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

 

Pinhole Portraits by Stefan Killen

Image Source: http://pinholeny.com/portfolio/portraits-i-2014/

 

I love shooting pinhole images. I've shot a lot of scenery images, and even some people pictures with my pinhole cameras. But, I've never really tried any portraits.

 

(Click Here) to check out Stefan Killen's pinhole portraits. Inspiring.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

One More Wide Pinhole in This Series -

W-I-D-E Perspective, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Panoramic Pinhole Camera

Kodak TMax 100 Film, 35 sec., f/250

 

The orchid on the table at right is what caught my eye. So, I set up my Reality So Subtle camera very close to it, and opened the shutter. I then walked to the window at center. If you look hard, you can see my translucent silhouette.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Frog's Eye View - Reality So Subtle 6x17 Pinhole

Frog's Eye View, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Panoramic Pinhole Camera

Kodak TMax 100 Film, 30 sec. Exposure

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Pinhole at the National Arboretum

Finally finished the roll of 120 film in my Reality So Subtle pinhole camera. Who'd guess it's a challenge to finish a 4 exposure roll? But, the results are pretty cool. More coming soon.

 

National Arboretum Bonsai Collection, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Panoramic Pinhole Camera

Kodak TMax 100 Film

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Springtime is for Photography

Springtime is for Photography, Pinhole Included

Nikon Df, f/180 Pinhole Body Cap

 

I'm so happy that it's springtime again. Makes me want to be outside shooting every day.

 

Hope you're using the nice weather to get out and make some art.

 

For my friends in the Southern Hemisphere, don't worry. It's all just cycles; your time is coming as sure as winter will be back here before we know it.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Example of How Technology Affects Vision

I've posted this picture before, taken with the Nikon Df and Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS lens.

 

Here's the same statue, shot with the Reality So Subtle 6x17 panoramic pinhole camera.

 

 

I love figuring out how to use different tools to make images that appeal to me.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

How Technology Affects Vision

Each and every camera and lens we choose brings with it a unique vision, and unique constraints. It's the combination of these influences, and creative vision, that interests me the most. Here are two shots of the same subject, made from approximately the same distance and location, but with very different cameras.

 

First, an image made with the Nikon Df and Nikkor 24mm f2.8 AF-D Lens.

 

 

And now, one made with the Reality So Subtle 6x17 panoramic pinhole camera, on 120 (medium format) film.

 

 

Quite a difference, I'd say. I like them both.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Vietnam War Memorial In Panoramic Pinhole View

 

Vietnam Memorial, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Panoramic Pinhole Camera

Kodak TMax 100 Film (120 Size), 10 sec. at f256

 

I've been shooting more pinhole images lately, using the wonderful new "Reality So Subtle" camera that I received from my wife for my 50th birthday.

 

(Click Here) to read about the camera.

 

Don't forget, Worldwide Pinhole Day is coming up on April 26, 2015! (Click Here) to read about that. I'll be shooting pinhole images that day, for sure.

 

More to come.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Some Panoramic Pinhole Images - Buddhist Temple

Here are three 6x17 shots I recently made at my meditation class:

 

These were made with the "Reality So Subtle" panoramic pinhole camera that my wife bought for my on my 50th birthday. It shoots four exposures on a roll of 120 film (TMax 400 in this case, which I developed in Kodak D-76 diluted 1:1 for 13 1/2 minutes). The top and bottom images were made with about ten seconds of exposure; the middle one took one hour.

 

(Click Here) to read more about the camera.

 

(Click Here) to see the images above at full size on my flickr page.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Final Couple of Pinhole Shots for Now

Poster Session, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle Panoramic Pinhole Camera, Kodak TMax 100 Film

 

These examples show just how well the pinhole camera can perform. Again, there were people in these pictures, too, but they're barely visible. You can see a ghostly apparition in the center of the bottom pic.

 

I like this camera.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Pinhole Camera in Odd Places

Following on my post from yesterday, here are a couple of shots I made by placing the Reality So Subtle 6x17 pinhole camera in odd places. First, I put it on top of the coffee grinder. It's impossible to see, but there was a steady stream of people who walked through the fifteen minute exposure, including one of the staff who was about to call security, wondering what this odd box on the coffee grinder was. Luckily, I was sitting nearby (that's me to the far right), and let him know it was mine. No problem, once I noticed his concern.

From the Coffee Grinder, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Pinhole Camera, Kodak TMax 100 Film

 

This next one was made by placing the camera on a stainless steel serving table, under a shelf. The lights in the ceiling are reflected back up from the stainless surface, giving an interesting effect.

From the Serving Table, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Pinhole Camera, Kodak TMax 100 Film

 

I'm really enjoying using this odd camera. For more information on the camera itself, (Click Here).

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

One Hour Exposures - 6x17 Pinhole

Two Hours at the Symposium, by Reed A. George

Reality So Subtle 6x17 Panoramic Pinhole Camera, Kodak TMax 100 Film

 

I had some fun last weekend, shooting my new panoramic pinhole camera at a work symposium. Each of these are one hour exposures. On top, I set the camera in the front row of seats, pointed directly at myself (the middle blurry person, in dark clothes). You can see my Leica CL in the picture, a little left of center.

 

The second is another one hour exposure, this time from the speaker's podium.

 

You can click on these images to see more detail on flickr.

 

In both cases, the images were significantly underexposed, because I didn't take reciprocity failure (film's loss of linear response to light in very long exposures). They would have been much better as two hour exposures. But, I think they're kind of fun and weird.

 

More long images from the symposium coming soon.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

First Shots - 6x17 Panoramic Pinhole - "Reality So Subtle"

Some cameras take a while to figure out. Pinhole cameras are definitely different from everything else I shoot, and require a different frame of mind. That's one of the things I love about shooting them. And then there's panoramic format. I remember when I purchased a Hasselblad Xpan, a camera that I never fell in love with. It took me several rolls to get used to composing in the long panoramic format. I did eventually get comfortable with it, but then moved on to a panoramic 35mm back for my Bronica ETR.

 

Anyway, I digress. The subject of this post is the "Reality So Subtle" 6x17 medium format panoramic pinhole camera that my lovely wife gave me for my birthday. (Click Here) to read my post about the camera.

 

Here are some images from my first two rolls of film through the camera. Remember, there are only four exposures per roll of 120 film, so this hit rate may not be too bad. I shot one roll of Portra 160, another of Portra 400.

 

These first three were shot at Great Falls National Park in Virginia.

 

 

 

This next one came from the new Metro station in Reston, Virginia. It's my favorite of the bunch. There were actually some people walking through as I shot this one; they didn't show up because they were only there for a small fraction of the time the shutter was open.

 

 

So, I'm pretty pleased with this camera overall. That said, I need to use my head to find the right applications for it, and learn to use it just right. And that's not cheap. At four exposures per roll, plus the fact that my favorite film processor, thedarkroom.com, charges $10 extra per roll for panoramic format (!), I figure these cost well over $6 per exposure. That leads me to the conclusion that I'll start shooting black and white film in it for a while, and develop the images myself. That will bring it back to the "reasonable" level of about $1.50 per shot or so. That's less than a Polaroid image.

 

So, wish me luck! More to come.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

My New 6x17 Panoramic Camera Arrives

I wrote in the past about the "Reality So Subtle" medium format panoramic pinhole camera. (Click Here) to read about the camera.

 

I decided that it would be my 50th birthday present, and ordered one. It arrived a couple of weeks later, just before Christmas. I was pretty concerned when I saw this collapsed, wet package show up:

 

Opening the package, I did find that the enclosed user guide and exposure guideline documentation were ruined by the wetness. However, the camera was very well-wrapped in another layer of bubble wrap inside. It came through just fine.

 

I contacted James Guerin, the maker, to let him know it had arrived. James was concerned about the package, and said that he'll likely pack differently in the future. But, as I said, my camera's just fine. James will also send me the documentation again, electronically this time. If you're interested in this camera, you can check out James' website at aupremierplan.fr to learn more.

 

I've already put two rolls of 120 film through the camera. At only four images per roll, that was pretty easy to do. I will send them off to The Darkroom (thedarkroom.com) in the next few days. I can't wait to see what those enormous negatives will look like. You'll see them soon after I do!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com