If you used to shoot film and made the switch to digital at some point, chances are you still have leftover film lying about. I had half a fridge door full of all kinds of film, some expired, some on the verge, and decided I needed to do something fun with it.
April 26 is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, so I thought we'd talk about pinhole cameras in this article.
Pinhole photography is nothing new - the basic optical principles are mentioned in 5th century BC texts from China, and the first documented photos taken with a pinhole camera are from the mid-1800s. You can make a pinhole camera from just about anything, and people do, but in most cases, you have to load and unload the film in total darkness, which can be tricky. If you do want to give pinhole photography a try, but prefer not to hide in a closet to put the film in, check out these cameras:
Pinhole Blender Pinhole Blender makes cameras from what looks like cookie and tea tins with knobs on top (for turning the film). They accept 35mm, 120 and 4x5 film (the 4x5 has to be loaded in the dark though), and are really very affordable, ranging in price from $20 to $80. Best of all, they come with instructions and exposure suggestions. You can obviously get as creative as you want with that, but it's nice to have a starting point at least.
Holga Pinhole Cameras The Holga cameras, which originated in Hong Kong in 1982 and immediately became hugely popular with photographers worldwide, come in many different configurations - small and medium format pinhole among them. Both have one shutter speed (B), standard cable release and tripod threads and a pinhole opening instead of a lens. The 35mm camera has an aperture of f/175, while the medium format's is f/192. A package including either camera, 10 rolls of film and cable release (highly recommended) is $100.
The Hexomniscope If you get hooked on pinhole photography and want to give something truly unique a try, check out the pinhole camera from Pinhole Resource. The Hexomniscope is a round, medium format (120 film) camera with 6 pinholes (f/180) and 6 shutters around its body, so if you choose to expose through all of them, you get 6 overlapping 60 degree images. It comes with a CD with instructions, and costs $1,590.
Digital Pinhole If you have a digital SLR, there is a really easy way to turn it into a pinhole camera: get an extra body cap (around $3), drill a small hole in it, and use it as your "lens".
And what about Worldwide Pinhole Day? Well, it's an international event held on the last Sunday of April every year in honor of pinhole photography. People all over the world take pinhole photos of anything and everything and post them, good or bad, online. It's not a contest, there are no prizes, but each year, a number of photos are chosen and included in an exhibit.
April 26 is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, so I thought we'd talk about pinhole cameras in this article.
Pinhole photography is nothing new - the basic optical principles are mentioned in 5th century BC texts from China, and the first documented photos taken with a pinhole camera are from the mid-1800s. You can make a pinhole camera from just about anything, and people do, but in most cases, you have to load and unload the film in total darkness, which can be tricky. If you do want to give pinhole photography a try, but prefer not to hide in a closet to put the film in, check out these cameras:
Pinhole Blender Pinhole Blender makes cameras from what looks like cookie and tea tins with knobs on top (for turning the film). They accept 35mm, 120 and 4x5 film (the 4x5 has to be loaded in the dark though), and are really very affordable, ranging in price from $20 to $80. Best of all, they come with instructions and exposure suggestions. You can obviously get as creative as you want with that, but it's nice to have a starting point at least.
Holga Pinhole Cameras The Holga cameras, which originated in Hong Kong in 1982 and immediately became hugely popular with photographers worldwide, come in many different configurations - small and medium format pinhole among them. Both have one shutter speed (B), standard cable release and tripod threads and a pinhole opening instead of a lens. The 35mm camera has an aperture of f/175, while the medium format's is f/192. A package including either camera, 10 rolls of film and cable release (highly recommended) is $100.
The Hexomniscope If you get hooked on pinhole photography and want to give something truly unique a try, check out the pinhole camera from Pinhole Resource. The Hexomniscope is a round, medium format (120 film) camera with 6 pinholes (f/180) and 6 shutters around its body, so if you choose to expose through all of them, you get 6 overlapping 60 degree images. It comes with a CD with instructions, and costs $1,590.
Digital Pinhole If you have a digital SLR, there is a really easy way to turn it into a pinhole camera: get an extra body cap (around $3), drill a small hole in it, and use it as your "lens".
And what about Worldwide Pinhole Day? Well, it's an international event held on the last Sunday of April every year in honor of pinhole photography. People all over the world take pinhole photos of anything and everything and post them, good or bad, online. It's not a contest, there are no prizes, but each year, a number of photos are chosen and included in an exhibit.
About the Author:
DeeDee Dobson adores the color pink. On her blog, she writes about stylish pink digital cameras and how to take creative pictures
No comments:
Post a Comment