Street Talk: Martin Cheung
What? A pinhole camera made out of a greasy roast duck? Yes, ingenious photographer Martin Cheung has created a real, working pinhole camera out of one of Hong Kong’s most famous dishes. He talks to Emily Wu about the imperfect beauty of pinhole photography, and how he eats his camera once he’s done with it.
HK Magazine: When did you first get in touch with pinhole photography?
Martin Cheung: I was first exposed to pinhole photography twelve years ago, at the end of my first year of art school in Melbourne. I used a tin can, drilled a hole in it, put in some photographic paper, and it was done! I got very good results, but when I tried to make a pinhole camera the second time, I kept failing. Either the photos came out over-exposed or blurred, and that’s when I became intrigued. It forced me to consider the process of taking a photo rather than the result. Long-exposure photography makes me think before I shoot.
HK: Why did you make a pinhole camera out of a roast duck, but not say, a roast suckling pig a chicken or a piece of barbecued pork?
MC: The idea first came to me when I was working as a waiter in a restaurant in Melbourne’s Chinatown. It was only when I went to live in another country that I started to think about myself as a Chinese person. The exploration of self-identity, and the relationship between country, nationality and food sparked my playful decision. Roast duck is a symbol of Chinese cooking, so I wanted to see how the duck itself saw Chinatown. Suckling pig can be made into a camera too, but it’s hard to find a good one. It’s easier to get a duck and its skin color is more appropriate for making a pinhole camera, as the reddish color to prevent light leaks.
HK: Was it easy at all?
MC: The first two attempts didn’t amount to much—the duck’s oil spilled out and ruined the film. But after a bit of experimentation, such as putting the duck in the fridge for a few hours before shooting, I finally succeeded and took a photo of the gate of Melbourne’s Chinatown.
HK: Did you eat the duck afterwards?
MC: Of course! That’s the main part. There is a romantic saying that a camera and a photographer have to become one in order to take outstanding photos. So, I ate it, and we have become one at last! Just kidding.
HK: Have you tried making pinhole cameras out of other stuff?
MC: No, but I love making paper or cardboard pinhole cameras. I actually hated people calling me the “duck cam guy,” but I am glad that my camera has gotten people to recognize me.
HK: Do you do digital photography?
MC: I work as a photographer’s assistant for commercial shooting for a living. People use cameras to capture and reflect reality, but actually, I think photos should show something better or worse than reality. If the photos are exactly the same as what we can see, then what’s the point? Taking pictures should be about beyond what our eyes can see.