My Sunday Project

[skeletron]

I got bored today and have always wanted to put together a pinhole camera. I had nearly all the materials I needed so why not?

Then I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get an exposure, completely underestimating how much time it would need. Wound up taking 15 minutes for this:

I like it, so far. I'm already thinking of ways to improve it.

 

[sojournerphoto]

Did you use film or paper? It looks good.

Mike

 

[skeletron]

I used paper.

And thanks.

 

[calexg]

Hey, looks great! What size paper did you use?

Pinholes are so cool!

 

[JoeV]

That's a very cool picture, nice work. I've been a dedicated paper negative shooter for years. I like the results your wide angle camera yields, with darkening in the corners and square format.

You're probably using multigrade paper; I've found that graded paper (like grade 2) gives more control over contrast in daylight exposures, since the blue/UV light isn't activating the high contrast part of the emulsion like in MG paper. I've been using Freestyle's Arista brand grade 2 RC paper for negatives, and it works nicely. They also make good contact prints, and scan well, too.

Hope to see more shots soon. FYI I rate grade 2 RC paper at an Exposure Index of around 3. Typical exposure times in bright direct summer sun being 30-45 seconds. I find the paper is pretty linear, with little reciprocity failure. For instance if the light intensity drops a full stop, I simply double my normal exposure time and the exposure comes in nicely.

~Joe

 

[skeletron]

The paper is 8x10". A lot of the it ends up being wasted, so I think I'll go smaller on the next one. That should also make it a bit more stable since it was catching a lot of wind. I had to stabilize the shot above by laying a brick on each of the arms sticking off the back of the camera.

 

[skeletron]

That's a very cool picture, nice work. I've been a dedicated paper negative shooter for years. I like the results your wide angle camera yields, with darkening in the corners and square format.

You're probably using multigrade paper; I've found that graded paper (like grade 2) gives more control over contrast in daylight exposures, since the blue/UV light isn't activating the high contrast part of the emulsion like in MG paper. I've been using Freestyle's Arista brand grade 2 RC paper for negatives, and it works nicely. They also make good contact prints, and scan well, too.

Hope to see more shots soon. FYI I rate grade 2 RC paper at an Exposure Index of around 3. Typical exposure times in bright direct summer sun being 30-45 seconds. I find the paper is pretty linear, with little reciprocity failure. For instance if the light intensity drops a full stop, I simply double my normal exposure time and the exposure comes in nicely.

~Joe

Yeah, I figured something was up when I was going way beyond the exposure times I saw being referenced. Thanks for the tip on the paper. Despite some dabbling, I'm still very new to the darkroom, so that would have been overlooked for a while without your suggestion.

 

[chachi]

great shot and good timing, a friend and i did pinholes friday afternoon. these are with an altoids tin camera onto paper and inverted in photoshop.

 

[skeletron]

Hah, looks good chachi. I guess it was a good weekend for playing with pinholes. I like the Altoids tins idea, too. I might have to steal that one.

 

[nikon_sam]

I haven't done any pinhole but did use multigrade rc paper in an old folder to check out the focusing...I figured it to be around 6 ASA...I like the results of the prints/negs...
Pinhole looks like a bunch of fun...neat cameras you guys...

 

[rbiemer]

chachi, have you thought about turning that into a big pinhole camera? Black out the windows, put a pinhole (though at the size of a microbus, it'd take a pretty big pin!) in the black out material on one window and tape/attach some big paper on the opposite side. You could even set up to process inside while you drive--self agitating trays!
Rob

 

[neelin]

This is great. Now I know why I've been keeping this pair of 4x5 film holders around. I was thinking of picking up some film for a home-made pinhole, but 8x10 paper cut & put into film holders seems like a better idea.

Thanks! Robert

 

[JeremyLangford]

great shot and good timing, a friend and i did pinholes friday afternoon. these are with an altoids tin camera onto paper and inverted in photoshop.

Wow! I love these altoid can results. Did you do something like this?

 

[Merkin]

chachi, have you thought about turning that into a big pinhole camera? Black out the windows, put a pinhole (though at the size of a microbus, it'd take a pretty big pin!) in the black out material on one window and tape/attach some big paper on the opposite side. You could even set up to process inside while you drive--self agitating trays!
Rob

This makes me wish I still had my '59 panel bus. I would definitely turn it in to a mobile camera obscura.