After a long busy week and weekend I’ve finally found some solace. It came in the form of pinhole photography. I’ve recently had an opportunity to interview Sheila Bocchine, an accomplished Pinhole Photographer. She is well known nationally and internationally. See our previous post.
She was kind enough to answer some questions for thesoop. See more of her work after the interview.
Quick Synosis:
- Undergraduate Degree for Photojournalism from Columbia College Chicago
- Started Pinhole photography in 2001
- She’s a writer
- Owns a postcard company
thesoop: You are an accomplished pinhole photographer, does that feed your ego?
SB: Ego? What ego? Do you think people who are obsessed with photographing themselves have an ego? I don’t have an ego, but I guess it depends who you ask! My boyfriend will tell you otherwise! I’m sure being an accomplished pinhole photographer helps, but I’ve always thought pretty highly of myself, even at age 4, I used to sit on the counters in our bathroom and look at myself in the mirror, making kissing faces and pretending I was a movie star! I think the cat eye glasses help feed my ego too, after all, they are best glasses in the world.
thesoop: You were featured on Without Lenses awhile back. How has that affect your status in the pinhole community?
SB: With every new accomplishment, featured article, gallery exhibit, blog entry and flickr post, I do come closer to my dream of being crowned most famous pinhole photographer ever! But seriously, Yes, I do believe that article helped elevate my status. It’s a wonderful and very informative website and Erin Malone does a great job of featuring the best in the field. I would say that Pinhole Visions (www.pinhole.com/), my personal favorite pinhole website helps a lot as well, each new blog I post goes directly to their front page and if people are interested in pinhole photography that website should be their first stop.
thesoop: I recently saw your presentation at the Ignite Phoenix event, 5 minutes is not a lot to explain the complexity of your art. or is?
SB: Gosh, 5 minutes felt like forever to me! I think I did a good job of explaining it in a nutshell. I didn’t delve much into the technology of the pinhole, but quite honestly, I don’t really care about the science and technology. I love and appreciate the creativity that I’m able to express using my beautiful wooden box camera. Even when I was in college, F-stops, shutter speeds and photo chemistry never interested me. I still don’t get that mumbo jumbo.
It’s also not very complex at all. I think once you understand how pinhole photography works, that it is the simplest form of photography. The people who master pinhole photography are the ones who take the time to learn the art form. It’s like anything, if you practice, understand, and LOVE what you’re doing, then it’s always easy. I am self taught, never picked up a book or took a class. I just found something neat and went for it.
BUT, yes, I could have easily talked for an hour about my one true love, pinhole photography! My one true love spot, does tie with my lover. He often tells people that I love my pinhole camera and my iphone more than him… but I always say “Honey, that just isn’t true!”
thesoop: How many pinhole camera do you have, did you make them yourself?
SB: I have 4 pinhole cameras, I think only 2 of them work. I did not make them, but Zernike Au did. I purchase my cameras from: http://zeroimage.com/
My next pinhole camera will be made by Chris Altman (http://chrismadethis.com/), a guy in Phoenix who also saw the Ignite Presentation. He’s going to make me one out of wood that won’t fall apart in Phoenix. I love the teak wood pinhole cameras that Zernike makes for me, but they dry out in Phoenix and I always have to tape them shut to prevent light leaks. So I’m REALLY excited that Chris is going to handmake me my very own special pinhole camera. Hmmmm, I wonder if he can carve daisies into the wood for me…
thesoop: Some of your photos have a dream like quality, is this intentional or natural effects of a pinhole camera?
SB: Both. The dreamy quality is the reason I shoot pinhole. I love it. I feel like each pinhole photograph is a marvelous dream… a surreal and whimsical moment in time that has swirled around my daydreams before coming out as the perfect pinhole photograph. I spend most of my day with my head in the clouds thinking about unicorns and rainbows, so pinhole photography feels really natural to me. AND if I don’t wear my glasses, well, my world looks just like a pinhole photograph, tee-hee!
The reason they look so dreamy is because there is no lens and the aperture is the size of a pin-hole. If you look at your camera aperture (the hole in your lens) and then you look at a small needle, well, the difference is obvious. Your regular camera is programed to know how long to leave the shutter open and is usually quite quick, faster than the blink of an eye… but with pinhole photography all the light has to travel through that very small pin-hole sized aperture and takes a few seconds or a few hours. Since the world rarely stands still, my pinhole camera captures all the beautiful motion and energy onto the negative, thus resulting with dreamscape-like qualities.
thesoop: Reading your online resume, it’s very impressive. Your work has been showcased at Trunk Space, Icehouse, Herberger Theater, just to name a few. Have you received comments about your work from your shows?
SB: In 2008 I’ve also shown in Paris, France and in Middlesbrough, England – how could you possibly forget those two exhibits! Yes, I have received comments about my work from my exhibits. One of my favorite things to do at openings is to stand close enough to my work and eavesdrop on their conversation. I’ve heard everything from praise, to I just don’t get this. If the moment is right, I’ll speak up, but usually I just listen. People say different things in conversations with their friends than they do to the actual artist.
thesoop: How do you choose the model or scene for your photos?
SB: People hire me to do their pinhole portrait and for those scenes I base it on what my client is looking for. I’ve done everything from waterfalls, cactus gardens, parks, rooftops, to bedrooms, city streets, carnivals and graffiti’d walls. I do look for places with minimal distractions. My portraits are about the energy at that moment.
I adore doing pinhole portraits. About 6 years ago, I was having a conversation in New York City with another artist and he told me that pinhole portraits would be impossible. Well, I hope he’s been following my work, because I have mastered the art of the pinhole portrait. I still remember my very first pinhole portrait. I was taking a 2 week vacation from grad school and work while living in NYC and went to visit Gary in Phoenix. We went all over Phoenix looking for the perfect cowboy hat, and then drove into the desert and I took my first pinhole portrait (of him). It was and still is one of my favorite images.
I do a lot of pinhole self portraiture. I’ve been working on my Sleeping Series for the past 6 years, documenting myself sleeping in random places… hotels, living rooms, friends floors, different bedrooms… It’s almost ready to debut.
I’ve also documented my travels with self portraits. I do love how ghostly I look in all the images. Every place I go, I make sure to do a pinhole portrait. That is a fun series for me, I know when I get older that it will be pretty neat to see all my self portraits in a museum. A pinhole documentary of my life.
I’ve also been working on a series documenting street performers. I’m really interested in artists that make a living doing what they love. To me, it says so much about a person. When I travel I make sure to get to know the local street artists and I do pinhole portraits of them. I always send them copies… if they are willing to give me their address! I’m not a stalker, I just want to share my art with them… I promise…
As far as scenes for my other work, I look for magical worlds. I love giving life to inanimate objects. My most famous series to date has been my garden series. I pinholed that series in 2006 and it’s still being shown around the world, and published in books, magazines and newspapers! When I was a little girl I used to believe that at night all the lawn and garden ornaments (and all inanimate objects) came alive at night or when no one was looking. I would visualize their conversations and parties and make up stories for them. So as an adult, who still believes that anything is possible, I look for imaginary worlds to photograph.
I have an exhibit that is currently up through November at the Bragg’s Pie Factory (1301 NW Grand Ave, Phoenix). Come visit me on First Friday November 7th from 6-10pm… Anyway, last October I pinholed the very magical world of the Fear Farm Haunted House. It was during the day and I was alone but with every step I took and every corner I turned I scared myself silly… wondering what character was going to come to life. I’m only showing 3 pieces in the series, but those 3 pieces are pretty scary! You’ll have to come see them for yourself. Oh, and I curated the exhibit so all the work in the show is fantastic.
thesoop: In fashion photoshoots, the photographer is talking and telling the model to pose a certain way. Are your photoshoots the same way?
SB: I guess. I’m not as vocal as other fashion photographers. If I’m posing, I try to do so in a comfortable way since they will be holding the pose. I also have my subjects dance or move very slowly because I like the way it looks.
I am very interested in doing pinhole fashion photography and will be attempting that next month!
thesoop: When did you first realized pinhole photography was going to be it?
SB: In September 2001 I had a dream about the pinhole camera that I use. The dream was so vivid and powerful that immediately when I awoke, I ordered the camera and knew that I was never going to shoot with anything else, ever again. I had seen the camera at Calumet in Chicago about a month before I graduated from college. I thought it was pretty neat, but had no money. Then a month and a half later I was living in Phoenix, had that dream, ordered the camera and never looked back. It did take me about 3 years until I fully understood what we were capable of doing. I practiced and practiced and practiced! I took notes with every roll of film I shot and then one day… well, I realized how awesome I was!
psssss….. I do shoot digital when I have too, I mean, a photographer must pay rent and for their cute yellow vw bug!
thesoop: Could you tell us something no one knows but will after this interview?
SB: Just one thing… okay, how about this: Next week I start my new position as Social Media Director of Syn3rgy.tv (http://www.syn3rgy.tv) I didn’t apply for the job, I wasn’t even looking for a job, this amazing opportunity was just given to me. The owner of the company realized what I have done for myself using social media outlets, told me I was perfect for the job and that I must join their team. So I did! I do love the internet… and I do love social media… it’s a match made in heaven!
Sheila Bocchine is one busy Pinhole Photographer. Who can blame her? Can you remember when a company offers a job to you without applying for one?! It just show’s you how influential and valuable Sheila is.
More Information:
sheilabocchine.com
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