Imre Bécsi > March 2010 – Featured Pinhole Photographer

Self-portrait of March 2010 featured pinhole photographer, Imre Becsi from Hungary

If I only in a sentence summarize it, why make picture more than of 30 years, occurs to me then a famous sentence from Garry Winograd:
Because of that I make a photo,
let me ascertain that,
the some thing what kind will be on the ready photograph.”
And really of essence is in inside this sentence.
All other word and sentence just bad and unnecessary attempt.
What there is in the next sentences, nothing else, than a bad and unnecessary experiment.

I’m 45 years old.
Rather much this time it, that let me try to extract some kind of practical philosophy, to formulate for myself, from myself.
I did this so for a not long time:
“There have to be contrasts int he man’s life, that it is balanced.
And at what these contrasts play a more important role in his everyday life,
he is life will be in better horizontal the one at it.
And at what he has more dichotomies like this, he can make it more coloured at it”
One of my contrasts like this my hobby: the Pinhole photography.
His pair is my occupation, which one the full contrast of this.
I am a filmmaker, a director-cameraman.
I make advertisement short films, music videos and TV programs.
I shot 25 still pictures under one second and I using for this the most modern and most expensive film techniques.
I directing many men.
I working very increased one speed.
Why I selected for the Pinhole photograpy to this for contrast?
I was not searching, it found me.
Totally accidentally.
I was searching on the eBay when I noticed it a german produced pinhole camera.
That was beautiful.
I buy immediately, I knew nothing quasi yet then from this thing.
I shot only a roll of black and white film with him, but it was enough.
I fell in love with it very much.
Then already a year of his onto instant substances I make a photo with a Polaroid 600 SE medium format camera.
I pick up the shutter of pinhole camera and put to this camera.
So I prepared my first Polaroid pinhole picture.
Then a new world opened for me.

But something was missing yet.
A self-made pinhole camera.
I built it up until almost a year.
When I was ready and shot my first Polaroid picture… at this time the thing was totally ready, At this time I really became infected.
Alternates since then in me, what is the more important one for me:
to build a new camera, or I create to pictures with that cameras which already finished up
From five years has this things.
And from five of the years not day that, not deal with this thing.

Why?
Why pinhole photography?
“Because of the extreme optic angle.
Because of the long long exposures.
Because myself create the cameras from my own plans to all this, for one like that, that it is known what I want.
With them that pictures come into existence, of what I thought, there and then before the exposure.
That world, what I see from among with a pinhole’s photographer eye, reflect it was on ready pictures.
Ansel Adams said it:
“The photograph not chance the photograph is a concept.
It is needed for the good photograph, that the photographer foresee the picture. In the moment of the exposure, or before it there has to be in the photographer’s brain.”
And this is also true onto the Pinhole photography.
I know, many people why love this device.
Because of what Susan Sontag summarized in one sentence:
“I think so, the rawer camera, that the knows less,
to a more interesting and more expressive result provides,
and allows to bigger space for to creative accidental.”
I am on that, can I to do ignore this accidental and the contingency from my toolbar.

Why instant substance?
Exactly because of this.
That the planned sight and the ready picture – there and then – be to get beside each other promptly.
That let it clear from into, that the idea and the creating method, how much did they get to close beside to each other?
And if something is missing from a picture or arose I have a better idea or something simply did not get together so – there and than – let it be possible to make a new picture again quickly.
Because from his own mistakes it learns the man.
Mainly if they turn out quickly and immediately I can be corrected.
Because the end product counts only, that single picture with which I am satisfied, that I want to bring to home.
How many spoiled pictures needs for this?
Totally irrelevant.
The photographic topic was then there,
the sight came into existence then of my head,
then the I invent to method for that what my creating way to the picture,
then the good picture has to be ready want there.

Why do I use filters?
Because I do not want to give back the reality on my pictures as it is there in front of me, than as to see it I would like.
I want not only to show my photographic topics, on an other manner to see.
And not only simply with that toolbar, that the technical peculiarity of the pinhole camera:
like the very wide optic angle
or the long minutes exposure.
But with the alteration of the colours and contrasts.

One of the greatest Hungarian poets, Attila József writes it:
“See, do not be watching only!”
My interpreting is it, that see other, see differently.

Susan Sontag writes it in her famous book:
“Because you can to see something beautiful in everything
However, the beauty is in nothing from the beginning.
Must be to find the beauty, through a some other kind of view.”

Is pinhole photography it my other kind of view to that,
I can and shall see something beautiful in everything.

CK → All artists look for inspiration which will hopefully motivate and inspire them to create art themselves. When I first saw some of Imre’s photos, they gave me the feeling as if I was peering into a dream or some magical landscape in my imagination. A dream that I’ve either had in the past or possibly will have in the future. A romantic vision, if you will. I also was intrigued by his thoughts on making instant Polaroid pinholes photos and why he chooses that film for his favorite media. Thanks Imre sharing all this and I hope everyone enjoys the feature. -Chris

Title: Picnic // Color Polaroid pinhole photo created with homemade camera

Title: What is needed for a real pinhole camera picture: wind, backlight, clouds and two tolerant character

Title: Pink // created with homemade pinhole camera by Imre Becsi

Title: Kastély // color pinhole photo made with homemade pinhole camera by Imre Becsi

Title: And the rain went away towards the other coast // black and white pinhole photo created with homemade pinhole camera

Title: My small daughter plays it, that fell asleep while I got ready for taking a photo // created with homemade pinhole camera

Title: Roman Catholic church of St Stephen the King (13th cent.) // color pinhole photo made with homemade camera

Title: The last memory of the last year's summer // black and white pinhole photo

Title: Old Meeting Point // color landscape 4x5 pinhole photo made homemade with IKEA plant pot box camera

Title: The Road // black and white blue toned pinhole photo made with homemade 6x9 pinhole camera

Title: Protuberencia // color 4x5 landscape pinhole photo

Title: Dance With The Wind // 4x5 photo created with homemade pinhole camera using expired Polaroid Studiocolor instant film

Title: And the human humming top last ones span // color 4x5 pinhole photo created with homemade camera

Homemade DIY pinhole cameras (No. 2, No.3 & No.4) designed to take Polaroid instant films - created by Imre Becsi