bj_bignell

Stacy,

 

Your best bet is to use the time indicated on the package, at least until you've got a handle on the camera and film behaviours.

 

Start counting when the picture has been completely pulled out. Make sure to pull out in a quick, steady motion, but don't yank it.

 

Best of luck, hope to see more!

 

BJ

Thanks for the tips about the plain water, guys. The data sheet for Type 85 recommends the sodium sulfite solution to help prevent swelling of the emulsion when clearing. I have some, I just forgot it that time.

 

The tritone is mostly blue, with a very very subtle brown in the deep shadows. You can see the brown in #5, at the base of the pyramid. I think I'll adjust it for future use: more brown, softer with the blue.

 

Mike: you need to learn to embrace the empty space! After another roll or two, you'll begin to 'see' the focal length of your pinhole camera, and it'll all fall into place. I've put 8-10 packs (80-100 shots) through this one, and it probably took 4 packs before I had it figured out. One easy trick to use the empty space more effectively is to change your vantage point: pinholes have such great depth of field, you can put it right on the ground (as in #1) and everything is equally sharp (or fuzzy). And yes, sometimes you do have to be right on top of your subject to make it work!

 

Larry: I say get your knife out, and start cutting! Give that camera a new life.

Mike,

 

The camera isn't a Holga, but a modified Polaroid Square Shooter II from the 70s. It uses 80 series pack films. Details about the camera here: http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/landdcam-pack.htm#CPII

 

The exposure system on this camera was "automatic"; two AA batteries were installed behind the shutter and lens, inside the body. I hacked the entire front off (shutter, lens, battery holder), and then built a cardboard "mount" for the pinhole plate. For a pinhole plate, I used the soft metal from the bottom of an Ikea tea light. Lots of black electrical tape was also employed; no animals were seriously injured in the making of this camera! ;-)

 

The pinhole-to-film distance is 60-65mm (I forget exactly), which on this film format provides a fairly wide angle of view. One of the local shops still carries a few packs of Type 88, ISO 80 colour positive film, but long exposures shift towards cyan which was pretty ugly. I purchased the Type 85 from the Polaroid online store, I think it was $65 (Canadian dollars) plus shipping for five packs (50 exposures, total). It was on back order for about 8 weeks before it finally showed up, though. The pictures I've presented here are from the positives only; I forgot the clearing solution for the negatives on this trip.

 

In mixed bright daylight and shade, exposures are around 8s. I haven't used it enough to know for sure what full-on daylight requires; probably around 5s. Indoor exposures with tungsten lighting run a minimum of 40m, to a couple of hours.

 

As far as my preferred theme, it's anything I see when I take the time to get out and shoot! I like buildings, though. They're often interesting, and they're easy to shoot; I don't get shy around them like I do around people. I have two and a half packs of film left, and I need to use them up soon... I'll try to get out and shoot something more exciting!

 

BJ

And in case you're wondering, the pyramids are the Muttart Conservatory: http://www.edmonton.ca/muttart

Mike, thanks for the comments. Type 85 is an ISO 80 film, so it's sure not fast! These pictures were all taken sitting on the ground or a ledge of some sort, often propped up by my Palm computer, a filter case, or some other junk from my backpack to get the angle just right.

 

Exposures were 30s, and ~70s with the red filter. Later in the evening, unfiltered exposures were running up to 60s. The shot close to the ground (Pyramids #1) was 90s, and was probably filtered for only half of the exposure. The filter, by the way, was simply stood up against the front of the camera.

 

The instant feedback is great, and fun. Peeling off the backing and seeing the image is really gratifying.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions, I'd be glad to answer them.

 

BJ

Also, please let me know what you think of the tritone I applied in Photoshop... I'm partial to the blue tone myself, but is it too much? Thanks!

I've finally gotten around to scanning some pinholaroid Type 85

positives from a trip to the pyramids in June. You can see them in my

folder <a

href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=512453">"Pinhole

at the Pyramids"</a>. Sorry for any dust and marks, but that's the

result of doing Type 85 out in the wild; the print coater is too sticky!

<br><br><center>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/3552835-lg.jpg"><br>

<i>Not the pyramids you were expecting, eh?</i>

</center>

The second and third are really spectacular, Mike. Well done!

Frank, I heard that once there was once an Argus that was sent around (some time ago, I don't have any more details). Right now, over at www.rangefinderforum.com we're sending a Canonet around the world. It hasn't made that many stops yet, but it's going...

 

Fun projects, I agree.

Sandeha, that's very nice. Any chance you could post a full-resolution crop, just to make me a little more jealous? :-)

 

Mike, if you're having trouble with duotones, you might want to try using the Sample Colorize feature in GIMP (free under the GPL, http://www.gimp.org, Windows distro available at http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html). I use GIMP, although I haven't used this feature yet, but it looks like a very nice way to do things. Essentially, you create a gradient bitmap (easy to do) that contains all of your tones, and then just apply it to a grayscale image.

 

The user manual on the site describes how to do it, but for good practical examples, try this site: http://www.gimpguru.org/Tutorials/SampleToning/

 

BJ

I won't comment on my personal opinion of the selective desaturation, but I will mention what I perceive to be a serious technical flaw: You have left a small amount of colour in both faces, and on the bride's left shoulder. This needs to be cleaned up; it makes the groom look alcoholic.

 

Otherwise, it's a fine picture. Regardless of how you colour it, I'm sure your clients will be pleased.

Am I the only person who noticed that this guy's email is "leicaphotogod"? Could we be more full of ourself? Jeez...

http://www.alternativephotography.com/process.html

Well, Anand, it may be different for you, but I would like more low-light capabilities using 400 film, and 25 doesn't cut it when your max aperture is 3.5 or 4.5.

Personally, I'd pay attention to the shutter speeds: My Ventura 66 (some form of basic Isolette w/o RF) has only B, 25, 50, and 200. I find this too limiting, especially on the slow end; I'd kill for 4, 8, and 15 speeds, and a 400 or 500 high speed would be very nice.

I roam the streets and backalleys, often without purpose... If there's a special event, I try to go, because it's usually easy to find something interesting happening.<br><br>

 

I like the idea stated earlier about leaning up against the wall, and taking happy snaps. I'm going to try that. Also, I found that using my TLR makes it much easier; I'm not sure why, though. Maybe it's the square format, maybe it's the fact that I'm looking down, not "at" the people, but I'm much more comfortable.<br><br>

 

And for those of you out there having trouble getting started, here's a handly little guide:

<a href="http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/shynessone.html">

pinkheadedbug

</a>

Andrew,

 

I'm accustomed to hearing "rice burners" and "rice rockets" being used in a derogatory tone more often than not, so I (wrongly) assumed that was your intent, hence my somewhat harsh response. One of the problems with communicating in plain text, I guess...

 

My apologies,

 

BJ

>>Andrew Robertson , jul 11, 2005; 04:00 p.m.<br>

>>That first picture is of 'Rice Burners' not motorcyclists.<br><br>

 

That's an inappropriate comment, and I'll bet that the large number of people who ride sport bikes will disagree with your sentiments. Grow up.

Nice picture; it'd be nice if we could get the metallic look to come across on a monitor.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the Legislature grounds in Edmonton, right? Who are you getting in town to do your custom printing?

That vignetting could be caused by the foam, but take a real close look at your pinhole, too. One of the first apertures on my camera was made from tinfoil, and was really irregular; it was as bad as the vignetting you're getting. I ripped it out and switched to a flattened thin sheet of soft alloy from around a tealight (<a href="http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=3&productId=26118&langId=-15&parentCats=10109*10242)">like these from Ikea</a>). It was a major improvement.<br><br>

Keep us up-to-date... I should really post a picture of my pinhole camera; it'd be the Beast to your Beauty!

Very nice construction, Mike. I'm surprised at the speed: one second in daylight at ISO 100? My pinhole camera is ~8s with ISO 80, which is much more manageable. On the other hand, in the evening when light is low, it gets a bit tedious waiting for 90s or more to get a shot!

If you're going to be in the field, you're going to get hit. Be prepared for this, and expect the odd accident. If you feel you're being purposefully targeted, then leave; make sure this is covered in the contract.

 

If you want to ensure that you don't get hit, you'll need to wear something very bright and reflective over your overalls (which they usually provide) to easily identify yourself to the players. Bring this yourself, as it's not guaranteed that the paintball park will have something you can use.

 

As for your gear, paintballs are wax balls with a water-soluble paint inside. These aren't very hard, and are unlikely to do any actual physical damage. Make sure your lenses have UV filters, and take a spare filter or two in case of breakage. Also, take your lens cleaning kit and cloths for cleaning up between matches. Don't worry about the body.

 

Expect dust and mud to get on or in your gear. If you get a paintball directly on a lens or body, you'll likely need them cleaned. If you aren't able to do this yourself, it'll cost money. This should also be covered in the contract.

 

Also, ask the organisers if - later in the day - you can participate in a match. You're likely to be a bit stressed out, being on the field in the line of fire. It'll help you unwind, and let you get back at anybody who "accidentally shot the photographer a few times". :)

 

Enjoy!

Here's the link to Claudia's camera: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00AuSO

Mike,

 

Forget "ideal" and build it. Give it a try, and if necessary try different pinhole sizes. If you can't get it right, buy a beat up folder and try again. You could even remove the bellows and door, and build a plate that mounts flush with the body for something super wide like the Zero 2000 (probably around 20-25mm). On 6x9, that'd be fun!

 

BJ

Sam, those look really good. I assume they're all scans from negatives? If so, did you try to expose any for a good positive? It'd be nice to see examples of both.