The Hole Truth

Each April, pinhole photography is celebrated by thousands worldwide.Pinhole specialist Justin Quinnell tells Amy Davies how to get involved.

- Amy Davies

Now in its 17th year, Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day celebrates one of the most rudimentary forms of image making. Always held on the last Sunday in April, the day was founded by a group of photographers, including the British photographer who has become synonymous with the technique, Justin Quinnell.

Over the years, the day has attracted some 50,000 photos, with an average upload rate of 4,000 per year from more than 70 countries. Speaking to Amateur Photographer from his home in Bristol, Justin’s enthusiasm for pinhole photography is obvious.

His love of the genre goes back a long way. After studying photography at university, Justin started a career in commercial photography before eventually becoming head of photography at South Bristol College.

‘Not all of the kids there could afford cameras,’ he explains. ‘It was also a time when automation was happening, so while some students would turn up with Zenit B cameras where they had to learn everything, others would turn up with cameras you couldn’t control.

‘I thought, right, well if you’re going to learn stuff, we’ll all start with the same camera, so I made them out of Coke cans.’

It was also about the same time that Justin became interested in environmental politics which, he says, compounded his love for the simplicity of pinhole photography.