Ryan Von Schwedler

Philly Subway Pinhole Ryan Von Schwedler

camera obscura noun - a darkened box with a aperture for projecting the image of an external object onto a screen inside. It is important historically in the development of photography. Pinhole photography is from time to time a trend in artistic photography. Use with a digital SLR allows metering and composition by trial and error, and is effectively free, so is a popular way to try pinhole photography. And so I did, documenting Philadelphia subway commuters. They are grandmothers, couples in love, acquaintances, and 'average people' simply on their way. People riding the subway look lethargic, dissatisfied, and generally disengaged. A project shot over the span of two years, this body of work became part of my life, both in mind and body. Holding the shutter in bulb mode until I thought enough light had exposed the sensor, while discreetly being aware of my surroundings and subject, became second nature. My demeanor was met with both positive and negative attitudes as you can imagine! These digital photographs exposed by a pinhole are unconventional. The subway car dirt and grime is not visible, due to long exposure times, the subway's rough ride, and no lens. Instead of conforming to today's race towards hyper-detail, Philly Subway Pinhole captures people's essence. The phenomenon behind the pinhole has always fascinated me. I modified my Canon 30D's body cap and ended up with a digital pinhole camera- a dark chamber capable of recording light inverted by a pinhole! Don't forget, all of these pictures were taken without a lens! Exposing each photograph took 30 seconds on average, even with high sensitivity. I would often open the shutter as soon as the subway train pulled out of a station, hoping everyone would stay still. Hot pixels and sensor dust distract and take away from your viewing experience. I removed most manually. Too bad I didn't have a Sensor Gel Stick during this project! These trains are filthy. Pinholes capture essence and not gritty detail. Interactions on the subway pass quickly. Riders would sometimes sit for half of the exposure and move. The shutter always seems louder when you don't want anyone to notice. Every time the mirror flipped up, I held my breath in anticipation of the unexpected.