Speach for the opening ceremony on 23/03/2012

First of all I would like to express my sincere thanks to Goa Center of Alternative Photography, particularly to Mr. Madhavan, who has organaized this event and invited me to India, and all the  staff who has assisted in this exhibition. I equally thank to the Art Chamber Gallery, who provides a prestigeous and charming space and thank also to Japan Foundation for sponsoring this event. I am very glad to be able to come here and show you my pinhole pictures.

I started taking pinhole photography in 1990 just after having had a chance to attend a summer workshop at Museum of Niepce in France. Mr. Nicephore Niepce is one of the French inventors of photography. It was a great opportunity for me to learn there not only pinhole photography but also the history of photography in general.

We live now everyday in digitized world, so is making photography. Far from the time when our ancestors discovered photography, for whom it was an enigma and the camera was a magic box. Old japaneses also used to say “photography steals one’s soul in front of the camera”. It is amazing to know that pinhole photography still remains the same as for the power of surprising us and dreaming of the magic in the 21^st century. 

There are many charms enchanting me : Pinhole photography gives me the time to contemplate what is happening in a camera, makes me enjoy the thrill of anticipating the outcome and heartbeat experience and, finally, pinhole photography enables me to make errors, which could be a good teacher if you forgive them. So take your time and enjoy pinhole photography !

Mieko Tadokoro