Old icon, new take

I've gotten an email from Justin Quinnell, the pinhole photographer (see Justin Quinnell, the Pinhole Guy). Justin's touring the U.S. following the premier of the movie he helped with, and he sent me this image of a landmark made famous by Ansel Adams. (The landmark is Half Dome, in the background. In the foreground — that must be Justin's toes.) It's a scene that's often been photographed, but never, I'm reasonably certain, quite like this.

Justin Quinnell, the pinhole guy

I just got a call from Justin Quinnell, a British photographer. Justin is perhaps the world's most creative expert on pinhole photography, a super-simple type of imaging that uses no "real" cameras and no lenses - just a dark hollow object with a hole at one end and a piece of light-sensitive material at the other. Through the years Justin has fashioned pinhole cameras out of wheeled trash bins (which he then took around on a bus) and others small enough to place in his mouth (see his photo of his dentist, right).


Now some movie makers have contacted Justin for help making a movie that features a character who's interested in pinholes. Justin provided them with information, props, and images, and will be listed as ‘Pinhole Photography Consultant’ when "The Brothers Bloom" is released in fall. Rian Johnson, the writer-producer, says seeing Justin's photos on the web was part of the inspiration for using the concept in his movie.


A publicity still from the movie shows one of the actresses with a pinhole camera made out of a watermelon. Justin says he's not too sure about that himself, though he has been interested in "edible cameras." "I'm not really a watermelon type. I'm more of a pumpkin guy, or a butternut squash." Definitely, Justin.