Tag Archives: ondu

Inspiration week of 9/19

Forth-bridge
[singlepic id=487 w=600]Forth Bridge, ©Rudi Neumaier 2016[/singlepic]

Rudi Neumaier is a talented and prolific photographer that used his Reality So Subtle camera to make this photo of Forth Bridge, which is 9 miles west of Edinburgh City Centre. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s just over 125 years old. Rudi has a lot of work available online, between his Flickr site and his personal website – I highly recommend a look.[spacer height=”20px”]

Beach
[singlepic id=485 w=600]Beach, ©Fitt Tamás 2016[/singlepic]

We previously featured a photo from Fitt Tamás back in the week of 7/18. As before, he used his Natasha 612 to make the capture, but this time on Delta 100 film. The photo was taken at the Lake of Balaton, the largest lake in Hungary, as people walked in and out of the water. People’s unfamiliarity with pinhole cameras allowed him to photograph the scene without interrupting the people there. Tamás has some amazing work on his Flickr profile that is definitely worth looking at.[spacer height=”20px”]

Eighty Minutes Of The Night
[singlepic id=486 w=600]Eighty Minutes of the Night, ©Eric K.F. Li 2016[/singlepic]

Eric Li made this excellent capture over the course of 80 minutes, as the title suggests, using his Ondu 6×12 and TMAX 100. It’s a stunning example of what can be done with pinhole at night with a little patience. Coincidentally, Eric was also previously featured on the 7/18 weekly post! He’s an extremely talented photographer – with or without lens – and you should check out his Flickr profile to see what he’s been up to since we last featured him.[spacer height=”20px”]

Pinhole Pittsburgh 1
[singlepic id=488 w=600]Pinhole Pittsburgh 1, ©Dennis Salizzoni 2016[/singlepic]

Dennis Salizzoni made this moody image of the Roberto Clemente bridge in Pittsburgh, PA with his ZeroImage 6×9 loaded with Acros 100. Dennis has a very stylistic trend in his Flickr profile, with great lensed and lensless work to be seen.

[spacer height=”20px”]

Inspiration Week of 8/8

Summer is winding down but it has been a looong week here. Lots of meetings, and LOTS of great entries coming in for the Call for Entry (only a few days left!) – we’re looking forward to the weekend here at ƒ/D. Thankfully, some fresh pinhole inspiration to keep the spirits up![spacer height=”20px”]

Summer Eyes
[singlepic id=440 w=600]Summer Eyes Diptych, ©Victor Senkov 2016[/singlepic]

Viktor Senkov made this warm image with his converted Lubitel 2 pinhole camera and Kodak Portra 400. He is a very accomplished photographer and works in many forms of the medium. You can see more of his work on his Flickr profile.[spacer height=”20px”]

Pinhole Session with Ben
[singlepic id=438 w=600]Pinhole Session with Ben, ©Bernie Vander Wal 2016[/singlepic]

Bernie Vander Wal hails from BC, Canada who took up pinhole photography 5 years ago because of the way it related to the aesthetic of painting that he’s trained in. He builds his own cameras and mostly captures his local landscape, but has been branching out to portraiture. This photo is a collaboration with his grandson Ben, as he introduces the young man to the art form. You can find more of Bernie’s work on his Flickr page here.[spacer height=”20px”]

Restaurant
[singlepic id=439 w=600]Restaurant, ©Paul Jones 2016[/singlepic]

Paul Jones made this image outside the Lost Soul restaurant in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC. He’s got a solid body of good pinhole work on his Flickr profile, and I encourage you to check it out.[spacer height=”20px”]

Forest stream
[singlepic id=436 w=600]Forest Stream, ©Alexander Popov 2016[/singlepic]

Alexander Popov made this double exposure to create a wispy feel to the forest using his DIY 6×6 pinhole camera. Double exposures can be tricky, but it definitely worked for him. You can find more of his excellent work on his Flickr page. [spacer height=”20px”]

my favorite tree
[singlepic id=437 w=600]My Favorite Tree, ©Dieter Schneider 2016[/singlepic]

Dieter Schneider captured this moment of his favorite tree using an Ondu 4×5 camera. Dieter has developed a truly remarkable and consistent feel to his work and I encourage you to check it out on his Flickr page.

[spacer height=”20px”]

Inspiration Week of 7/18

Usually I start these weekly inspiration posts with some entertaining banter about the photos, but this week I have something more urgent. ƒ/D exists for two main reasons: to promote the art of pinhole photography and to promote those artists who – regardless of reputation or education – work with pinhole.

However, because of my persistent reaching out to photographers through other sites, I’m at risk of being shut out as a spammer. I need to throttle back on the unsolicited messages, and I need pinhole photographers to meet me halfway.

If you have work of your own or someone else’s that you’d like to be considered for sharing, I encourage you to do one of the following:

  • Like and message ƒ/D about your new work on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fslashd
  • Email ƒ/D about your new work at [email protected]
  • Tweet at ƒ/D about your new work @fslashd
  • Sign up for my email newsletter (right side of the page) – I haven’t sent these yet, but will be doing so soon

With your help, I can still send weekly updates of great pinhole photography!

Don’t forget our open Call for Entry!

Körök / Circles
[singlepic id=411 w=600]Körök Circles, ©Fitt Tamás 2016[/singlepic]

Fitt Tamás made this dramatic capture with his 6×12 medium format “Natasha” pinhole camera with Kodak Ektar 100 film. Fitt enjoys the super wide angle panoramic format because of the challenge it provides in finding that perfect location and scene. The long exposures and ritual process of pinhole give him the opportunity to observe more of his environment around him. You can find much more great work by Fitt at his flickr page.

 

Untitled
[singlepic id=414 w=600]Untitled, ©Michael Nelson 2016[/singlepic]

Michael Nelson has a very strong style to his work, which he applied with great results to this pinhole photograph. You can check out more of his work on his Flickr page.

 

祝 金沢開業
[singlepic id=409 w=600]祝 金沢開業, ©Takahiro Chiba 2016[/singlepic]

Takahiro Chiba used an Abelson Scope Works Omniscope to make this mind-bending capture of Kanazawa Station, Japan. The Omniscope has an anamorphic feature to it, that allows the light to come in at a 90º angle to the film plane, causing such radical distortion of the image. Anamorphic is also a favorite tool of ƒ/D interview subject, Jana Obscura. I invite you to check out more of Takahiro’s excellent work on Flickr.

 

My Ninety Seconds
[singlepic id=412 w=600]My Ninety Seconds, ©Eric Li 2016[/singlepic]

Eric Li made this image with an Ondu 6×12 and Kodak Ektar film, with a 90 second exposure over water. This was only his 3rd roll through a pinhole camera – look for great stuff to come from this guy. You can see more of his work on his Flickr page.

 

Pinhole Photo
[singlepic id=413 w=600]Pinhole Photo, ©Vanesa Henseleit 2016[/singlepic]

Vanesa Henseleit is from Santiago de Chile where she runs a group called Lucky Pinhole. Her group conducts workshops, projects, and respond to calls for entry where pinhole is appropriate. This is a great example of stutter stepping an image – difficult technique to get good results from, but when you do, they’re truly remarkable. You can find more of Vanessa’s work on her Flickr page.

DIY Paper Obscura Camera 6×12
[singlepic id=410 w=600]DIY Paper Obscura Camera 6×12, ©Jason Huang 2016[/singlepic]

Jason Huang made this still life image with a paper 6×12 pinhole camera. It’s an excellent example of the soft and luscious mood that pinhole can give to even simple subject. You can find more of Jason’s work on his Flickr page.

 

Remember to respond to our open Call for Entry! It’s free!

 

 

Inspiration Week of 6/20

For this week’s inspirational set, we bring 4 movements, all from Europe. Which is appropriate, I suppose, since the whole world is looking to Europe today due to the passage of the Brexit. No matter your political leanings on the issue, we think you’ll find these works inspiring. If you need more, as always, you can check out our recap galleries!

Pinhole No.1
[singlepic id=370 w=600]Pinhole No.1 ©Christian Schaus 2016[/singlepic]

Christian Schaus wielded his Zero Image 2000 loaded with Ilford Pan-F to make this image at Jervaulx Abbey Park, in Yorkshire Dales, England while on holiday in August last year. This trip was his first time using a pinhole camera, where he fell in love with the simplicity of it, and he hasn’t used any other format since! You can find more of his fantastic pinhole images on his Flickr page.

 

Stockholm Central Station
[singlepic id=371 w=600]Stockholm Central Station, ©Gunnar Eld 2016[/singlepic]

Gunnar Eld loaded his Ondu 6×6 with HP5+ for this scene of the Stockholm Central Station, and as a result of the 6 minute exposure, most of the people have vanished from the image, which “adds another dimension to images where only things more permanent stay visible. Perhaps a thought that applies to other things in life as well.” Indeed. You can find more of Gunnar’s work on his Flickr page.

 

Machina
[singlepic id=369 w=600]Machina,©Zoltan Adam Varga 2016[/singlepic]

Zoltan Adam Varga made this abstracted detail of a washing machine with his homemade 6×6 pinhole camera and Kodak Ektar 100. His camera is made of LEGOs, plastic sheets, a mouse pad, and aluminum beer can for the pinhole. Something to remember if you ever lament not having the shiniest and newest camera! You can find more of Zoltan’s remarkable pinhole photography on his Flickr page.

 

Untitled
[singlepic id=372 w=600]Untitled, ©Maciej Mucha 2016[/singlepic]

Maciej Mucha made this impressionistic capture in London with a homemade box camera loaded with Ilford IVMG paper. He held the camera for 25 seconds while making the exposure of skyscrapers. A creative boldness that has paid off very well in this case! You can find more of Maciej’s excellent pinhole work on his Flickr page and on his portfolio website.

 

 

ƒ/D Interviews Jana Obscura

Today we’re excited to bring you our interview with Jana Uyeda, AKA Jana Obscura. You can’t get very far in the pinhole world without crossing her path in one way or another. She is a vocal proponent of the pinhole format on social media as well as on the podcast she co-hosts, The Pinhole Podcast (archives, Twitter). Read on to learn about her vision in pinhole, how she built community around pinhole, and get introduced to anamorphic pinhole. Afterwards, be sure to check out her website, Instagram, and her Flickr page for additional pinhole and other photographic goodness.

How did you first come upon the world of pinhole photography? What convinced you to stay?
I learned about pinhole photography through Jeff Soderquist who purchased a Zero Image 2000 at Blue Moon Camera in Portland. There were also a number of pinhole groups sharing images on Flickr and I was inspired by the wide angles, the distortions and the unique character of pinhole photography. At the time I was experimenting with film and plastic cameras but when I saw the possibilities of pinhole, I got hooked.

You often accentuate perspective in your pinhole photos. Is this intentional for your pinhole work? Or subconscious?
I would say it’s due to necessity, or maybe it’s a necessity due to my laziness. I rarely carry a tripod with me, in fact it’s one of the reasons I enjoy pinhole photography. The cameras are smaller, light weight and I don’t need a lot of gear to shoot. I also don’t carry light meters or paper or notebooks either, I just bring my camera, film and a mini tripod. This means I spend a lot of time shooting from the floor looking up or using flat surfaces as a makeshift tripod. It is also my experience that many places don’t allow tripods, so my use of floors and handrails means I’m capturing extreme perspectives.

[singlepic id=356 w=600]Sagrada Familia, ©Jana Uyeda 2016[/singlepic]

 

What other aspects of pinhole do you find yourself trying to exploit?
My first experiments focused on stillness and movement. Since pinhole is a longer exposure, I was looking to frame motion within a motionless environment. A passenger standing against the rails on my water taxi commute, plates on a lazy susan at a dim sum restaurant, shopping carts at Costco and flags waving in the wind. It was challenging because I had to be very aware of the exposure time and my subject. If the exposure time was too long, the subject in motion would ghost out of the image entirely.

[singlepic id=352 w=600]Dim Sum, ©Jana Uyeda 2016[/singlepic]

 

Subjects ghosting out are exactly why I started experimenting with what I called multi-lapsing – multiple exposures timed when people were in almost the same place to build up one exposure. Which reminds me, I need to do more of. What do you feel the challenges of pinhole add to your creative thought pattern? Do you find anything you’ve learned in pinhole changing how you shoot in other formats?
I think the challenges of pinhole make me more adventurous. I know there are elements I cannot control and I cannot always anticipate how much the final image will capture, even if I know the angle of view for my camera. There were a few months when I experimented with infrared 4×5 pinhole which I thought would be insane and it turns out, it was insane – in a good way! To your other question about pinhole changing how I shoot other formats, I can genuinely say I’ve become a dedicated medium format shooter since I started with pinhole photography. When I shoot with my Rolleiflex I find myself using that lower angle to emphasize perspective, something you noticed from my pinhole work. I’m realizing that perhaps I’m more comfortable with the Rolleiflex because the TLR allows me to shoot from a lower angle. In my photography school I’d worked with 35mm almost exclusively, but since I started shooting pinhole I’ve made investments in developing and scanning equipment. I have a workflow based on 120 film now.

[singlepic id=357 w=600]4×5 IR, ©Jana Uyeda 2016[/singlepic]

 

As if pinhole photography isn’t obscure enough of a photographic form, you tend to work quite a bit in anamorphic pinhole. For the folks who are interested in anamorphic, what do you feel are the best subjects to start shooting anamorphic and learning the format?
Thanks for the reminder, I need to shoot more this summer. For those interested in anamorphic pinhole, I would recommend looking for straight, horizontal lines to learn about exposure, angle of view and how to work your camera. Anamorphic is a lot of fun but it takes a few rolls to understand how to position the camera and expose it correctly. Underexpose and your image will have dark bands with no shadow detail. Overexpose and the image will have blown out bands where the light hits the film plane. I have been most successful with BW film but there are so many talented photographers doing amazing work with C41. I started shooting fences and rows of books in the library which helped me “see” and then I tried shooting more deliberately for that anamorphic bend.

[singlepic id=354 w=600]Palm Trees, ©Jana Uyeda 2016 (anamorphic pinhole)[/singlepic]

 

[singlepic id=351 w=600]Chairs, ©Jana Uyeda 2016 (anamorphic pinhole)[/singlepic]

 

Is there any subject matter that you try to shoot with pinhole and just can’t seem to get the shot? Why not?
Sunlight and sunbeams. This isn’t a big deal since I live in Seattle, but when the sun comes out and I point my camera in that direction I get crazy light sprays across my image. There are pinhole photographers who do gorgeous work with sunlight and it creates this lovely rainbow of light on their image. I just can’t figure it out.

[singlepic id=353 w=600]IR Mess, ©Jana Uyeda 2016[/singlepic]

 

I hear ya – I lived in Seattle for a couple years and from November through June the sky in particular can be a real challenge. How does your creative process tend to flow? Are you looking for something in particular? Or do you come across something that seems interesting and try to find how to shoot it?
I look for interesting subjects that I can really get close to. Since pinhole has such a wide angle of view, I feel I lose too much detail when I shoot a broad landscape scene. When I shoot sunrise shots near the water I look for rocks or other items of interest that I can incorporate in the foreground. If I’m shooting a carousel or flags on a boat I look for something stationary and often I’ll place something deliberately in front of the camera. When I’m travelling I let people fill the space because the shape of their motion is perfect. Maybe a good challenge to myself is to shoot broad, sweeping landscapes and find a new way to make those pinholes more interesting to me. I saw some Hiroshi Sugimoto prints in person recently and I’m inspired to shoot simpler. I’m going to try that this summer.

[singlepic id=355 w=600]Pont del Petroli, ©Jana Uyeda 2016[/singlepic]

 

Besides your personal photography, you regularly contribute to a number of other publications, help run Pdexposures, and co-host the Pinhole Podcast. It sounds exhausting! What was the least expected benefit from doing all this?
The community. Connecting with like-minded photographers from across the globe is the most surprising and the greatest benefit. Beyond Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day there are postcard exchanges, meetup groups, gallery shows, DIY classes and art projects. Pinhole is not something I assume most people know about outside of their high school b&w photo class, but I feel there’s a growing trend towards embracing this form of photography. Social media plays a big part in bringing the community together, though I think most pinhole photographers also have stories about random interactions with a fellow pinholer in person. We’re weirdos and we’re out there and it’s awesome.

Do you have any recommendations for people who’d want to start up a pinhole club in their local area?
Yes, just do it! I met Todd Schlemmer through Twitter years ago and even though he lives in Seattle, I’d never met him until Twitter brought us together. He’s been building various 3D printed pinhole cameras and eventually started a meetup for local pinhole folk to connect. It’s been great. I get asked questions all the time when I’m waiting patiently for my exposures and I hope I’ve encouraged people to try pinhole. I usually end up chatting with a mix of film photographers, students, and creative builders then invite them to join us on our next stroll. Blue Moon Camera in Portland does a fantastic job of promoting pinhole photography as well which sustains a network of artists in the northwest. So my recommendations would be, use social media, connect and join photography meetups in your area.

[singlepic id=358 w=600]WPPD 2014, ©Jana Uyeda 2016[/singlepic]

 

 

Olle Pursiainen – Finland

Last year we were honored to bring you a sample of Olle Pursiainen’s work. He is a photographer who has a solid track record of producing dramatic imagery from his native Finland. As his Flickr and Lomography galleries show, he’s become very skilled at finding great images to collect in his own neighborhood. As we’ve seen before, Finland works very well in the pinhole format.  

Olle started his photographic journey while studying Statistics and Mathematics at University in the 1970’s. He learned to develop film and work a darkroom on his own, and continued analog until the early 2000’s. After a brief stint with digital, he went back to analog – preferring to stick with his roots. He’s often lugging several of his many many pinhole cameras – from small format to 4×5 – as well as point and shoots and SLR’s. I have the same problem – so long as there’s room in my pack, I’ll stuff it with another camera.

He is drawn to pinhole because of the “freedom to control everything and nothing.” Indeed, this is one of the largest attractions of pinhole, and has been mentioned by other photographers as well. In addition, Olle is drawn to the pinhole format by the “wide angles and warped perspectives,” which offer a degree of creative outlet unrivaled by any other photographic format.

After enjoying the scenes from Olle’s work below, you can find a lot more at his Flickr page and on his Lomography home.

 

Pack Ice
[singlepic id=329 w=600]Pack Ice, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

Brändö Sund
[singlepic id=325 w=600]Brändö Sund, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

Double Sun
[singlepic id=326 w=600]Double Sun, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

 

Sandö
[singlepic id=330 w=600]Sandö, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

Self Sufficiency
[singlepic id=331 w=600]Self Sufficiency, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

The Southern Customs
[singlepic id=333 w=600]The Southern Customs, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

Korsholm Church
[singlepic id=327 w=600]Korsholm Church, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

Observation Towers
[singlepic id=328 w=600]Observation Towers, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

 

Vaasa Mill
[singlepic id=334 w=600]Vaasa Mill, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

Silos
[singlepic id=332 w=600]Silos, ©Olle Pursiainen[/singlepic]

 

 

Inspiration Week of 4/18

This week’s set of inspiration photos explore spaces that we get to know well. These photos explore some great opportunities that lie within our daily lives. Whether still life or layered action, photographing the everyday just takes a bit of seeing.

Hall 3
[singlepic id=301 w=600]Hall 3, ©Dan Smith 2016[/singlepic]

Dan Smith captured this unique scene while on a trip to London that he planned for his birthday. Dan and his son explored the Barbican Centre and the surrounding estates, which he found to be a real architectural treat. They had half an hour or so to kill before they headed home, and the limited light allowed Dan only a couple exposures as each was about 15 minutes. Dan used an Ondu Multi Format 6×12 loaded with Fuji Acros, and developed in Rodinal 50:1. More of Dan’s work can be found on Flickr and he can be followed on Twitter.

 

Moscow Gorky Park Ice Rink
[singlepic id=302 w=600]Moscow Gorky Park Ice Rink, ©LitterArt 2016[/singlepic]

This unique image was created by a guy who goes by the nom de guerre of LitterART, in Gorky Park, Moscow. The photo is composed of 2 pinhole photos from Gorky Park with a Fujifilm X-series camera fitted with a SKINK pinhole lens. LitterArt describes the rink as:

“The largest ice rink in Russia and Europe. Built using cutting-edge technology, the rink is open from October to March, and is one of the must-see places in Moscow. 59 000 sq feet of the smoothest ice the world has seen, 4 changing pavilions, cozy cafes, great music and a magical atmosphere.”

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

 

Studies on perspective lines: Piano
[singlepic id=303 w=600]Studies on perspective lines: Piano, ©Jari Savijärvi 2016[/singlepic]

Jari Savijärvi hales from Jämsä, Finland, and became interested in Pinhole photography after seeing the results of his friends’ pinhole efforts. He was particularly impressed by how the pictures were simultaneously sharp and smooth, how the depth of field was amazing deep, and how the format provided the possibility to have super wide angle view without distortion. For someone who enjoys strong perspective lines in his photography, it’s a format that works well.

Jari started planning and designing his own camera with a goal towards Worldwide Pinhole Day 2014. He experimented with cardboard and various formats before deciding on 4×5. He fashioned his camera to use standard 4×5 film holders, and made the pinhole out of aluminum that he installed in a shutter to help control precise exposure times. Jari realized some fast success with the homemade camera and format when his 1st real photo with it was published by the Washington Post. You can see more of Jari’s work on Flickr, Facebook, and his personal site.

 

Pub Rain
[singlepic id=304 w=600]Pub Rain, ©Jesús Joglar 2016[/singlepic]

Jesús Joglar made this photo with a camera he calls “ladybird”: a 6×6 format Digna camera produced in Spain in the 1950’s by CERTEX that he hacked to convert it into a pinhole camera. He took apart the lens and fitted it with a pinhole, finishing it with a ladybug magnet for the shutter (thus the name). For American audiences: the rest of the world apparently refers to ladybugs as ladybirds – who knew?

Jesús’s ladybird camera has a 0.15 mm, focal length of 32 mm, f/213 value which all comes together to give a nice wide 104º view angle. The photograph was taken in the Pub “Rain!” of Manchester (UK) with Kodak Ektar 100, exposed for 50 minutes. Jesús developed in Tetenal C-41 chemicals and scanned the negative with an Epson Perfection V700 Photo scanner. You can find more of his great work on Flickr.

 

 

 

Get Inspired – Poppies & Flare

Today’s featured pinhole photo is exploding with color.

Poppies & Flare
[singlepic id=55 w=600]Poppies & Flare, Ondu 6×12, Kodak Ektar, ©Steven Boelaars 2015[/singlepic]

Steven Boelaars captured this wonderful image by pointing his Ondu 6×12 directly into the sun. The subject matter – the red poppies, is perfect for the effect because of the way they bleed with the flare of the sunlight. This is a common side effect of shooting a pinhole straight at the sun – without a lens to tame the sun’s rays, things stay raw and uncontrollably vibrant.

More of Steven’s excellent pinhole work can be found on Flickr.

 

Get Inspired – Tied Up

Gunnar Eld brings this maritime scene from the icy shores of Stockholm.

Tied Up
[singlepic id=39 w=600]Tied Up, Ondu 6X6, Fuji Acros 100, ©Gunnar Eld 2015[/singlepic]

When I lived in Seattle there were many days that were cold, drizzly, and hazy. It was like a blanket everywhere, but especially by the water. Gunnar’s image evokes that chilly yet comforting sensation perfectly.

You can find more of Gunnar’s work on his Flickr page and personal site.

 

Get Inspired – Camp Tecumseh

Today’s featured photo reminds us of simple pleasures.

Camp Tecumseh
[singlepic id=37]Camp Tecumseh, Ondu 6×6, ©Jeff McConnell 2015[/singlepic]

Jeff McConnell captured this warm scene with his wonderful Ondu 6×6 pinhole camera (mentioned in our camera roundup!). The leaves on some of the trees just starting to turn for Fall, and inviting chairs on the dock, make you want to just kick an afternoon away laughing with a friend and watching the clouds pass by.

This photo was chosen because of the way the pinhole feel adds to the vignette of fond memories.

Jeff’s images can be found on Flickr and on his personal website.