David Tatnall – Coastal Pinholes – 10th October to 1st December 2013
Official opening on Sunday the 13th October 2013 from 2 till 4 pm
David Tatnall has embarked on an exploration of the coast using the simplest form of photographic image making – the pinhole camera.
The ‘mysterious beauty’ of the pinhole photographs lies in long exposure times, indefinite depth of field and a softness that creates a unique and special view of the coast.
Nothing more than a wooden box has created these beautiful almost ethereal images. A film holder at one end and a miniscule hole at the other, no viewfinder, batteries, click or buzz, no upgrades or updates, and no mega pixels. Exposure times are calculated using a cardboard dial.
Coastal Pinholes draws photographs from a wide range of places, from the beautifully named Point Ricardo at Cape Conran to remote and wild Bass Strait islands in Tasmania. David Tatnall over the past five years has searched extensively for the locations shown in this exhibition from eight-hour boat trips to remote islands to long walks along sandy beaches to climbing cliffs.
The long exposure times often required for pinhole photography can bring a unique set of problems: cameras blown off cliffs, swamped by waves and monstered by Cape Barren Geese, but ignored by penguins.
David’s pinhole cameras are handmade using recycled timber. Three different size cameras used in the exhibition are: 4 x 5, 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 (the film sizes, traditionally referred to in inches equate to 10 x 12 cm, 12 x 17 cm and 20 x 25 cm).
Photographs are hand printed by David on silver rich photographic paper, using toned methods that enhance the dynamic but subtle photographs that have a long tonal range distinct to pinhole photography.
Most are contact printed by directly placing the negative on light sensitive photographic paper and exposing to light. (The print is therefore the same size as the negative).
