Michel Bayard's Pinhole Photography
Neighborhood: Union Square
Type of Place: Arts
Description:
I first ran into Michel Bayard on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Union Square. He was rushing to cover his photographs that are made through a process called Pinhole Photography.
It works by piercing a hole in a small container, usually a film cannister or an Altoid box. According to Michel, a piece of paper coated with emulsion is placed inside. The container is sealed with the exception of a pinhole which allows light in and captures the photos in as little as 5 seconds to five minutes. The resulting photos are then printed by hand the old fashioned way in a darkroom. He actually cringed when he spotted my digital camera.
Michel tries to capture the work of the old masters of photography and succeeds! His photos of the Flatiron Building, The Brooklyn Bridge, a Times Square sign, or a ferris wheel in a schoolyard are as New York as you can get. They capture the moment and freeze it in time. Michel's images look more like sketches than photographs. And at $20 apiece they are well worth collecting. We've spotted Michel selling his photos on Saturdays and some weekdays in Union Square Park. But it's pretty much the luck of the draw. Luck being the key word!
- Sam Sayegh
Michel Bayard's Pinhole Photography
Union Square Park (14th St)
New York, NY 10003
Email
Map
Comments:
Sign up for our newsletter !