Not many people remember what pinhole cameras are anymore, although if you went to a middle school whose arts program hadn’t been gutted by a budget cut, you may even have built one out of a sealed shoe box.
A pinhole camera is a simple, light-proof box with a small hole in one end. Light from a scene passes through the pinhole and projects an upside down image on the opposite side of the box. Modern versions capture that image on film.
Eugene photographer Eugene Tonry shows how sophisticated contemporary art can be made from this simple concept. His pinhole photographs are currently showing at the Cannon Beach Gallery, on your left as you drive into town at 1064 S. Hemlock.
One of my favorite pieces is an 8 x 10 of a Willamette Valley Meadow. It is a familiar sight in a glowing light, which so marks Tonry’s personal style.
Gene offers a master class in pinhole photography in this show. For example, this meadow seems to have a nearly infinite depth of field—everything is in focus, accentuating that ambient light.
But complete focus is only one option with a pinhole. In a photo of “Sweet Creek,” he uses a long exposure to his advantage resulting in silky smooth water that stops the moment and lets the viewer take it all in.
Another feature of this unique photography that Gene showcases is the lack of lens distortion. Wide-angle images remain absolutely rectilinear, which may not be on your mind when his wide-angle “Pure Light: Sunset Near Waldport” stops you in its tracks with its clarity and luminosity.
It is worth noting that Gene cut and hand-painted all his own black wood frames, which lets the images glow on the gallery wall.
This show, which is called Photo Summit, is up until April 30.