The idea for Clara came about while taking pictures using a pinhole camera. For those of you unfamiliar with the format, this camera does not have a lens . . . simply a tiny pinhole which remains covered until you are ready to capture a scene. Then uncover the pinhole for a specified time, recover and voila . . . a picture has been captured . . . on film. Just as it was done way back in the dawn of photography.
The picture ends up having some unique qualities. While slightly soft in focus, everything in the capture has the same degree of sharpness – no matter how near or far the subject is from the camera. The quality of the pinhole will determine the degree of sharpness. Familiar objects end up displayed in a different way – the sun, for instance, has rays of light – almost like a cartoon. There is also some vignetting in each capture which adds to the “atmosphere.”
When I tried this technique at the beach, the results reminded me of desert scenes. Then the thought was, “What would add to the “realism” of the captures? Why . . . a camel, of course! So . . . Clara was “born” and she really writes her own adventures. Just like the old serial, “The Perils of Pauline” . . . and hopefully some tidbits of wisdom and humor for the young . . . and old.
Enjoy!
Scott Gitlin
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Clara Camel™, Clara D. Camel™ Scott Gitlin.