More pictures from the 5x7 camera

I was out at UBC last week and took some more shots with the new 5x7 camera. It's performing very well. This camera (without the filter) is now up for sale on ebay - click the link on the sidebar and you'll see the auction.

The pictures are of the new UBC life sciences centre, and of the replica statue of the "Godess of Democracy" - the icon created by the Tiannemen Square protesters in China before the tanks rolled in. Democracy is a gift...

90 sec exposure on Ilford MG IV paper, internal yellow filter. A nice demonstration of the sharpness of the homemade 0.50mm pinhole.

as above, but 3 minute exposure + slight levels nudge in PS

New camera and more from Milner

My table saw is now finally set up and running. While I have used it for construction purposes already (I'm rennovating our deck right now) my first "project" using the saw was a new plywood camera for 5x7 film holders. I wanted to start using paper negatives (cheaper!) and 5x7 is a nice large size. It's also very convenient to use 5x7 paper - all that is required is to trim off about 2mm from one length and it'll slip right into the holder. Easy!

There are some very dedicated and excellent paper shooters on f295 - people like bino, JoeVanCleave and Steve Irvine (who makes pottery cameras!). I've been inspired by them to try this out.

The other advantage to paper negs (besides cost - where can you get 5x7 sheet film for 20 cents a shot??) is that you can develop by inspection under red light. One downside is that Multigrade paper (which most people use) comes out very contrasty when exposed with a pinhole - basically only black or white, with nary a grey to be seen. I had an idea to try circumvent this drawback, though: using a yellow filter to restrict the contrast. The low contrast Multigrade filters are yellow, so I thought a yellow camera (lens) filter might work too.

The new 5x7 cam: specs are as follows: 150mm FL, 0.50mm pinhole (f300), internal yellow filter over pinhole, threaded 1/4-20 tripod mount (landscape mode), wooden shutter with black paper wrap (old 120 backing paper). Exposures for paper are L O N G - so I felt no need for a cable release shutter.

The back is a simple "open box" design for now, but I will likely add a frame around the rim for the holder later. The rim is lined with black foam weatherstripping to create a light seal with the holder. The inside of the camera is lined with more 120 backing paper - future cameras will simply be painted flat black, but I wanted to recycle the paper...

The film back is held snugly in place with large elastic bands cut as cross sections from a motorcycle innertube.

A handy trick is to use a darkslide tucked under one of the bands as a "lens" shade before opening the shutter to make an exposure.

I've used this cam in my ongoing Milner project (see the previous post). The results are very encouraging, and the yellow filter seems to have done the trick! You can click on the pictures to see a larger version (recommended!).

Here's the farm feed store that the grain elevators from the first Milner post supply. Exposure was ~3 min in bright sun.

I wanted to try some double exposures - here's basically the same image but with a double exposure of the main street overlaid on it. Exposures were about 1.5 minutes each.

Here's another double take of the now derelict Harrington Grocery in Milner. Exposures were also around 1.5 min each.

There's still lots to shoot here, so there will be more to come in future posts!

A photo from Iowa

I recieved an email and photo from another (repeat) customer, Harry W in Iowa. Harry writes:

I bought two pinholes from you. the first a 75mm focal length gave this photo with the pinhole mounted in an Agfa Speedex in the lens mounting ring....I removed the lens elements and cut the pinhole to fit. I have been displaying images from it at the camera shop where I work. The customers like the quality in an 11x14 print size. I am working on building a panoramic film back 6x12 to fit the 50mm pinhole I got last. Thanks for a really smooth pinhole - it's as sharp as the original agfa apo lens.

Thanks for the great photo and the note, Harry. I'll look forward to seeing how your 6x12 cam works out!

DC-3

The local airport has an airplane museum next to it, and this DC-3 is the pride of the collection. This particular craft, the Spirit of the Skeena, even serviced (and was ultimately abandoned in) my hometown of Terrace, BC. It has now been fully restored.

The day I shot these the clouds were drifting past in a light breeze, creating some interesting, if subtle sky patterns.

Homemade 4x5 camera, 60mm FL, 0.30 mm pinhole on Ilford Delta 100 ASA. Exposures unrecorded.

Click on the pictures to see a larger version.

New PayPal Buttons - buy direct

I've now posted PayPal buttons on the sidebar so you can purchase pinholes directly from me, instead of through Ebay. Since this saves me some fees, I've dropped the price a bit as well. You can still use Ebay if you want to, but now you have another option. The buttons are set up for single or multiple orders, and there is a place on the PayPal form to specify what size(s) you want.

I've also posted buttons for the body caps for Canon FD and Pentax K mounts with shipping to the USA/Canada or International for the the rest of the world.

As per usual, items will ship within 2 business days of payment.

Happy pinholing!

Milner, B.C.

Lately I've been working on a series of pinhole images of a small farming town that has been nearly swallowed up by the surrounding suburb. This little gem is called Milner, and I cycle though it to get to work out at TWU. This series will likely form the basis for my application for a gallery on f295, if and when I get enough images I like.

These were taken with a converted Foldex 20 (6x9 cm, ~90mm FL, 0.38mm pinhole). There is a farm feed store ("Hometown Hay & Feed") in Milner that services the local farms with grain feed. These shots are of the grain tranfer station/elevators that supply the store. The elevators are supplied by rail cars that use a short spur off of the main line.




I'll post more Milner shots as the portfolio grows...

Aerial pinhole photography - another take on the Flying Pinhole!

Daniel G's work continues to amaze and surprise me. Daniel has long been into aerial photography using RC model planes (with small digital cameras controlled from the ground with servos). More recently, Daniel has taken up pinhole photography (some of his previous projects have been posted here previously). All along I've secretly been hoping that Daniel would combine his two hobbies and make an aerial pinhole camera. Well, Daniel took me up on my offer of a free pinhole and used it to make exactly that. The results are astonishing!

Daniel writes:

Hello,
Here is my first aerial photo pinhole, with the 0,2mm pinhole (the free order).
It is a tram station in the campus of Bordeaux.
The film is HP5 and it was developped for iso1600.





Here is the rc model-plane : wingspan 1m, weight 250g. It is made from polystyrene.



The hand made pinhole camera on the plane



A close up of the shutter with the camera mounted in the plane



A view inside the camera with the film

You can follow Daniel's projects on his own blog here. Thanks Daniel! Amazing stuff! Keep it up!