pinhole camera

I've got two new assignments to do. One is studio based and the other titled ''You're Having A Laugh'' is based on surrealism. I am looking forward to seeing what I can come up with for these assignments, but right now I think I have some mental artist block and it is not fun. I cannot think of anything.

Anyway.. to talk about what this post is actually about; pinhole camera.

For ages I had wanted to try out using a pinhole camera to produce photographs but never had the opportunity until a few weeks ago in college. As part of an assignment, we were asked to visually record using different methods e.g photograms, chemograms, cyanotypes. This gave me the perfect opportunity to use a pinhole camera. I haven't got a lot to say about pinhole, only that I am totally and utterly in love and obsessed with it and I wish I could use it all of the time. I am truly fascinated by it, and I still haven't fully got my head around how a square box can produce a photograph with such detail? How does that tiny little hole on the side of a wooden box capture the outside world like that? I think because I am so familiar with using digital or analogue, such a simple method like this slightly confuses me? In fact I don't think I will ever fully understand it.

The camera I used:

Some of the photographs I produced:

 

mystery; familiar yet unfamiliar places

I kind of regret not starting this blog sooner, because I have a lot to post to bring myself up to date with where I am now. Anyway..
I'm not going to start from the very beginning, but I think my first photography assignment I did for Reading College is a suitable starting point. This work is probably my best example of the photography I have a greater interest in; mysterious, black and white - rather than other areas. While doing this assignment, I rediscovered a love for a certain type of photography which is quite unusual and probably not even categorized as a proper type of photography; out of focus photography. We were briefed to produce a series of night photographs, one which had to be shot on film. 2 weeks into our 4 week period and I still had pretty vague ideas of what I wanted to do. I wanted to focus on my move from Ireland to the UK, and how I felt about the life I was living at the time. I saw the move as quite a dark and sad time. I felt trapped in a city; buildings, cars, people e v e r y w h e r e  as opposed to living a tiny town, with a population of 800 and near the ocean. I also felt quite lonely. I sat and took a look at my test shots, and while they matched my original ideas, I felt they weren't quite enough. I noticed a certain sense of mystery running through them. I also noticed, without even thinking about it, I had shot a few images out of focus in each different test shoot. This is when I decided to produce an out of focus story of my everyday life at that very moment in time. I began by re-shooting at the same locations; my bedroom window, the pathway outside my gate, two of the main roads and by the river where I walk everyday to get to college. I think my final images depict exactly how I felt at the time, and what I was going through. The images are out of focus, but the fact that you can still make out a location shows that I have a slight idea of where I am, but not fully familiar with the place yet. The image by the river includes buildings that reflect on the water. These buildings trap people, but I see the river as a possible escape route out of the city. The river also reminds me of the seaside back home.

 

(Shot on Nikon D3200)

Shooting with film at night, something I had not done before, was my biggest fear; different exposure times and reciprocity law failure etc, was all a struggle the first time around. Luckily, it worked after my second attempt! The film images could be separate from our digital images, so I just shot objects around the garden and outside my gate. I think the time of night had an impact on how mysterious these images looked; 9pm appeared more mysterious than 6/7pm for some reason!

(Shot on Pentax K1000 - film (Ilford HP5 PLUS)

So I managed to complete my first assignment.. From having no idea if the work I was producing was good enough and if my journal layout was even fit for a pass grade, I was delighted to be resulted with a distinction from my work.

I'm kinda obsessed with this..

shoot through it; an introduction

As this is my first post, it's natural to dedicate it to an introduction, right?

I'm Ciara! 20, from Ireland. My greatest obsession and passion is photography. I am currently taking a photography course in Reading College in the UK, (and loving it) with high hopes and dreams of becoming a 'professional' photographer. So you may have an idea now about what this blog is going to involve..

A few weeks back I came across a blog, workingwiththenegatives (Clare's bloggg) (fave) and I cannot stop thinking about it since. This and other photography blogs I follow have inspired me to set up my own! I wish to post about whatever adventurous/creative/weird things are in my mind. I like to express these thoughts through photography, and I have now decided to share them with anyone (aaah?) who might be interested.

So the title of this blog 'shoot through it' is obviously to do with photography, and nothing else. I write this little phrase everywhere and it's what I believe in most. Taking photographs is my way of getting through life. Any thoughts that are running through my head, good or bad - I shoot through it, happy times, sad times - shoot through it. Whatever's going on - shoot through it.

There is always a way out.

I really hope this works.