I met my fate in form of pinholing by pure chance when I walked into interesting website www.pinhole.cz in 2004. So I am grateful to the author of that impressive web for the initial impulse. I was fascinated from the first moment by the magic of whole process and amazing results of the technique. I read through hundreds and hundreds of pages looking for more information. I have to mention one of the most comprehensive: Pinhole Photography – History, Images, Cameras, Formulas by Jon Grepstad.

My cameras are very simple, I started with coffee tin box and black tape shutter, experimented with 35mm camera converted into pinhole, made several large format boxes as well as matchbox pinhole cameras, but finally I like my tin boxes best. My preferable format of negatives is 10 x 15 cm, initially I used BW paper; recently I have discovered medical X–ray film. I develop my negatives myself in darkroom; slowly appearing picture is so magic moment that nobody should miss. Then I scan the negative and all the positive process is done in PC, I print the final picture either with ink printer or in local laboratory as any other digital pictures.

I try to take my cameras with me wherever I go, as I found that chance does not show again. A set of four my boxes fits into my bag that I drag with me together with little red tail-light and black envelope with films when traveling. My job takes me at various places and the best souvenir from each is pinhole photograph. I carry digital compact with me to take pictures, but also pinhole cameras to take photographs.

I have found pinholing as extremely rewarding hobby that taught me looking at the world by special way, looking through small pinhole. Certainly I have to think different way of an object when my box contains just one piece of film instead of endless roll or seemingly unlimited memory. I cannot stop wondering what can be achieved by so simple means.

My current fleet of pinhole boxes:

Round HERBAL TEA box 10x15

TWININGS tea box “deformator” 10x15

OOLONG TEA double shot 10x15

TCHIBO Family coffee box 10x15

And few extra big boxes for special occasions:

Homemade wooden box 15x30 panoramic

Homemade wooden box 18x24

UNICUM ZWACK triple shot 11x15