The 7th Day

A global pinhole camera art project using the Camera Obscura

The 7th Day is an international art project centered around analog photography with the pinhole camera and the Camera Obscura. Over 12,000 people from around the world have already taken part, creating their own long-exposure photograph using nothing more than a simple pinhole camera — no digital technology, no lens required.

Each image becomes part of a growing archive that has been collecting photographs from different countries, perspectives, and realities for more than ten years. Using only light, time, and a tiny hole, participants document their surroundings in a slow and mindful way.

Die Kamera wurde auf einem Fahrrad installiert. Alles ist unscharf außer der Lenker.
Golden Gate Bridge mit blauen Farbstich.
Palmen und andere Pflanzen im Garten.
Das längste Fotografierte Bild zeigt ein abstraktes Foto mit blauem Hintergrund und braunen Linien.

The 7th Day

A global pinhole camera art project using the Camera Obscura

The 7th Day is an international art project centered around analog photography with the pinhole camera and the Camera Obscura. Over 12,000 people from around the world have already taken part, creating their own long-exposure photograph using nothing more than a simple pinhole camera — no digital technology, no lens required.

Each image becomes part of a growing archive that has been collecting photographs from different countries, perspectives, and realities for more than ten years. Using only light, time, and a tiny hole, participants document their surroundings in a slow and mindful way.

Die Kamera wurde auf einem Fahrrad installiert. Alles ist unscharf außer der Lenker.
Golden Gate Bridge mit blauen Farbstich.
Palmen und andere Pflanzen im Garten.
Das längste Fotografierte Bild zeigt ein abstraktes Foto mit blauem Hintergrund und braunen Linien.
Die Kamera wurde auf einem Fahrrad installiert. Alles ist unscharf außer der Lenker.
Golden Gate Bridge mit blauen Farbstich.
Ein Fenster von Innen fotografiert. Man sieht die Sonne.
Das längste Fotografierte Bild zeigt ein abstraktes Foto mit blauem Hintergrund und braunen Linien.
3 Jahre in einem Bild. Die Sonnenspuren verdecken den ganzen Himmel mit einem goldenem Schleier.
Fernsehturm in Berlin
Ein alter Bus mit Sonnenspuren im Hintergrund
Die Kamera wurde auf einem Fahrrad installiert. Alles ist unscharf außer der Lenker.
Golden Gate Bridge mit blauen Farbstich.
Ein Fenster von Innen fotografiert. Man sieht die Sonne.
Das längste Fotografierte Bild zeigt ein abstraktes Foto mit blauem Hintergrund und braunen Linien.
3 Jahre in einem Bild. Die Sonnenspuren verdecken den ganzen Himmel mit einem goldenem Schleier.
Fernsehturm in Berlin
Ein alter Bus mit Sonnenspuren im Hintergrund

Analog photography in times of digital image overload

Today, we’re used to snapping hundreds of pictures on our smartphones — often without really looking. Everything is instant, disposable, and made to be shared.

The 7th Day offers a slower, more intentional alternative: instead of taking countless snapshots, this project produces only one image — exposed over at least 7 days, sometimes weeks or even years.

The pinhole camera is placed in a fixed location (indoors or outdoors) and exposed to light for an extended period of time. No app, no screen, no technology — just patience and light.

Schwarze Lochkamera aus einer alten Filmdose freigestellt.

Analog photography in times of digital image overload

Today, we’re used to snapping hundreds of pictures on our smartphones — often without really looking. Everything is instant, disposable, and made to be shared.

The 7th Day offers a slower, more intentional alternative: instead of taking countless snapshots, this project produces only one image — exposed over at least 7 days, sometimes weeks or even years.

The pinhole camera is placed in a fixed location (indoors or outdoors) and exposed to light for an extended period of time. No app, no screen, no technology — just patience and light.

Schwarze Lochkamera aus einer alten Filmdose freigestellt.

Exposure time

You choose the exposure time

7 days, 6 months, or even 4 years

With our analog pinhole camera, you decide how long to expose your image. Whether it’s one week or several years, overexposure isn’t possible. The method is based on the technique of solargraphy, where sun paths and light traces become visible on photographic paper. It also echoes heliography, the earliest photographic process developed by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.

Exposure time

You choose the exposure time

7 days, 6 months or even 4 years

With our analog pinhole camera, you decide how long to expose your image. Whether it’s one week or several years, overexposure isn’t possible. The method is based on the technique of solargraphy, where sun paths and light traces become visible on photographic paper. It also echoes heliography, the earliest photographic process developed by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.

Bild aus dem Kunstprojekt 700 Bilder Weil der Stadt zeigt eine Stadtansicht mit Häusern.

Exposure tim 7 days

Pink gelbes Bild von einer Langschaft

Exposure time 6 months

4 Jahre lang fotografiertes Bild. Bunte Linien im Himmel.

Exposure time 4 years

Your photo in just three simple steps

You don’t need experience, equipment, or chemicals to participate. Just a pinhole Camera

We’ve simplified the pinhole camera process so that truly anyone can take part — young or old, with or without photographic knowledge. No technical skills are required. Without electricity, screens, or apps — the Camera Obscura needs only light, time, and your curiosity.

Your photo in just three simple steps

You don’t need experience, equipment, or chemicals to participate. Just a pinhole Camera

We’ve simplified the pinhole camera process so that truly anyone can take part — young or old, with or without photographic knowledge. No technical skills are required. Without electricity, screens, or apps — the Camera Obscura needs only light, time, and your curiosity.

Lochkamera mit Natur und Haus im Hintergrund.

Place the camera

Choose a meaningful location you want to capture for days, weeks, or years. Fix the pinhole camera securely, whether indoors or outdoors.

Positiv und Negativ des selben Bildes nebeneinander.

Send in the negative

After the exposure, carefully open the Camera Obscura in dim light and send the exposed photo paper back to us. We’ll scan and develop your image — completely free of charge. You can reuse your pinhole camera again afterwards.

3000 kleine Bilder nebeneinander von Teilnehmer aus dem Projekt The 7th Day.

See your photo in the archive

Your final image will be published in our digital archive, under your personal participant number. You can view, download, share, or simply enjoy your image anytime.

Here you can find the complete manual.

Manual

School Project Wins German Youth Photo Award

As part of an art initiative, a collaborative project with the Wilhelm Hofmann Gymnasium in St. Goarshausen was awarded the German Youth Photo Award in 2020. Under the title “After Turner”, students photographed historic landscapes in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

The project was supported by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Logo Deutscher Jugend Fotopreis
Logo Welterbe Oberes Mittelrheintal
Mit der Lochkamera Fotografiertes Bild. Man sieht eine Sonnenspur vor Bergen

Teilnahme

Das Bild zeigt einen elliptischen Verlauf der Sonne

Anleitung

Ein buntes abstraktes Bild aus dem Projekt The 7th Day

Archiv

Das Bild zeigt den Sonnenverlauf über dem Horizont. Belichtungszeit: 2 Wochen

Blog

School Project Wins German Youth Photo Award

As part of an art initiative, a collaborative project with the Wilhelm Hofmann Gymnasium in St. Goarshausen was awarded the German Youth Photo Award in 2020. Under the title “After Turner”, students photographed historic landscapes in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

The project was supported by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Logo Deutscher Jugend Fotopreis
Logo Welterbe Oberes Mittelrheintal
Die Fotografie zeigt ein Bild das 1 Monat lang aufgenommen wurde. Man sieht die Sonnenspuren die den halben Himmel verdecken
Das Bild zeigt den Sonnenverlauf über dem Horizont. Belichtungszeit: 2 Wochen
Das Bild zeigt einen elliptischen Verlauf der Sonne
Mit der Lochkamera Fotografiertes Bild. Man sieht eine Sonnenspur vor Bergen
Ein buntes abstraktes Bild aus dem Projekt The 7th Day
Das Bild zeigt ein abstraktes buntes Motiv
Buy pinhole camera

A special gift for the curious and creative

The participation set also makes a unique gift for creative minds, friends, or family. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or simply as a thoughtful experience away from the digital world.

Buy pinhole camera

A special gift for the curious and creative

The participation set also makes a unique gift for creative minds, friends, or family. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or simply as a thoughtful experience away from the digital world.

The digital archive is the core of our Camera Obscura and pinhole camera art project. For over a decade, we’ve collected the images created by participants around the world using our pinhole cameras. What makes this archive special: each photograph is unique, but part of a collective visual memory that spans continents, years, and people.

Each image represents a personal exploration of time and place. Together, they form a slow and poetic documentation of our world — far from the rush of digital photography.

Participants can also submit the geographic coordinates of their images. These photos then appear on our interactive world map. In this way, the project grows not only visually, but geographically — place by place, camera by camera.

Whether you’re searching for your own photo, looking for inspiration, or simply exploring the diversity of contributions, the archive is open to everyone. And with each new image, it continues to grow.

The digital archive is the core of our Camera Obscura and pinhole camera art project. For over a decade, we’ve collected the images created by participants around the world using our pinhole cameras. What makes this archive special: each photograph is unique, but part of a collective visual memory that spans continents, years, and people.

Each image represents a personal exploration of time and place. Together, they form a slow and poetic documentation of our world — far from the rush of digital photography.

Participants can also submit the geographic coordinates of their images. These photos then appear on our interactive world map. In this way, the project grows not only visually, but geographically — place by place, camera by camera.

Whether you’re searching for your own photo, looking for inspiration, or simply exploring the diversity of contributions, the archive is open to everyone. And with each new image, it continues to grow.

The 7th Day at TEDx

FAQ's

Frequently ask questions

The camera is a simple pinhole camera, or camera obscura. It works without any lens or electronics. Light enters through a tiny hole and hits light-sensitive photo paper. The longer the exposure, the greater the contrast in the image. The picture forms slowly and entirely through analog means.

The colorful lines are caused by the movement of the sun during the exposure period – a phenomenon known as solargraphy. The sun’s daily path is recorded as a light trail directly on the photo paper. Depending on weather, time of day, and exposure length, these lines may appear continuous or broken. Their color and intensity depend on the photo paper used and the lighting conditions. These sun trails give many of the project’s images their distinctive appearance.

No. Participation is possible without any experience. You don’t need technical knowledge or a background in photography. Just place the camera and send it back to us after exposure – we’ll handle the rest. Because it’s so easy, the project is also a great activity to do with children.

In summer, 7 days are usually enough; in winter, around 14 days. Indoors, longer exposures are required – often several weeks. Overexposure isn’t possible with this method. The more time, the more light is captured. Patience pays off.

Yes, you can. Exposure time will be significantly longer. Be sure to place the camera in a stable position. Window sills with indirect light work especially well.

Then exposure starts earlier than planned. In most cases, that’s no problem. The tape can usually be reapplied. Sometimes it comes off during transport – again, not a big issue, as the packaging is semi lightproof and protects the paper from overexposure. Just make sure to store the camera in a dark place until you’re ready to begin the actual exposure.

No, the original negative is destroyed during scanning. The scanner uses a light bar that fully exposes the photo paper. This happens as the digital version is created. The final image is the only version that remains. Because this process cannot be repeated, great care and experience are essential when digitizing.

Yes, you may use your own image commercially. We just ask that you credit the project The 7th Day and your image number when doing so.
You’ll also gain access to the full archive, where thousands of images by other participants are stored. These may only be used non-commercially – for personal or educational purposes. For all other uses, please contact the original creator for permission.

Animals, weather, or dust may affect your result. Birds might peck the pinhole or spiders could build webs in front of the camera – these unexpected interactions will influence the final image. This is not a flaw, but part of the process. Nature, time, and surroundings play an important role in making each photo unique and often surprising.

It depends on several factors: season, light direction, and especially the photo paper used. We use different types of paper, each reacting differently to light. The duration and intensity of the exposure also influence contrast and color – sometimes dramatically. That’s why the results often have striking, unexpected hues.

Yes, some cameras in the project have been exposed for up to 8 years. The image quality doesn’t deteriorate – the paper reacts gradually and continuously. The key is that the camera remains securely in place. Long exposures are not only possible but welcomed.

Open the camera in dim light. Place the photo paper into the black envelope provided. Then put that into the white return envelope and mail it to us. We’ll scan your image professionally and upload it to our digital archive.

Still have questions?
Send us an email at: post@the-7th-day.de. We’re happy to help!