Pinhole Photographers

As part as my bloody long-winded putting information into a blog and a sketchbook malarkey, I'm required to include 2 photographers who photography pinhole style:

My chosen photographer no.1: Justin Quinnell, inventor of the 'Smilycam':

I first came across Quinnell whilst searching for pinhole photographers to use in my sketchbook. 

I immediately liked his fun style of pinhole photography, often using his own invention, the 'Smileycam', examples as shown above in the montage. ^^

He was born in Portishead 1962,  and now lives in Bristol where he lectures part-time at University College Falmouth.

He's had TV interviews on programs such as 'Jonathon Ross Show, and The One Show'.

I watched his appearance on The One Show, on Youtube which was quite interesting, whilst being educational.

He's practiced pinhole photography since 1988- bloody long time if you ask me!
And within that time, he's had tonnes of exhibitions and publications, and has held lectures at over 30 different universities in the UK.

He seems like a generally interesting guy, with a great knowledge for everything pinhole, offering all the information necessary in Rachel Weisz's movie The Brother Bloom, in which he appears in the credits as 'pinhole consultant'.

His style is so unique, i've never seen anything like the one of the 6 month solargraphs he produced, below. Nor anything of similarity to his 'Smileycam' photos. I love the spontaneity behind his in-mouth photographs.The images are enough to make you smile! I'd love to meet him, and be put to shame over my lame pinhole photography!

Solargraph- a long exposure photograph which shows the path taken by the sun across the sky.

Quinnell's pinhole photograph of the SS Great Britain, Bristol

Pinhole Photographer no.2: Mark Tweedie: Pinhole photographer, poet and bookbinder:

Wasn't able to find a massive amount of information about this guy as he generally doesn't seem to be very well know. 

But i know from what i've seen that he's a wonderful photographer with a very dark, haunting style of pinhole photography.  And living in Coventry, West Midlands from what i find.

His photos are beautifully shot, it's definitely worth taking a peek at his gorgeous gallery. 

He appears to be an artist within his words:  

"The long exposures required, sometimes lasting hours, grace the images with a powerful sense of narrative.-here is little conscious thought behind this, more that the inevitably slow processes involved allow - if not impose - a wider view of what is happening at the time."

I've discovered that it's been difficult to find useful information about him from anywhere other than his personal website, and even there, it was more about the work than him himself!

Perhaps this is because he truly isn't that well know. Which is a shame really. As it means the world is missing out of his beautiful, mysterious images. Or perhaps be doesn't want his personal life to be know, but just his work- and for it to be appreciated.

 His photography style is so enviable, i would love to possess the creativity that his images posses. 

This is a wonderful example of his work, from his 'Dream Of Flight' series it makes me curious, wanting to know what went on in the photograph, if there's a story behind the image. I wonder if he uses himself as the model in this photo.

I've seen a photograph of the man himself, and i thought him to be a lot older. Like 50+. But i can't even make a rough judgment on his age though. If it is him in the photograph above, he appears to have a young body-certainly not that of pensioner. 

However old though, he'll still be the same mysterious pinhole photographer with more creativity than i could ever possess.