# Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day



## JamesD (Apr 5, 2007)

Greetings, fellow photographers!  Get your pinhole cameras ready! Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) is coming up!

Okay, here's the deal:  The last Sunday in April of each year is designated as Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day.  This year, it's *April 29th*.  The event is sponsored by http://www.pinholeday.org/.

So, how do you participate?  It's easy!  You just capture an image with a pinhole camera on Pinhole Day.  Then, if you're feeling adventurous, you post your image in the WPPD gallery at pinholeday.org, where it becomes a permanent part of their virtual museum gallery. (Mine was # 315 for 2006 ;-))

Pinhole day was started in 2001 with 291 participants, sending images from 24 countries. WPPD 2005 saw 1815 images from 52 countries, and WWPD 2006 saw 2267 images from 60 countries.  So, in other words, this event is growing fast, with a lot of photographers taking interest.

Don't have a pinhole camera?  Never fear!  Google pinhole camera, and you'll turn up more pages about pinhole photography and cameras than you can count.  Pinhole cameras are easy to make and use, and you can even adapt some modern cameras to use a pinhole body cap.  Or do a search here on the forum, or post a new thread asking for some info.  Lots of us will be more than happy to help!


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## Steph (Apr 5, 2007)

For some reason I thought pinhole day was this week end. I am glad it is at the end of the month as I am trying to build a pinhole camera out of a wooden box, that will take 8x10 film holders (to be used with paper negatives in the first instance) and it is not quite finished yet. 

BTW, I would be interested to hear from people who use paper negatives. Any tips? (what paper do you use, multigrad vs graded paper, ISO rating, reciprocity law failure...).


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## JamesD (Apr 5, 2007)

Hi, Steph!

Paper negatives are a favorite medium of mine, and have been the topic of quite a bit of discussion and experimentation here in the past.  Do a search for Paper Negative.  Or, look here!

If you can get your hands on it, panchromatic paper is best--or, most like film.  Used to be you'd use Panalure, but it's no longer made.  Ilford has a panchromatic paper, but it's only available in long rolls as far as I know.  I don't know of any others, although I've heard rumors of an Oriental pan paper, but I haven't found it.

Anyway, graded papers tend to have a single, blue-sensitive emulsion, while VC papers have to emulsions, a blue-sensitive one giving high contrast, and a green one giving low contrast.  So, overall, you can get some pretty peculiar results with these papers.  Even so, they're what I use.  In general, my process uses Dektol diluted 1+5 for development of the negative.  And I contact print.  As for ISO... at about f295, I use about 50 seconds in bright sunlight... I think I calculated it out to about ISO 5 once.  It's  mostly a matter of adjusting with bracketing, though.  Experiment, paper is cheap!  (And cutting 8X10 into 4X5 for testing is even cheaper ;-))  Also, the more you get into paper-negative photography, especially with pinholes, the easier it will become to judge a negative by looking at it, even as it develops.

Good luck! And let us know how it's going!


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## Steph (Apr 5, 2007)

Thanks James. My plan was to start experimenting with Ilford VC paper, without filtration and with the lightmeter set at 6 ISO so not far off from what you are suggesting. I did not know you could buy panchromatic paper but I'll have a look if I can buy some here in the UK. Actually, I like the fact that most papers are orthochromatic as it is easier to load the double dark slides and develop the negs under safelight than in complete darkness. The next thing I would like to try is orthochormatic film to have a bit more speed . Any experience with those?


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## JamesD (Apr 5, 2007)

I've used primarily Ilford MCIII, since that's what I've got on hand.  I've got a box of Panalure that I'm unashamedly hoarding; I may use it this WPPD.

As for films... I've done one test exposure with some Arista lith film, developed in dilute Dektol (I think).  I didn't get around to doing much with it.  Otherwise, I've never used film for large-format work.


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## mysteryscribe (Apr 7, 2007)

arista from freestyle sales company grade 2 or 3... iso 10 full sunlight ... iso5 in light shade... iso 2 under other than sunlight... this dialed into your light meter should give a good starting point. good luck

develop dektol clone 1 to 9 three full minutes in closed daylight tank works for me.  usually at about 78 degrees


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## JamesD (Apr 28, 2007)

THIS SUNDAY!!

Get them microscopic apertures ready, folks!  Mix up the Dektol and the fixer!  Cut the paper!  Bust out the tripods!  And the contact printers (or scanners, if that's your modus operandi!)!

Or, just bust out the body caps!

And lets see some photos!


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## JamesD (Apr 29, 2007)

Note to anyone using 8X10 sheets of paper cut down to 4X5, and using cut film holders, as with a view camera:

8X10 paper is 8" by 10".

4X5 paper cut from 8X10 paper is 4" by 5".

4X5 sheet film is 3 15/16 inches by 4 15/16 inches, and thinner than paper.

Cut film holders for sheet film are made for sheet film, and 4X5 paper cut from 8X10 sheets will not fit in them.

This is very annoying.  Especially when you don't have a safelight to work with.

Anyway, I did my exposures for pinhole day, but not nearly as many as I wanted to do.  I'm processing them now.

Did anyone else do pinhole day?  It goes on til midnight!


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## Steph (Apr 30, 2007)

I also did pinhole day. Well, at least I tried! I used my homemade pinhole camera for the first time and had time for only 6 exposures. I used 8x10 paper (Ilford MC) in 8x10 film holders (no problem with size or thickness of the paper). The results are quite disappointing! The box I used is far from light tight and the image circle is fairly small (I drilled a hole in the lid of the box and stuck the pinhole behind it, but the hole in the lid is obviously too small). Unfortunately, I did not have time to modify the box to make new exposures. Maybe it will be ready for pinhole day next year!!

On a more positive note, from what I can tell, the exposure looks about right. I set my lightmeter at ISO 6, which gave me exposure between 1 and 3 minutes in sunlight.

JamesD, I am looking forward to seeing some of your pictures.


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## terri (Apr 30, 2007)

I have not so much as dipped a toe into pinhole waters, though I've always liked the look. Too many other processes pulling at me.  

But since I freely admit my pinhole voyeurism, I hope you end up with plenty to show! And Steph and Charlie, too.


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## mysteryscribe (Apr 30, 2007)

sorry i spent my day working on a camera what an unknown affliction.  i think i cured it no pinhole for me.

However james if you want to use paper in a 4x5 holder use a bit of cardboard about the thickness of a krispy kreme donut box (excuse for buying a dozen)  force it into the holder clips and you haved a perfect fit for paper.  the film will still fit in since cut film is thick and is really held in place by the end at the bottom of the older mostly.  I have several that I have modified and have had no problem with the film or paper being flat.


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## JamesD (May 11, 2007)

Well, I've got one exposure that came out satisfactorily, and I won't have my scanner til Monday, so, I'm sorta stuck til then.  Gotta love moving.  I'll be posting, though.


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## mysteryscribe (May 11, 2007)

JamesD said:


> Gotta love moving. I'll be posting, though.


 
Nature of the beast you are riding my friend.


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