Solargraph photography - my first effort 2011 - 2012

Solargraphs are different from a the usual pinhole photograph.


Firstly the exposure times are much longer than we are used to do. The short exposure time of the latent photograph in pinhole photogaphy will be visible as normal in developing it. 


Secondly after a long exposure all the tracks of the Sun are already visible on the emulsion. 


A solargraph is made using a piece of normal black and white photosensitive paper such as is used inside a pinhole camera but be amazed the result will be in colour.

The image shows the actual track of the sun and you can see that in December (low down) it passes behind the near by properties but then rose progressively.

The solargraph was scanned and then mirror imaged and colour reversed, so that it is a positive image and also a representation of the scene observed by the pin hole empty "coke can".

All the tracks of the Sun are visible some broken indicating the sun went behind cloud. 


The exposure started on 21st December 2011 ( the low traces in winter) and it was removed on 17th April 2012  ( the progressively higher in the Spring traces).

Some water did ingress into the can and hence the damage noted at the bottom which surprisingly was at the top of the can when in position as of course one obtains an inverted image as expected in a camera.


A new set up will be established ASAP but I need two beer cans (empty)  that can be used and provide greater vertical height. The pin hole will also be moved from a central position on the can to a higher one, as it is hoped capture the sun's full summer transit.

Here is the mirror image but as original colouration.

Storage

I have learned that silver halides remain on the B & W paper where full conversion to exposed silver has not taken place. 

Had I been using normal darkroom processes these remaining halides would be removed using a fix chemical solution but to do this with solargraphs could result in the image being bleached to a very thin image.

So this means that further exposure to light could completely blacken my solargraph image so it must be stored in complete darkness and may be best to make only a limited number of scans of the image.

Am I pushing the limits of Macro

In another of my hobbies Amateur Radio I am having to use what is called a Surface Mount component.
The leg spacing centre to centre is 0.65mm making the overall length of the component about 5mm.

The photo was taken with a Nikon D80 with a a Nikon AF 24-85mm Macro lens at f22

500mm pinhole camera "lens"

The focal length or projection length is determined by how far the pinhole is from the negative. In this case I have built a "tube" to have  the pinhole at 500mm from the negative.


The photographs are of Kingsnorth Power station taken from the shore line 3kms away the other side of the river.

As with pinhole camera the focus is soft but the depth of field is from in front of the camera to infinity.

A different view with closer foreground

The exposure was 6 minutes with a pinhole of 0.89mm giving an aperture of f/561.

The Calculation

I established the size of lens needed by measuring the width of the power station and the distance away on an Ordnance Survey map.  Then by the use of simple trigonometry I established the Tangent of the angle for half the width of the station. Knowing the half width of the image and now the Tangent of the angle I calculated the distance of  the lens to negative and made the necessary tube accordingly.  It created a photo exactly as expected.

A macro picture

On another web site, see link below, I have given a description as to how I make my pinholes. 
To make the size repeatable I have pushed the needle into a section of pencil rubber and the size required is the diameter of the needle at the surface of the rubber as measured by digital callipers.

The Nikon lens to take this photo was kindly loaned to me by Mike as it will be a rare thing that I need to take such close-ups.  The diameter of the needle poking through the rubber is only 0.28mm, the piece of rubber is about 5mm x 5mm  !!!

The needle is prepared ready to make the new pinhole "lens" for the film camera.

I am also building a monster 500mm "lens" for the 5x4" paper negative camera in an attempt to take telephoto photographs using a pinhole camera. The pinhole diameter for that will need to be 0.89mm quite the largest hole I have made.

LINK
http://www.darleys.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/photography/

35mm Film pinhole camera tests

I decided not to give up so I prepared some photographic paper and popped it in the camera and closed over the eye piece .

 

The paper was exposed for 45minutes and then developed, scanned  at 1200dpi, mirror image and negative conversion and this is the result. 

I cannot see any fogging which I had previously experienced. The image is much sharper than when I tried to enlarge the previous negatives photographically. 

I have now stripped the camera apart again and  further improved the light prevention measures and a further test will be carried out ASAP.

Oh what a steep learning curve

Well the day has not been a complete waste of time on the pinhole 35mm film camera photo shoot as I have learned a great deal ...

1. All the negatives were fogged identically and thus  if using a camera on a tripod blank off the eye piece as that was where the light is getting in and fogging the negatives ( I found that out by exposing pieces of paper negative in the camera proving that is the route of the photons.)

2. Whilst 35mm film can be used to make pinhole negatives making even half reasonable prints is for me impossible because the negative has no critical focus is amazingly difficult to achieve a near correct focus in the enlarger  trying to enlarge more would in my opinion make it even worse ... ALSO  having a 100mm lens made it to much telephoto !!!  (May be if I placed a good negative in the enlarger, set the focus) and then tried enlarging the pinhole negatives I would obtain better results ??)

3. The new to me enlarger will be great to use when using film in the normal lensed camera, which I have and I have several films left so my walk round Rochester today has shown me some great locations - so before the film developing chemicals go out of date  I must go out and take normal film camera pictures ....

So it is back to the 5x4 and the contact prints which I have enjoyed doing for pinhole and using the enlarger as a light source and colour head which is working well now with the timer and transformer with a 35W 12V bulb ...

So what is next ...  I need to make up a sort of view finder so that I have a much better idea what is in the field of view on my pinhole camera  ...  That could take awhile to perfect ...


I have been asked to place examples of the photos here which previously I had not thought good enough but at least now you can make your own judgement. 

Photo in Rochester Castle gardens - oops drying spots on negative 

another in Rochester Castle gardens

Durst M305 colour enlarger

Well well well Father Christmas called me to his grotto the other day and said that there was a load of photographic equipment that was now taking up space and he wanted it out.


So I went to his grotto and loaded up the car with all manor of things including a Durst M305  enlarger for 35mm film.  Instruction manual found on the web is in French but old school boy French and the pictures helped a great deal.


I have changed the bulb for a 20W 12V ( which should last 4000 hours) from 75W 12V (which would last only 100 hours) and have made some B & W prints using the contact printing frame.


I have also started to understand the use of Multigrade IV Ilford paper and the filters to control contrast.  I can of course replace the original bulb if I go for colour prints.


Photos to follows when scanned !!!

Contact printing frame

I was lucky enough to have a simple timber 5x4" contact printing frame made for me for Christmas and the experiments so far show that a contact prints detail is far superior - to my eyes - than a scanned image.


Although I am using Ilford Multigrade IV paper I am not for the early experiments using and filters to contrast correct and there is some detail in the sky as the yellow filter and neutral density filters were both used.

Both photos are as they were developed no adjustment after scanning .. so you can see the out of line horizon etc .


I hope you had a good Christmas ..

I think this is how vignetting happens

The diagram above indicates the dimensions of a 5" x 4" paper negative as used in my pinhole cameras. I have been trying to fully understand why there is darkening at the corners and how to reduce that to a minimum without having to loose too much of the great wide-angle ability of pin hole cameras.
The triangle on the left show the dimensions as if on the centre line across the negative whilst that on the right indicate the dimensions as if on the diagonal across the negative.

You can see the circle in the centre indicating that only the very corners may show any vignetting .

The difference in lumination, I am using the cos power3 here not cos power4  left ..70%   that on the right 59%  so you can see there is a drop off just at that outside the circle part ... which also reflects the  difference in f number 284 (125/ 0.44) on centre point 318 (140/ 0.44) on outside edge of the centre line and 366 (148/0.44) on the outside edge  of the diagonal when using a pin hole of 0.44mm.

F284 x 1.414 = 401  so there is not even one stop difference between centre and outside ....in fact I guess that there is not even half a stop ( but I do not know how to calculate that, all I know is that a full stop increase by 1.414 the square root of 2  !!!


As some consider falloff to become perceptible when the corner illumination falls to more than 1 stop less than the centre, that is about 50% of the centre light level, so  I feel sure I am within that limit.

I hope you find that interesting ... and I hope I have it correct ...  well I shall also prove it empirically with photos !!

Another experimental shoot

Riverside at about 13:30 today I set up the camera with a new "lens" attachment for 115mm which I have calculated should provide no significant vignetting. A home made yellow filter was used. 

The result shows only the slightest amount of vignetting and certainly acceptable to my eyes, but no graduated neutral density filter used so the sky is washed out but it was mainly blue !!!

Same camera and same settings but camera just set much closer to the ship !!!

The 115mm pinhole focal length which is creating the 5" x 4"  paper negative is equivalent to about a 37mm when used with a film 35mm camera ( so information tells me ) and thus I shall now be constructing an  attachment to my camera back unit so that the yellow filter and the graduated neutral density filters can sit safely inside.

Another visit to Rochester

I arrived in Rochester about 10:30 am and was lucky to find a car parking place available in the Castle Gardens car park.

This shot was taken from approximately the same place as on the previous visit to Rochester but this time using a new part to the pinhole camera having  a focal length or projection distance of 170mm, the pin hole was 0.5mm and there was a yellow filter and graduated neutral density filter used, exposure 5 minutes with f/ 340.

By moving back about 30 meters I used the same camera and set up and this is the result

By moving to a position adjacent to the car park this was the result  all camera and settings staying the same

Taken from within the Castle's Gardens looking towards to "old" Rochester Bridge, camera and all setting the same.

From the Castle's Gardens but this time looking up the River Medway, camera and setting the same.

So the calculation I considered to remove vignetting from the images and over exposed centre have worked ...  So what next ... well  how wide angle can I go before the overexposure in the centre of the image and vignetting becomes too noticeable. 

and just for a bit of fun 

An experimental shoot so the photo are all generally the same !!!

I arrived on site, Riverside Gillingham at about 10am and there was bright Winter sun giving a light meter reading of 1s at f22. This was translated to judge the exposures used in the photos. 

This time the photos I have scanned  the negatives in grey scale rather than colour (and then the colour removed).

Camera One:   3 minute exposure with yellow filter still evidence of the bright over  exposed centre

Camera One:   4 minute exposure with yellow filter

In my opinion slight general over exposure. 

Oops finger marks or something on the negative !!!

Camera One:   3 minute exposure with yellow filter but using a fresher paper

In my opinion less over exposure in the centre

Camera One:   4 minute exposure with yellow filter but using a fresher paper a general over exposure

Camera One:   6 minute  total exposure but carried out as a test strip with yellow filter but using a fresher paper. The strip suggest an exposure between 3 and 4 minutes.

Camera One:   one and half  minute exposure but with NO yellow filter but using a fresher paper. This show considerable over exposure due to Multigrade IV paper being very responsive to blue light.

Camera Two: with 120mm focal length and graduated neutral density filter and yellow filter 4 minute exposure

The over exposure at the centre has all by gone and the generally tonal quality is good overall.

The difference between the two cameras is the focal length and the filter systems but what a difference in results.

However from all that I have read having the centre area over exposed is a trait of pinhole photographs when using a flat negative plane as the light drop off from centre to edge is of the order of 0.5 to 1 stop due to the greater distance between the edge of the paper and the pin hole than between the centre and the pinhole. As the focal length is made longer the drop off is less as the difference in lengths is not as marked. 

I have made a re-design to my pin hole camera to test the idea that the greater focal length reduced vignetting.

A walk near Rochester Castle

It was a nice bright sunny day so out I went to Rochester. I was lucky to find a space to park in the Castle garden small car park.

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter.

A  4 minute exposure with yellow filter, taken standing outside the West door of the Cathedral

The streaks are from reflection of the sun off passing car windows.

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter, taken in the lane leading to Minor Canon Row.

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter, taken on the road leading from King's School  Boley Hill

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter, taken from nearly outside Satis House.

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter, of Rochester Bridge taken from outside the castle wall

A nice day out but now it seems that I have an over exposed centre of the photograph with this camera which I do not see in photographs taken with another pin hole camera. Still if it were easy to achieve perfection where would the fun be !

Vignetting test - a lesson learned

Concerned as to the vignetting in the last series of photos I decided to look closely at the camera and found to my horror that the opening made in front of the filter whilst the same size as that in front of the pin hole was not allowing the edge of the paper negative to "see the light".  A little bit of work with a file to make a cone shaped opening and below is the result.

 

This was a 2 hour exposure. There is not a hint of vignetting that I can see. The lack of contrast in the greys is due to the fact that I removed the yellow filter else the exposure would have been 4 hours !!! 

So in the last batch of photos it was mechanical vignetting which occurs when light beams from the object points which are located off the central axis are partially blocked by external objects in this case you could say an "improper lens hood". So nothing to do with the distance between paper negative and pinhole or anything else I might have thought that could cause the vignetting.

A windy walk to Horrid Hill on the Medway

The plan was to be at Horrid Hill approach for high tide.

From the smoke from the power station's chimney stack you can imagine how strong the wind was blowing !!

This was a 6 minute exposure with Yellow and graduated ND filters using a home made pinhole camera with focal length of 120mm which equates approximately to a 39mm lens on a 35mm camera. 

The beached ship Waterloo

Different camera and a 4 minute exposure and shorter focal length lens and yellow filter only using a home made pinhole camera with focal length of 70mm which equates approximately to a 23mm lens on a 35mm camera.

On the East side of Horrid hill is this little beach.

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter only. 

Here the camera has been moved nearer to the breakwater.

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter only.

Closer still.

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter only.

The other side of the breakwater.

A 4 minute exposure with yellow filter only.

The walk back. 

A planned  4 minute exposure with yellow filter only but the camera was blown sideways at 3 minutes!!!

I think that I am now obtaining consistent results and that I can go on photo shoots with confidence that I should have some satisfactory results.

The first picture was shot with my latest camera and is fairly even over all exposure and the other 6 with an earlier camera which seems to give brighter centre. This is pinhole camera vignetting and much more info is to be found here.

http://photo.net/alternative-cameras-forum/00RB8s

a shoot in the back garden

I decided that today no more venturing out so why not try a couple of photos taken in the garden with the pinhole camera.

Featuring pots from  Whelans Factory Outlet Sheerness

There was a bright shaft of sun light with deep shade either side and the photo captures if exactly. 15 minutes exposure pinhole 0.4mm focal length 70mm and using a yellow filter but no ND graduated filter. 

The items in the foreground were about 3 feet from the camera

Same garden different direction The sun had moved round a turn of the camera about 20 degrees and another 15minute expose and again deep shadow at left and right edge of the picture.

Moon shot

Well I have tried

Taken with a 1000mm lens using the timer delay. What I do not understand is why the image was sharper in the eye piece than was recorded on the digital camera ... Could it be the movement caused by the camera's  mirror !!

Late afternoon shoot - ending just before dusk

Two hours before sunset,  a view to the Medway Bridge 

8 minute exposure

30 minutes  before dusk Riverside towards Power station

12 minute exposure

15 minutes before dusk Riverside looking up river

12 minute exposure

Atmospheric photos all taken with the pinhole cameras I have in very difficult conditions of cold and wind with each showing sky images. Each has a yellow filter and a light Graduated Neutral density filter.

Sadly much underexposed. The spikes on the gate in the foreground were just 30cms from the camera, the church several meters away ..

A very difficult subject due to the high contrast between black of shade and white of sun light ... maybe a wrong subject but interesting result all the same ..

A trip out to Edith May

UPDATE:
The owners of the Edith May liked the framed printed copies of the first two images below and are to put them on display very soon - now that is great news and spurs me on to do more pinhole camera work.


We set off for the Edith May in bright sunshine as both I and my wife were doing photo shoots she digital and I pinhole.


The sun stayed out and resulted in exposures of 6 minutes for the pinhole camera and goodness know what for the digital camera. 


To ensure I was putting the photographic paper in the pin hole camera the right way round I decided to trim off the top right hand corner with the emulsion facing away from me. When changing the paper negatives on this shoot it was much easier to check than without the cut off.

The Edith May - Lower Halstow

Well I think, but some may not, that this is a fabulous pinhole camera exposure as at long last I even have a sky which of course changes over the 6 minute exposure. The blurred image on the rear mast is their pennant's that they have flying for winning two barge races.

The Edith May and Halstow Church

Similar exposure and much better than a similar photo taken a few days ago and also on this blog.

The creek leading to where Edith May is located.

Foreground , back ground and sky shown in this 6 minute exposure using a yellow filter and also the graduated Neutral density filter within the pinhole camera.

Ok, so there is still a little bit of dust on the filters but much improved.

This is the negative as developed and but the orientation have been turned through 180 degrees from that the camera would have seen but there  with no other processing at all. 

I hope you can see:-

1. The corner removed bottom right which when in the camera is top right!!!
2. The wide range of tonal information that is now achieved with Ilford Multigrade VI paper using a yellow Cokin filter
3. The clouds now in the photo due to the use of the graduated neutral density filter.

A second identical pinhole camera is now being made so that I can take a photo with one and be loading the other ...