Longest Pinhole Exposure Ever Is Also Most Beautiful

Interesting! It would have been nice if the details were included about what film was used and how the pinhole was constructed. The hole must have been very tiny to have not overexposed the film over that much time.

I don't think film was used at all. I think it was exposed directly onto photo paper.

Interesting, yes. Most beautiful? Wellll....

From the story:

....34 months [exposure] of New York life. It was captured by the German artist Michael Wesely, who worked with New York's Museum of Modern Art to photograph the destruction (and subsequent construction) of their building.

Might be a similar process to that used by Justin Quinnell:

http://www.pinholephotography.org/

I think he used photographic paper, as Rob suggested, with no development of the paper. With enough time the paper is darkened by direct reduction of the silver halide by light. In Quinnell's case, the paper is curled inside a film canister, removed after 6 mo of exposure, and taken directly to a flatbed scanner, sans development.

Cool stuff! Nice image! :-)

Yep, just like Sarah points out, B&W photo paper and no development. Many folks use this to do what is called solargraphy. Photographing the arch of the sun from solstice to solstice. Make a pin hole canister and load with unexposed photo paper and in 6 months....their ya go.

Check out more here...
Solargraphy from around the world

This is old news. And Michael uses film, not paper -- he shoots in black and white, and colour. I have his book, but unfortunately not here with me, and I haven't looked at it for a while. I seem to recall reading somewhere that he makes his own emulsions to allow for his long-term exposures, but I can't seem to find that link (or maybe it's in his book).

His outdoor long-term pinhole projects are not the average person's pinhole experience -- his specially built cameras are not attached to some tripod, they are encased in a steel structure to protect them from people, the elements, and more. He worked with the MoMA people for many years to get this project off the ground, which also included getting permission to set up cameras on adjacent buildings to be able to make the exposures. In several articles he has mentioned that he would visit New York a couple of times a year to check on the cameras, but that was it.