Well actually it’s more like week.

Because WWPPD falls on Easter Sunday they have extended the time in which you can take photos for them to be valid for the official website. So any pinhole images taken between now and May 1st are valid.

This year I will be participating in the photo taking festivities. I recently purchased a Zero Image 4×5 pinhole camera, it’s a thing of beauty. As some of you will know I like it wide and I have been an admirer of the work of Scott Speck aka Integrity of Light for some time and I thought it was time to take some of my own.

My history with pinhole photography is rocky to say the least. My first taste was with a digital SLR and a body cap, needless to say that was not money well spent, in both cases. My second taste came in the form of a 6×12 panorama pinhole camera, it was ok but it did give me a splinter and at that time I had no easy way of scanning the big negs.

Next up was an M39 Leica Screw Mount pinhole for my Voigtlander cameras, that one wasn’t too bad. Now more recently there was the Pinwide, despite being for digital cameras that $40 piece of plastic opened my heart to pinhole photography again and prompted the purchase of the Zero Image 25B.

So far I have had a fantastic time with the camera. It has forced me to slow down and take more time when I am taking a photo. Thinking about the exposure time, keeping the monopod still and trying to not get my hand in the frame all at the same time is a challenge. Also getting back into the darkroom and tray developing my negs has been a hell of a learning curve. Multiply that feeling of anticipation when you’re waiting for the lab to process your film x10.

So yes, dust off your trusty pinhole camera, take the old girl out for a walk and burn some film. Some of us might be getting together on Tuesday so be sure to check the Flickr group for details.

Happy ‘Holing Everyone!

-Fotodudenz

John Maloof, a photographer from Chicago recently purchased a huge lot of negatives at an auction, 30-40,000 in his words. This turned out to be the legacy of Chicago street photographer Vivian Maier, a French born war refugee who settled and recently died in Chicago.

Her belongings, including furniture, were sold because it appears that she didn’t keep up with payments for the storage facility that held her possessions. Maloof, after viewing her photos and developing some of the negatives, tried to contact her but she died just days before he started his search for her.

Vivian’s photos were taken between the 1950s and 1970s. She used a Twin Lens Reflex camera, possibly a Rolleiflex. She never exhibited during her life time or tried showing her work to any audience. Maloof could not locate any relatives and found out very little about her life. It is known that she worked as a nanny, and the staff at a camera shop in Chicago where she used to buy her film recall her manner as somewhat aloof.

Vivian’s images show street life in Chicago, she had a wonderful talent for getting amongst it all and she caught some striking moments. Some of her photos reveal a sense of humour and she had a sure instinct for dramatic and unusual situations. I really hope that Maloof will continue to add to the blog as he goes through his vast collection.

In the meanwhile, there is an ongoing discussion over at the flickr Hardcore Street Photography group about how to manage Vivian’s legacy. Using flickr Commons to turn it into a public collection is a great suggestion, and I hope that Maloof gets some help with the huge job of developing, scanning and editing the collection.