World Pinhole Day 2016

Tree Triptych, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Panoramic Pinhole Camera

Kodak TMax 100 Black and White Negative Film

 

April 24, 2016 was World Pinhole Day (WPD). Here's the shot I submitted.

 

I inadvertently made it a triptych (series of three images) by improperly loading my film behind the two posts (vertical black stripes) instead of in front of them. I like it, though.

 

See all of the WPD submissions by (clicking here).

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Worldwide Pinhole Day 2015 - Asian and Bonsai Garden with Nikon Df and f/180 Pinhole Body Cap

If you're getting tired of pinhole image posts, have patience. I promise not to do another for a while, but want to share some more that I took at the National Arboretum. Here's my favorite of this series.

 

 

I guess that the light hit the edge of the pinhole just right, allowing it to act as a prism and separate the colors of light. This was not visible in the scene.

 

Here are some more from the same time and place, from the Asian and bonsai garden.

 

 

As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed Worldwide Pinhole Day this year.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Worldwide Pinhole Day - More from the National Arboretum with the Nikon Df

Here are some more pinhole images, taken with my Nikon Df and f/180 pinhole body cap on Worldwide Pinhole Day. (Click Here) to go the the Worldwide Pinhole Day site.

 

For some reason, I really like these two. Not sure which I like best:

 

In the first, I like the total absence of people other than the two in the foreground. In the second, I feel that the two people in the far distance, and the way the lady in the foreground is turning her face toward the sky actually add to the scene. I know, they're just blurry pictures, but I really enjoy the change of pace with pinhole, which allows me to concentrate on composition.

 

Here are some more with people in them.

 

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

World Pinhole Day - Reality So Subtle 6x17 Panoramas and My Entry

I've posted several times about Worldwide Pinhole Day. Here are four images I made with my Reality So Subtle 6x17 pinhole camera, on TMax 100 film. (Click Here) to find out more about this awesome camera. It has my high recommendation.

 

All were taken at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.

 

The fourth and final image is the one I chose to submit to the Worldwide Pinhole Day gallery for 2015.

 

To see all of the entries for Worldwide Pinhole Day 2015, (Click Here).

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Worldwide Pinhole Day 2015 - Closeup with the Nikon Df and Finney Pinhole Cap

Sunday, April 26, 2015 was Worldwide Pinhole Day. (Click Here) to learn more about this fun event.

My friend, Bill, and I went out to the National Arboretum for some pinhole shooting on that day. Because I like to shoot black and white film in my Reality So Subtle 6x17 panoramic pinhole camera, I decided to also bring along my Nikon Df DSLR, fitted with an f/180, 50mm focal length pinhole bodycap.

 

My pinhole cap was made by a company called Finney; I'm not sure if they still exist. I bought it some years back, and have used it very little. On a sensor as small as even the full-frame Nikon Df, pinhole makes very soft images. Now, pinhole photography isn't about sharpness, but the large format film pinhole cameras I normally use make much sharper images. Anyway, I brought it along so that I could capture some spring color.

 

Here are some images I captured closeup with the Df and pinhole body cap:

 

Dandelions, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Finney f/180 Pinhole Body Cap

iso 3200, 1/60 sec.

 

As you can see, I was able to shoot handheld with the Df, since I cranked the iso up to 3200. With my film pinhole cameras, I usually shoot iso 100, which requires serious stability. Exposures are in whole seconds to sometimes even hours.

 

Pinholes have extremely small apertures, which means lots of depth of field. In this case, that means that everything, no matter how far from the camera, is the same degree of blurry. But, I do kind of like the effect.

 

Here's another shot, showing another member of the dandelion micro environment, a wasp.

 

Dandelion and Wasp, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Finney f/180 Pinhole Body Cap

iso 3200, 1/60 sec.

 

Worldwide Pinhole Day only allows each entrant to post a single picture. I haven't selected my single best image yet, but will continue to share several others that I made with the Df on that day.

 

I find it very interesting that low tech can actually add interest to my images. I'm seeing it more and more, and find myself taking the technical edge off of much of my work. I know it's not for everyone, but hey, I'm doing this for my own creative development. And I'm enjoying it. If you're stuck in a photographic rut, I highly suggest that you step back, relax, and take some blurry pinhole images. It can be rewarding.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

How to Get Better Pinhole Images

Bull Run Creek, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera

 

Today (the day I'm writing this, April 26, 2015) is World Pinhole Day.

 

(Click Here) to read about World Pinhole Day. You've missed this one, but read up and be prepared for the next one!

 

My friend, Bill, and I went put and shot pinhole images today at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC. I used my 6x17 panoramic pinhole camera for black and white. But, since there were so many great colors there because of spring, I also shot quite a lot with a pinhole body cap on my Nikon Df. I'll be posting some of those in the near future.

 

(Click Here) to read about the Reality So Subtle 6x17 panoramic pinhole camera that I use a lot these days.

 

After returning this evening, I did a web search to read a little more about pinhole techniques. I found a post on The Phoblographer (Click Here to read it), listing five keys to better pinhole photos:

 

1. Shoot in black and white
2. Use a tripod
3. Use high contrast film
4. Compose to guide the viewer through your image
5. Use a lightmeter

 

I agree with most, but not all of these points. As I've already said, I do like to shoot color as well as black and white in my pinhole cameras. Also, I strongly recommend using a smart phone app, instead of a light meter. Personally, I use a great one called "Pinhole Meter" on my iPhone. It is very simple to use, and doesn't require me to mentally calculate anything. Better than a traditional lightmeter.

 

I had a great time shooting on World Pinhole Day. Now to process film, select a single image, and get it posted to the website!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Entry for Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day 2014

April 27, 2014 was Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day.

 

(Click Here) to read about it and view all of the images. So far, there are over 1,000 images from pinhole photographers in 53 countries posted. No cost, no contests, no awards as far as I can tell, this event has one goal - to get people excited about pinhole photography. All images on the site are 1) shot with a lensless camera, and 2) shot on April 27.

 

So, of course I had to load up my own pinhole camera, a wooden box that is constructed to fit a 4x5 film holder, and participate. You can only submit one image to the page. Here's the one I selected (out of four total I took that day).

 

Network, by Reed A. George

Pinhole Camera, Arista EDU 400 Film (4x5)

2 seconds exposure

 

My pinhole camera has an equivalent f-stop of about f256-f512. Since I bought it used, I don't know the exact size, and have never taken the time to measure it directly.

 

I was out on a hike with my wife and saw this old dead tree. I put the camera at the base of the tree, looking straight up, and in two seconds exposure, I had all the light I needed. I did add some tone to the image in Lightroom before calling it done, but made no other adjustments.

 

Sometimes it's really fun to go back to the basics. In this case, that means pre-digital, pre-auto focus, pre-manual focus, pre-electronics, pre-mechanics, pre-lens optics.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Worldwide Pinhole Camera Day - My Results

I've been out shooting my 4x5 film pinhole camera lately.

 

(Click Here) to see some of my recent shots.

 

I recently took part in Worldwide Pinhole Day, which occurred on Sunday, April 28.

 

(Click Here) to read about Worldwide Pinhole Day, and browse the gallery of results. There are some really nicely done images there, shot in everything from coffee cans to expensive cameras like the Ilford Titan. Click the Amazon link at the bottom of the page to see the Titan. I want one, but haven't decided to spring for it yet. It's a lot of money for a lensless camera, but the design is quite cool.

 

Anyway, here are my results from shooting on Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day:

 

White Horse, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 30 sec.

 

Dark Horse, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 30 sec.

 

Rushing Water, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 60 sec.

 

Still Water, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 180 sec.

 

You are only allowed to submit one image to the Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day gallery. Here is my selection:

 

On the Water, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 30 sec.

 

I like how the rushing water at the lower right contrasts with the sharp structure of the bridge. The canoe on the water in the background is the perfect addition to my composition.

 

I had some issues in developing the 4x5 sheet film. You can see the artifiacts of those issues in the first image, and maybe some others. However, that's part of the allure of shooting this way. It's truly low tech and messy. It's interesting to me how you can get a thought or message across, even using the most basic of tools - basically a wooden box with a tiny hole in it.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Pinhole! 4x5 Pinhole Shots From Manassas Battlefield, US Civil War

I wrote recently that the announcement of new pinhole cameras from Ilfor inspired me to get out and shoot mine.

 

(Click Here) to read about the new Ilford Pinhole camera.

 

My pinhole camera looks very much like this one (Click Here), available from Freestyle. It uses standard 4x5 film backs, which is great (the new Ilford model does not). This means that I can carry multiple shots with me easily, without the need to reload in the field in a dark bag.

 

A couple of days ago, I took my out to Manassas Battlefield, here in Northern Virginia. I took six exposures, and will share five in this post (the sixth was an alternate exposure of one of the other scenes).

 

Let's start with Thornton House, as Sudley Ford, at the north end of the battlefield. This house was in the direct approach path of Union soldiers as they crossed the river at Sudley Ford to advance on rebel troops in Manassas. It was also the site of the Union's bloody, beaten defeat, and served as a field hospital where many limbs and lives met their end. Here's a view of it today:

 

Thornton House, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

 

I found a shot of Thornton House at the time of the civil war online. (Click Here) to see how it used to look.

 

Here's a shot of an old barn that I encountered on my drive. I cropped it to get rid of ugly pure white sky.

 

Barn, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

 

The remaining shots were taken at the river crossing at Sudley Ford. This is a somber place for me. When I'm standing there, I can imagine the excitement of the tens of thousands of soldiers as they pound across the river to go fight for their country. I can also imagine their fear, shock, and pain as they retreat back across, having witnessed some of the most brutal warfare humans have ever experienced. It's quiet there now. I prefer it that way.

 

Sudley Ford #1, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

Sudley Ford #2, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

Sudley Ford #3, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

 

My pinhole camera has an equivalent f-stop of about 250 (256?). That means that in bright daylight, iso 100 film should be exposed for eight seconds. I usually find that I underexpose with this camera, so I pushed it further this time. I actually did overexpose some of these images, but was able to resurrect them during scanning. The first picture, of Thornton House, was quite overexposed at one minute, but it had a wide range of tones, from the shadows in the trees to the pure bright white of the house's exterior walls.

 

I took these on April 21, 2013. It turns out, Worldwide Pinhole Day is on Sunday, April 28. So, I'll treat this as a test run, and be sure to get back out this coming Sunday!

 

(Click Here) to read about Worldwide Pinhole Day.

 

Get out there and shoot some yourself! Share some of your results with me. Maybe I'll even post one or two of yours on DMC-365!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com