Pinhole

Looking through the window at the Totoro tree.

I live in a bubble at the edge of the forest, but that bubble still exists on earth and I am not able to write anything lately that doesn’t feel beside the point.

But I do think it is appropriate to say a word of thanks to those people that have shown graciousness and generosity in the spring of 2020. A season when people went from months of isolation and fear of an invisible threat to rage and collective action on the streets. I am sure you experienced acts of generosity. My thanks go to the artists giving their time during the quarantine to stoke creative action, and giving their work during the protests to support just causes.

I have been fortunate to be part of a pinhole photography class, we interact on zoom and slack, have shared photos over the last months as we learned a new medium. Images from quarantine and then from the streets. Nothing much happens on my street, so I take pictures of the yard, the barn, and the forest.

The first camera is a pop-up book, by the amazing Kelli Anderson. In a curious analog/digital mashup, images are developed with instant coffee and washing soda, quickly photographed, and then inverted in Photoshop. Inexpensive and accessible, but be warned — it may be a gateway into fancier cameras with precision pinholes and necessary accessories.

Laurel Hunter

Laurel Hunter

Central Oregon, USA