The Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day 2020 online gallery is dedicated to Eric Renner, who passed away unexpectedly on April 9. Eric had a profound influence on the modern pinhole photography renaissance; his efforts assured the respect now afforded to this photographic technique. The four editions of his book “Pinhole Photography: Rediscovering a Historic Technique” serve as an encyclopedic reference on the practice and history of tiny aperture photography, including its influence on and interaction with the broader universe of art.

Eric founded and, with his wife and artistic collaborator Nancy Spencer, operated the nonprofit Pinhole Resource in New Mexico. He also founded and edited the Pinhole Journal magazine, which was published for over twenty years. A significant component of the Pinhole Resource was a collection of 6,000 pinhole photographs from 500 photographers from around the world. The collection was donated to the New Mexico Museum of History in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Selections from the archive became the Poetics of Light exhibition, which ran for a year and a half at the Palace of the Governors.

A quote from his obituary in the Santa Fe New Mexican: “Eric Renner was a rare and beautiful soul whose spirit will long remain in the minds of the many people whose lives he touched. He is remembered for his wild, crazy hair, engaging smile, colorful wardrobe, passion for pinhole photography, and his uplifting sense of humor. But above all else, he will be remembered for an aura that glowed with a persuasive, happy-in-his-own-skin surety that was both enviable and inspirational.”

Eric’s earnest passion for tiny aperture photography infuse the Worldwide Pinhole Photography day galleries. His inspiration continues.