Pinhole Portraits in Berlin by Markus Guhl
Markus Guhl is a Stuttgart-based photographer with an architect’s eye and a passion for analog processes. Having attended Way Up North Berlin in both 2023 and 2025, Markus has become a familiar face in our community, but it’s his distinctive approach to photography that truly sets him apart.
In Berlin this year, he was impossible to miss, carrying around a massive, handcrafted wooden box camera that turned heads everywhere he went. What many didn’t realise was that this wasn’t just an artistic statement – it was a second chance. Markus had actually brought his pinhole cameras to WUN Berlin 2023 as well, capturing what he believed were beautiful portraits of Monica, Pol, Magic, and others… only to accidentally ruin all the negatives during development. Rather than give up, he returned this year, determined to create the timeless images he had envisioned.
The portraits he created with this seemingly simple yet profoundly elegant tool captured something special – a stillness and vulnerability that feels increasingly rare in our fast-paced digital age. Through long exposures, every “photo smile” falls away, revealing something more honest and raw.
Following our recent feature with Inta Lankovska and her medium format portraits, it seems we’ve developed quite an appreciation for film photography at Way Up North. There’s something magical about these analog processes that continues to captivate both photographers and subjects alike.
We sat down with Markus to learn more about his journey, his pinhole project, and the meditative quality he finds in this stripped-down approach to photography.
A Pinhole Camera feels like photography stripped down to its soul. What drew you to this way of seeing?
What fascinates me most is the slowing down. Every single image is a deliberate decision. I take time to observe the scene, to feel the light, and to carefully frame the shot. Compared to my days as a wedding photographer, when I worked more instinctively and created dozens of images in a short amount of time, working with a pinhole camera is a calm, almost meditative process. Especially when photographing architecture, which is what I mainly focus on. And I really appreciate the simplicity. Just a box with a hole.
Walking into a conference with a Pinhole Camera is a bold choice. What was going through your mind when you packed it for Berlin?
I knew it wasn’t the typical choice for an event like that, but that’s exactly what made it exciting. I wanted to capture the people at Way Up North in a completely different, maybe even more timeless way. I first experimented with pinhole portraits at the Rural Workshop in 2019 and was amazed by the effects you can achieve with long exposures, for example blurry hair caused by wind or the motion blur from a passing train. And to be honest, the camera was a real conversation starter, which turned out to be a lovely bonus.
For photographers curious about Pinhole – what’s the first thing they should understand about this approach?
You have to bring a bit of patience and trust. There’s no focus point, no preview. Everything exists in your mind before you slide the shutter open. And it helps if you enjoy developing your own film. 4×5″ and 8×10“ sheet film isn’t cheap, and sending them to a lab can be incredibly expensive. But if anyone wants to know more, I’m always happy to share – I’m an open book when it comes to this stuff.
Has Pinhole work influenced how you see or shoot commercially, or does it live purely in your creative space?
Since Covid, I’ve been focusing almost exclusively on architectural photography, which I had previously done alongside weddings. Honestly, I think it’s my commercial work that influences my pinhole photography more than the other way around. The analog process is a creative space for me and completely free from client expectations, where I can just experiment and explore. Unfortunately, between work and family, I don’t get to do it nearly as often as I’d like.
There’s a nice symmetry here – you were at WUN Berlin 2023 too. Did that experience plant the seed for these portraits?
I actually brought pinhole cameras with me in 2023 and probably took some beautiful portraits of Monica and Pol, Magic, and many others. But when I was developing the film back home, I made a stupid mistake and accidentally ruined all the negatives. At first, I was devastated. But that’s also part of shooting analog. Eventually, I realized the most valuable thing wasn’t the final images, it was the people, the connections, and the magical moments I shared with each of them during the sessions and the conversations around them. Luckily, I captured many of those moments behind the scenes with my phone.
Looking at these portraits now – which one stopped you in your tracks, and why?
There are a few that really move me – because the expressions are so honest, almost vulnerable. With those long exposures, every mask falls away, every automatic “photo smile” disappears. I think this kind of portrait is only possible with a pinhole camera.
