About

WHAT IS THIS

Lens Punk Space celebrates handmade photography that embraces character and mood over perfection.

"A lens punk isn't someone who uses a particular camera or piece of equipment exclusively. A lens punk finds potential in what's available — blending different ideas, media, formats, and processes to shape their own vision."

This scrapbook is a hybrid of analog and digital work - A mix of digital publishing with hands on cut-and-paste. We share ideas, images, and stories from myself and friends in the community, with the hope of building something beautiful together.

HOW IT STARTED

Hi, I'm Dominic. My journey with image-making started in the late 90s - black and white film and pinhole work. After college I became a furniture maker, spending decades crafting bespoke pieces.

In my free time I brought those woodworking skills to camera making. Building pinhole cameras at first, then large format, and later simple lenses too. A friend saw one of my DIY lenses on a rangefinder and called me a 'lens punk.' It was a joke, but the name felt right.

Word got out. Photographers started commissioning custom pieces, which taught me that equipment can be more than functional tools - it can shape how we see and create.

This led to workshops and photography experience days. Watching people make cameras and experiment together reminded me why I love this work - the community, the shared learning, the hands-on craft.

WHY A SCRAPBOOK

I've been thinking about what form this project could take. There are many great print zines in the community. And I wanted to create something with that same spirit in digital space. Something that celebrates the community that's supported Lens Punk and a way to return to my own photographic practice.

So Lens Punk is creating this ad-free, slow, and considered space for artists, photographers, and writers whose work tells a story.

If that's you, let's connect.