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David Mingay | profile | all galleries >> Pinholography tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Pinholography

As feautures in the NewYork Times.

*** NEW! Hand made (by me) pinholes for your own pinhole camera project. See the quality in the images in this gallery. Recycled from discarded drinks cans, each one is unique and you'll be helping to save the planet! Much less expensive than a 'laser cut' pinhole and far more in the spirit of low tech photography too. Various sizes, just £4 each. Message me from my profile page to discuss your requirements ***

My rejection of technology continues, and I am now experimenting with abandoning both lenses and pre-manufactured cameras. With my homemade 5x4 pinhole camera. The technology is simple, process is complicated. Here's how it works:

i. Load a sheet of film into the camera. This has to be done in complete darkness.
ii. Point camera at scene, and estimate the required exposure. This could be anywhere between 15 seconds and an hour. Make exposure.
iii. prepare chemicals, developer, stop and fix
iv. In complete darkness unload camera and process in trays. Approx 25 minutes.
v. Turn on lights and wash film.

This produces one photograph that may or may not be correctly exposed.
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The Car
The Car		 Sitting, no standing on the steps
Sitting, no standing on the steps		 At the Cheesewring
At the Cheesewring		 Colin Takes 40 winks
Colin Takes 40 winks
Flowers in the window
Flowers in the window		 15 minute Self Portrait
15 minute Self Portrait		 Guitar
Guitar		 Wheal Jenkin Mine
Wheal Jenkin Mine
Mine buildings
Mine buildings		 Wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrow		 Garden Wall
Garden Wall		 The first image
The first image
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post a comment
John Cooper 21-Sep-2006 13:08
Rejection of technology ? perhaps not.
Load a sheet of film, that would be a sheet of technology at its finest.
Processing chemicals, how many hundreds of years of technological advancement there.
Only one true rejection, sit in a cave, chew some berries, and smear it on the wall, until it looks like something.
Wish I had a cellar to try that.
Philosophical crap over.
I like your pinhole pictures, look good, must be fun trying it all out.
David Mingay 11-Jul-2006 15:31
Travis: So far I've only made one exposure of for each picture, but I have now devised a method that allows me to develop 3 pictures at a time and in daylight...!
Travis Flynn 11-Jul-2006 03:15
Very interesting work! I really like the guitar. 10 minute exposure-- do you ever take more than one exposure of the same shot and process them together, or are all of these one at a time?
Kevin Henry 10-Jul-2006 16:58
I like your war-against-technology theme, keep it up...I particularly like the vw beetle (great tonal range).
David Mingay 09-Jul-2006 14:59
Victor: Yes I tried that, but the AF wouldn't work...
CSLR Challenge 09-Jul-2006 02:29
Why not combine this idea with modern technology? You can get pinhole body caps for DSLRs. Or, you can do what I did and simply wrap your camera with a sheet of aluminum foil that has a pin prick in it. I made a self-portrait this way. -- Victor
Hina Shimomura 08-Jul-2006 06:34
coolio!!!
northstar37 06-Jul-2006 20:28
clever bugga!
Scott Browne 05-Jul-2006 21:54
Love what you have done. This is a great gallery. Keep experimenting.
CCVII 05-Jul-2006 20:26
My first reaction was to smile at your sentence regarding rejecting technology..
Read while sitting at my pc, in a place distant from you, yet connected. I, for
one, am very pleased with the digital world, and the many opportinities to improve and
learn what works, all for free...as opposed to film.

That said, David, I must tell you that reading the description of the simple complex
process, having no prior experience with developing procedures, your results are
thrilling. How wonderful and filled with magic, is the process of capturing a mood,
an emotion or perhaps a ghost (grin). I can imagine the excitement when finally the
lights may be turned on and you can view your creation. Not a minor miracle, to me.
I love this gallery, and also very much admire your purity of approach...
Allmybest, cristine
snôôtydog 05-Jul-2006 19:57
These are amazing. The feel of them goes so far beyond anything that can be achieved with "technology" Even ordinary scenes come to life through your pinhole.
Bob Floyd 05-Jul-2006 16:03
Damned impressive! I think I will stick with my technology but I love what you have done here. Great effort.
Ray Pettit 04-Jul-2006 18:57
So, when are you taking this contraption down the pub. That would be fun!
ruth emily hanson 04-Jul-2006 12:04
it's great to see these. i've recently been reading about pinhole photography and want to make a camera myself. photography doesn't have to be about technical perfection..it's about feeling, and photos made like this prove it.
Larry Hill 04-Jul-2006 05:21
A fascinating gallery. I look forward to more of these images.
tglass 04-Jul-2006 01:59
Can I get one of those with a digital back? :-)
Brian Gustafson 02-Jul-2006 16:57
I'm not sure what I like better, the images or your ingeniously-built camera. Very nice!
Brian.
http://www.pbase.com/galleries/DigiDawg
Niki Conolly 02-Jul-2006 13:51
So much depth, love it. Look forward to seeing more :)) big V
Ben 02-Jul-2006 08:41
Wow, this is amazing!
Mira Pospisil 30-Jun-2006 17:29
nice
Richard Calmes 29-Jun-2006 20:29
This effort gets my vote for sure!
Bob White 28-Jun-2006 09:16
The old fashioned way --- it must be so rewarding when it goes right GMV
Cindy Flood 22-Jun-2006 02:54
I am amazed.
Michael Todd Thorpe 22-Jun-2006 00:22
Very cool, David. As always, you out class us. I love these shots, the "pinolography" lends a very timeless feel to the prints. Well done and well executed.
pantone300 21-Jun-2006 21:52
gets my vote.
Jim Ross 21-Jun-2006 21:04
Superb first attempts...
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