Felicity Spear

A pinhole camera consists of four main parts: the aperture, the camera body, the light sensitive material placed inside the camera to capture the image, and the shutter. Each part can be varied according to the requirements of the photographer. The image reflects the makers’ desires and thought processes.

Spear is attracted to this early form of light capture which is simple, immediate, often accidental and creates images that have a mysterious and surreal quality. She is currently using a cigar box camera. The interior is painted black and completely light free except for the pinhole aperture (which is closed off with tape when not in use). Light sensitive paper film contained within the box/camera is exposed for periods of time, then developed as a paper negative from which contact prints are made using the chemical process.

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