# Lilienthal Solargraphy

_Physical data recording_

Published: 2022-12-22

I create images of the sunlight using pinhole cameras at my home in Lilienthal, Germany. This image presents a graphical recording of the sun’s position and strength over the course of 6 months in the second half of 2022.

Exploring data-less, [autographic visualizations ](https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.05454) bears a fascination for me, as it allows us to explore materiality and process behind data graphics in new ways. As a personal experiment, I set up pinhole cameras to capture the sun's light over the course of 6 months. The resulting images are diagrammatic in nature, but were created without any data, merely through a specific physical setup.

![Pinhole camera materials labelled on a wooden table: a light-tight can and a pack of Ilford photographic paper]()

![Blue-toned solargraph with white streaks tracing daily sun paths arcing across the sky over months]()

![Sepia solargraph with dark banded arcs tracing the sun's daily paths over six months in Lilienthal]()

Mathias Stahl has created [remakes](https://twitter.com/h_i_g_s_c_h/status/1615122784883015680) of the images using code. It is interesting to compare the relative qualities of the two approaches.

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[View on truth-and-beauty.net](https://truth-and-beauty.net/projects/solargraphy)