Reinhard Sock, Photo Project, 2025, Bildausschnitt /Section of a picture
Reinhard Sock: Fotoprojekt [08.03.25, 16:56:07] Langzeitbelichtung mit Lochkamera, Lichdurchmesser 0,3 mm Belichtungszeit 4 bis 24 Monate Sujet: Kunstwerk und Sonnenbahnen.Long exposure with hole camera, light diameter 0.3 mm Exposure time 4 to 24 months Subject: Artwork and solar orbits
Reinhard Sock – A photographer with over 50 years of passion and a new fascination for the hole camera
Reinhard Sock is an experienced photographer who has been photographing the world with his camera for more than five decades. His passion for photography has repeatedly led him to new creative projects and exhibitions, both at home and abroad. With his tireless curiosity and commitment, he has accompanied the development of photography for decades. In recent years, however, he has turned to a very special technique: the hole camera. For three years now, Reinhard Sock has been intensively devoting himself to this traditional, yet extraordinary method of image recording.
The hole camera: A simple but fascinating photographic principle
The pinhole camera, also known as the “Pinhole Camera”, is one of the oldest and simplest forms of photography. It works without a lens, flash or modern technology – only with a small hole and a light-sensitive material.
The pinhole camera is based on the principle of light projection. A small opening (the “hole”) on a light-proof box or container allows light rays to enter the interior, where they create an image on a light-sensitive material such as photo paper or film. Exposure is a consequence of the amount of incident light and exposure time, which varies depending on the brightness and size of the hole.
One of the main aspects of the pinhole camera is its ability to create images with a unique, soft and “dreamy” aesthetic. The images are often characterized by a striking vignetting and a certain blurring, which leads to a special charm. These characteristics make the time camera an interesting tool in my art photography even today.
But there is also a connection between camera-pinhole photography and science, in my case astronomy.
I use sunlight to create impressive images over longer periods of time and combine elements of photography, astronomy and art, with the main focus on long exposure.
For weeks, months or even years, my time cameras are continuously exposed to sunlight. They are equipped with light-sensitive paper to record the light generated by the sun over time. Unlike classic photographs, in which an image is taken within a very short time, an image is created that documents the journey of the sun across the sky in a long exposure time.
This photography requires patience and planning, both from the technical and the creative side. I have to worry about the location of the camera, since the orientation to the sun plays a central role. I experiment in different places to achieve interesting perspectives and unusual image compositions.
The aesthetic effect is particularly impressive. The images record the continuous movement of the sun and the changing light conditions in a way that offers the viewer a new perspective on the sky. The result is often fascinating lines and patterns that appear like an abstract painting painted by the sun itself.
These photographs also have a symbolic meaning. They represent not only the movement of a heavenly body, but also the transience and flow of time, which also functions as my parent project title. Continuous exposure over a long period of time reflects the unstoppable cycle of life and nature.