Using a Pinhole for People Photography...any thoughts?

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Based on Jeff's experience, I am thinking of getting a Zero 2000 Pinhole camera through Pinhole Resource for $114.95 on sale, and using it with Ilford P3200 film. Any thoughts on this? Shutter speed would be a real problem. I'm thinking this might produce some interesting results, but need some guidance.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), November 27, 2000

Answers

No doubt there can be some interesting people shots done with the extremely long shutter speeds and ultra tiny apertures commonly associated with pinhole photography.

One thing interesting to do is to take a photograph of a large area where people congregate and use the picture to see which people move the least.

Also, with a powerful enough strobe (well, ok, maybe you need four novatron 750 Ws units :), you can do fairly normal portrait photography, in addition to some incredibly bizarre perspective distortion pictures depending on how far from the lens you mount the film.

Your creativity is the limit, I guess. Don't forget to post up your images on here :)

-- ed (ekang@cse.nd.edu), November 27, 2000.


Todd, it's at $89.95 from Calumet right now! Just got their catalog. I notice it's not a "special edition" though, but it might save ya some change.

I offically put this on my Christmas list. I instructed Ms. Santa to go to http://www.pinholeresource.com and look up the model you mention. She did, but then she became puzzled at why they'd want $115 for a camera that took only 120 pictures. Ya just can't win sometimes.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@alaska.net), November 28, 2000.


Tony, I will definitely check out the Calumet ad. I don't know what the difference would be except that the Special Edition is signed and numbered...big deal!

I used to do some figure studies in the 80's and was thinking that such might be interesting for a pinhole portrait. All I need is a model! I think I will reject a self-portrait idea along those lines!

I was reading about the impressionist painters and many used early box cameras to photograph subjects from which to get ideas, and many of their painting have a "snapshot" effect with people moving in and out of the frame, or doing candid activities, and some try to give a blurred effect of people on the street, which is very possible with a pinhole.

I think there are many ideas to explore here. If someone has tried this I'd like to see a few examples.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), November 28, 2000.


Todd, I took a self portrait. From memory the time was in the minute region. I used to have it as my pic in photo.net but deleted it recently and since I'm at work, I don't have a copy to post at the moment, will do tonight (my time). Also, I took a pic of my wife which was on the contact sheet I posted into the Q&A thread we were recently posting too. Your mention of Delta 3200 is interesting because the film pinhole pics I took were on FP4 (125asa) and the shutter speed was 1 sec (or 2secs.. I bracketed slightly!) so if your rated Delta 3200 at 1600 and processed accordingly, the shutter speed would have been in the 1/16 sec region... people should be able to sit still enough for that, but street scenes could be interesting!

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@unite.com.au), November 28, 2000.

Pinhole Self Portrait

not sure this is gping to work since this forum comes up different on my home PC... but this is a pic of me taken with a pinhole camera! I honestly don't look as bad as this!

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@unite.com.au), November 29, 2000.


Pinhole Self Portrait

arrrggghhhh.. I new that wasn't going to work!!!

try again!



-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@unite.com.au), November 29, 2000.


nigel: don't worry---j. spirer will be absolutely delighted with that image: not one single inch of sharp focus or clarity! :)

if the truth be known, i think the damn thing is fascinating.

-- wayne harrison (wayno@netmcr.com), November 29, 2000.


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