17/05/2025
This isn’t a digital creation or AI-generated image - it’s a solargraph captured by Education Lead & filmmaker at Rangai Studios, using a pinhole camera provided by artist researcher The camera remained untouched for 6 months at Waikereru Ecosanctuary in beautiful Gisborne, New Zealand!
The arcing lines you see are the actual path of the sun tracked across the sky from summer to winter, with each curve representing a single day’s journey. The majestic silhouette in the background is Motukeo, standing sentinel over the ecosanctuary.
How it works: A pinhole camera is simply a light-tight container with a tiny pinhole that lets light through. They used photosensitive paper inside instead of film, and the extraordinary long exposure creates these ethereal sun trails while the landscape appears as a ghostly impression. The higher arcs show summer sun paths, while the lower ones reveal winter’s shorter days.
I love how this ancient, lens-free technique connects us to the rhythms of nature and the cosmos in ways our instant digital photos never could. This single frame contains six months of sunrises and sunsets, weather patterns, and the changing seasons at this special ecological restoration project. PS the blurry bits are thanks to a family of ants who see another homely purpose of pinhole cameras!
