Ordinary Corona beer cans transformed into pinhole cameras have captured the sun’s path across South Africa in a creative project called the Corona Solargraph Series, according to coverage from InBound SA and Time Out Cape Town. Participating photographers and creatives positioned the modified cans outdoors for up to seven days at a time, allowing sunlight and time to produce one-of-a-kind solargraphs without shutters or digital editing.
How Pinhole Beer Can Cameras Capture Solargraphy
The Corona Solargraph Series uses one of photography’s oldest techniques by turning ordinary cans into functioning pinhole cameras, according to Time Out Cape Town. Creators pierce a tiny hole in each can and insert photographic paper inside. The cameras face north and capture the foreground while remaining untouched for days or weeks.
According to InBound SA, the project even transformed a hero billboard in Fourways, Johannesburg, into a functioning pinhole camera for 14 days. This setup recorded the sun’s journey and created a solargraph of the scene in front of it.
Did you know? Depending on the specific picture being produced, a solargraph exposure can last anywhere from seven days to an entire year, entirely avoiding any shutters or digital screens.
Creative Collaborations Across South Africa
Content creator Neo Mokuene placed his cameras on a balcony overlooking a harbour and beside a busy road to record the rhythm of city life, noting to Time Out Cape Town that the process felt like an exercise in delayed gratification. Rather than controlling every pixel, participants surrendered the final outcome to nature.
Photographer Mike Eloff scouted locations for weeks across Cape Town before placing cameras at Kloof Corner, Chapman’s Peak, and near Tafelberg Road, according to Time Out Cape Town. His favourite surviving image features Lion’s Head, though a fourth planned camera was crushed when a rock fell while he taped it in place.
The Creative Agencies Behind the Campaign
As reported by InBound SA, the initiative came together through a partnership between Sunshine Gun and Boundless, blending the methodology of solargraphy with artistic takes on everyday environments. Roanna Williams, Co-Chief Creative Officer at Boundless, told Time Out Cape Town that the idea grew from encouraging people to spend more time outside away from their desks.
Completed solargraphs from locations including Camps Bay, Green Point, Table Mountain, Fourways, and Fairy Glen Nature Reserve went on display at the Chimi exhibition in Cape Town. Williams noted that early discussions are underway to give the works a life beyond the physical exhibition through online showcases or gallery collaborations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Corona Solargraph Series?
According to InBound SA and Time Out Cape Town, it is a creative project that turns Corona beer cans and a Johannesburg billboard into pinhole cameras to capture the sun’s movement over extended periods.
How long do solargraph exposures take?
Exposures in this series ran for anything from a week to a full year, depending on the image being created.
Where were the completed solargraphs exhibited?
The completed images were put on display at the Chimi exhibition in Cape Town, featuring scenes from Camps Bay, Green Point, Table Mountain, Chapman’s Peak, Fourways, and Fairy Glen Nature Reserve.
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