Tag Archives: holga

June Recap

June 2016 was a great month here at ƒ/D. We spent the month mostly on educational topics, and I expect that July will be more focused on the artists. Here’s a look back on what was covered, in case you missed anything:

 

Pinhole No.1 - Christian Schaus - thumbWe added a healthy bunch to our collection of favorite inspiring pinhole photos. I’m happy to say that the quality of pinhole photos being produced today is, on the whole, elevating quite a bit. I’m inspired every day by your creativity!


IMG_0739We revisited the topic of smartphone apps for pinhole photography, noting some new features and a new player in the market.

 


Sagrada Familia - thumbWe interviewed the magnificent Jana Obscura and learned about her unique perspectives in pinhole and pinhole community.

 


IMG_0664-thumbWe covered the conversion of a Holga camera into a pinhole camera, demonstrating some of the techniques that are useful for other camera conversions as well.

 


f/D - Exploring the art of pinhole photographyFinally, we answered some of the most common questions that new pinholers have about the artform, to help the uninitiated get started.

 


Thanks for sticking with us! Look forward to great things coming in June and beyond!

 

 

Inspiration – Week of 6/27

This week’s inspiration set is crowded with solitude. Whether a peaceful mountain lake, a respite in blue, a hangout spot, or a summer wind in the park – pinhole delivers! After enjoying these, if you need more, head over to our archive of previous inspiration pieces.

Passage
[singlepic id=374 w=600]Passage, ©Daniel Rock 2016[/singlepic]

Daniel Rock captured this stunning scene of Lake Louise with his favorite pinhole camera, the Holga WPC 120. He had it loaded with Fuji Acros, which he prefers for its acutance and exceptional reciprocity characteristics. He pursues images like this because they “reveal the hidden layer that await in every photographic opportunity. Although Lake Louise has been shot by thousands, few get past the surface.” He certainly achieved his goal on this shot, and you can find more of Daniel’s work on his Flickr page.

 

All space manifests full of blue light
[singlepic id=373 w=600]All space manifests full of blue light, ©Nils Karlson 2016[/singlepic]

Nils Karlson created this minimalist image with his RealitySoSubtle 4×5 loaded with expired Fuji160NPS, which happened to go through some botched chemistry. The title comes from the Tibetan Book of the Dead – appropriate for the contemplative mood of this image. Keep an eye on Nils as he’s going to be publishing some great work in the future. You can follow him on Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

Windy Locust
[singlepic id=375 w=600]Windy Locust, ©Kier Selinsky 2016[/singlepic]

I shot this photo with the Pinholga conversion that I documented previously. The camera is equipped with a RealitySoSubtle 0.3mm pinhole and I had a red filter on for this exposure. It was a very windy day and the young Black Locust tree was whipping around. I used the multi-lapse technique to bring a little stutter to the feeling and I really enjoy the frenetic feel of the result. You can connect with me on Instagram or on Flickr (my Flickr account is woefully out of date, hopefully I’ll have that updated soon!).

OHSU
[singlepic id=376 w=600]OHSU, ©Emre Vildirim 2016[/singlepic]

Emre Yildirim is based in Portland, OR and is a very accomplished photographer. He captured this geometric scene with TMAX 400. Skinny on commentary, but heavy on great imagery, I suggest you check out his Flickr profile to see what I mean.

 

 

Build a Pinholga!

For those of us not endowed with fine builder skills, converting an existing camera into a pinhole camera is one of the surest ways to get yourself a reliable rig for shooting pinhole. In addition to taking care of the camera housing for you, a camera conversion can add other advantages such as reliable film transport, a viewfinder, and built-in tripod adaptor. In this article, I’ll cover how to convert a Holga camera into a pinhole camera.

Holga made a couple different pinhole variants of their popular camera, so why would I convert a lens-based one into a pinhole version? I had several of them sitting around, and I didn’t care for the particular vignetting on this one, so I decided to rip it apart and document the process for you. Some of what I’m going to cover here can be applied to any camera conversion.

[singlepic id=365 w=200 float=left][/singlepic]Start by removing the two screws – one above the square and one below – and the entire front of the camera will come off. That’s all it takes to remove the lens and shutter housing on the Holga! With other cameras it’s not as common to be able to remove the whole housing with just a couple screws. Evaluate the camera construction to see how to remove the lens.

 

 

[singlepic id=362 w=200 float=left][/singlepic]With the lens and shutter housing removed, you have access to the most important part of this build on the Pinholga. For other camera types, this is where your most important decisions come into play. Will you use the lens housing at all? If so, you need to figure out how to remove the glass. Will you ditch the lens housing and just use the shutter? Then you’ll need to mount the pinhole with room for shutter action. Or you can ditch the whole lens and shutter housing and mount the pinhole straight to the camera body. But doing that will mean you have to figure out an alternate shutter – not difficult, but a consideration all the same.

 

 

 

[singlepic id=363 w=100 float=left][/singlepic]For the Pinholga, I’ll be ditching the lens, but keeping the shutter mechanism. To get rid of the Holga lens, it’s as easy as unscrewing it enough that it pops off. You’ll unscrew it (focus towards infinity) till you feel it stop – then turn it some more. With the lens out of the picture, you can reassemble just the shutter and housing and mount it back to the camera. You’ll find that the aperture gives plenty of room for the pinhole.

 

 

 

[singlepic id=366 w=200 float=left][/singlepic]On the Holga, the lens focus was stopped by a peg, basically to keep you from unscrewing the lens every time you focus on infinity. But it’s not conducive to pinhole – it’ll be in your field of view, and it’s a light leak. My solution: chop it off with the Dremel tool. But you can use anything that can slice through plastic. Just get rid of it.

 

 

 

[singlepic id=364 w=200 float=left][/singlepic]For the pinhole, I had a couple options. One option was to use some laser drilled pinholes I had from eBay. Another option was a pinhole ordered from RealitySoSubtle. I decided to go with the RealitySoSubtle pinhole largely because it comes premounted on a disk that makes it much easier to mount nice and flat. If you’re working on a different camera conversion, consider what will mount easiest and how you’ll secure it nice and flat – the photo quality will turn out much higher with a flat pinhole.

 

 

[singlepic id=367 w=200 float=left][/singlepic]Gaffer’s tape – I could write poetry about gaffer’s tape. If you don’t have any, buy a lot. You’ll use it for years. It’s great because it doesn’t leave residue, but is strong as duct tape. Here you can see that’s what I’ve used to secure the pinhole.

 

 

 

 

 

[singlepic id=368 w=200 float=left][/singlepic]Once your pinhole is on there, you’re basically done. But if you’re looking for extras – you can buy a gross of bullseye levels on the cheap from eBay, and it can be perfectly secured with a healthy dollop of epoxy. One addition that I consider a must-have for the Pinholga – if you keep the shutter in tact – is to use the cable release adaptor.

Finally, a bonus feature of the Pinholga: a 46mm filter will screw right into the plastic adaptor that the (now discarded) lens used to attach to. Hello B&W filters!

That’s it – the relatively simple Pinholga build! Once you have the materials assembled, I’ll bet you can get it done in under an hour. Happy pinholing!

 

 

 

 

Inspiration Week of 5/2

This week’s set of inspiration bring depth and motion to the forefront. Whereas other photographers are often shying away from motion or seeking to freeze it, the pinhole photographer embraces it. Whether it’s a whisper of motion along a long pier, or the overwhelming tide of the beach, pinhole has a unique grasp on the sense of drama it brings.

After enjoying this set of inspiring photos, have a look at the numerous sets of inspiring photos from past weeks!

 

Pacifica Pier No 2
[singlepic id=320 w=600]Pacifica Pier No 2, ©Adam Weiss 2016[/singlepic]

Adam Weiss is a San Fransisco based photographer who captured this scene with his modified Agfa Clack on Fuji Acros 100. The Clack is about a 75mm focal length and ƒ/250 – they are very handsome old cameras that are well suited to a pinhole adaptation. Sometimes in order to make great photos we have to make great sacrifices, and in this instance Adam was hit by seagull crap shortly after taking the photo 🙂  You can see more of Adam’s photos on his Flickr page. In addition, he posts a new photo every morning on Instagram at @aweiss.sf. Adam added that: “I’m a regular visitor to ƒ/D–as a newcomer to pinhole photography, the site proved a valuable resource for information and inspiration. I’m very happy to see new content in recent days.”

 

Fair of the East
[singlepic id=318 w=600]Fair of the East, ©Emiliano Grusovin 2016[/singlepic]

Emiliano Grusovin is an Italian based pinhole artist, and he produced this shot with his Holga 120 Wide Pinhole Camera on Ilford FP4 Plus. The scene is of a fair in the eastern portion of his city of Gorizia at twiligh, which required an exposure of about 30 seconds. You can catch more of Emiliano’s great work on his Flickr page.

 

High Tide
[singlepic id=319 w=600]High Tide, ©Donald Tainsh 2016[/singlepic]

Donald Tainsh captured this stirring seascape using a camera he constructed from mountboard to hold 1/4 of a 5×4 sheet of Harman direct positive paper. He’s made eight of these cameras for a project that he’s producing, photographing the little harbors along the coastline of the Fifth of Fourth estuary on the East coast of Scotland. He’s titling the project “Little Harbours”, and this particular shot is capturing patterns and unseen shapes at the pier at North Berwick Harbour as the sea washes over at high tide.

Donald has been a pinholer for years and uses a variety of homemade cameras, bodycap/lensboard pinholes, and a Harman Titan. He finds himself drawn to pinhole’s unique way of portraying a motion picture through the passage of exposure time. Or as he describes, “In pinhole we record a continuum of moments as they pass into memory.” You can find more of his work at his Flickr page

 

Bronze Statue
[singlepic id=317 w=600]Bronze Statue, ©Shikiko Endo 2016[/singlepic]

Shikiko Endo is a Japanese photographer who made this dramatic capture using her pinhole converted Holga camera loaded with Fuji Velvia. The statue pictured is a famous Japanese comedian named Tora-San, and the statue is in Shibamata, a famous location for his movies. The status and the area are famous with his fans who make regular visits. You can find more of Shikiko’s work on her Flickr page and on her blog.

 

Get Inspired – The Old Schoolhouse

Today’s featured photo is wonderful in its simplicity.

The Old Schoolhouse
[singlepic id=199 w=600]The Old Schoolhouse, Holga 120 PC, ©Robert Crutcher 2015[/singlepic]

Robert Crutcher captured this quiet piece of serenity with a Holga 120 PC while in Blackhead Newfoundland, near St John’s. The simple scene, with warm sun and shadow, seems to perfectly fit the one room schoolhouse, and recall a day when it served the small community’s children.

More of Robert’s work can be found on Flickr.

 

Get Inspired – ~/\

Today our featured pinhole gets us lost in island grasses.

~/\
[singlepic id=185 w=600]~/\, Holga WPC, Fomapan 100, ©Vernon Trent 2015[/singlepic]

Vernon Trent created this moody image of a hill of island grasses on Sylt Island, Germany. His capture of the path through the grasses leads us into a misty setting – the perfect place to hold off the work week just a little longer this Monday.

More of Vernon’s work can be found on Flickr, Tumblr, and his personal website.

 

A Survey of Cameras

By this point we may have inspired you to dream of making your own wonderful pinhole photos and explore how this technique might help all of your photographic endeavors. One of the first decisions to make is exactly how you might go about doing that. Never fear! While in olden times some of us had to scratch and scrape together a hodgepodge of a camera, nowadays there are very high quality cameras available for very reasonable prices. Continue reading A Survey of Cameras