Don:
Very nice go both on pinhole and then IR.
One thing I can say for sure is you have invented an inexpensive way to check sensor cleanness when buying a use DSLR
Now all I like to see more is your go on Photoshop. Its really fun an easy the only tricky thing with photoshop is they didn't put up their icons in right spot; As long as you start with "Image" from tool bar, try all three listed Auto-Things, then, from same menu, reduce the size to say 800 pixel and lastly from "Filter" menus use the USM (UnSharp Mask) and play with parameters, you have made that giant leap. If you have already done this, you are ready to check the non auto version of same choices then exploring every option under "Image" attention to "curve", "highlight and shadows" "Hue and saturation". Next is to change the canvas size from same menu. To let real fun begins, you may want to go through the "Artistic filters" under "Filter" toolbar. And the next step to discover the power of Layers. This is where real fun begins and next sky is the limit.
You definitely don't have any noise as I thought should be a problem. Sorry if your flash got smoked but for a fact I know those repetitive bust flashes are fun to make (You remembered how I smoked my 30D's circuit twice that way on 5fps and BTW Canon repaired the second time for free
). I am wondering why the sharpness is not any better. Was the pin too thick? 0.3cm look that way to me but then for indoor light it sure was a good choice. Or may be your distance form sensor was too close.
I know some good result are achieved by exposure of upto an hours or so but of course talking of old film manual cameras. Don't know if DSLR's batter can coupe for such a long exposure in first place (From sensor cleaning experience I am sure they can't. BTW my suggestion for any one who is planning to use a very long exposure don't know how or doesn't have an external lockable remote shutter release, is to use this sensor cleaning feature that basically keeps your mirror locked up with curtain open for as lone as main switch is turned to off or battery is completely drained.
I promise to give a go on this pinhole, this weekend. You see week days are hard to get back home on time, before sun is up and then with Halloween that is at its dawn (With being interrupted at least a 50 times since started this short paragraph by spooky creatures at the door who are here for treat or treats {Wrongly called treat or trick}) there should be more time this weekend.