same goes to the process of developing and printing where I want to be a creator in all the parts of the process, beginning with the equipping of the dark room (I buy just film, paper, developers and fixer). That is the reason why I use a big format film (4x5 in) and a printing by contact with a table lamp.
3. In taking the picture I rely fully on experience and intuition. That concernes the time of the exposition (I never use light-meter), the frame of the picture, the distance, etc.
4. I don't intend to use colours, but prefer to put major stress to tone, shades and light.
5. I never interfere in the natural or found order of things. If I think that the objects as they are disposed are not suitable for the photo, I prefer not to take one.
