Digital pinhole photography is a great way to get creative with your images for little to no money. With the help of some Lego and a few other items, you can easily make the ultimate DIY lens and start making work in a complelty diffrent way.
I first tried digital pinhole photography about 10 years ago and fell in love with it. The lo-fi soft focus nature is light years away from my regular pin-sharp, hi-def work. I think that is the reason why I like it so much. To be able to let my hair down metaphorically and do something dramatically different helps me to see the world through different eyes and keep the creative juices flowing. If you've never partaken in pinhole photography the following video by The CrafsMan is a great place to start. He talks in detail through the whole process in a fun and accessible way, everything from making a precise hole with the help of some Lego as well as showing how to improve the clarity of your pictures with the help of some additional lenses.
The video goes on to show some sample images made with the converted camera as well as demonstrating a useful technique for introducing light leaks with this lens. Many of you may not be a fan of light leaks in regular photography, but in this instance, the effect complements the low-fi appearance which comes with pinhole lenses well. The CrafsMan also shows the benefits of using this DIY lens with video too. The effect looks similar to that of Super 8 footage and with the aid of firmware add-on Magic Lantern it's possible to mimic the frame rate of the older video format which is a nice touch. This is something I had never thought about doing before and am eager to experiment with.
It's all too easy to get stuck on the same well-trodden paths when you take pictures. Something like a pinhole camera is a good way to snap out of those photographic ruts we all get ourselves into from time to time. The great thing about this technique is that it takes very little investment in time and money and the outcome looks like nothing you will have probably ever achieved with your regular lenses. If you haven't tried digital pinhole photography before I highly recommend you watch the video and give it a try.
