Camera Labs

Here is a beer can pinhole camera image of my southern horizon showing the path of the Sun. This is a 6-month exposure time (solstice to solstice).



Greg

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Nexstar 11 GPS, 2 x Sky 90, M25C, MaximDL, Photshop CS3, Noel Carboni's Photoshop actions, 7 foot Pulsar fibreglass dome, Canon 40D, 100mm macro lens, 28-200mm zoom lens, 17-55mm f#2.8 zoom lens, 100-400mm zoom lens, 1.4x converter, 2x converter.
http://www.newforestobservatory.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12801949@N02/

I'm normally floored by your images, but this one definitely not as stunning as your usual contributions.

However, it is still interesting How was the photo done? Was it a timelapse or was it just a single 6 month exposure? If it was a 6 month exposure, how did you prevent it from blowing out?

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PhilipGoh.com

The resolution and depth is not quite up to the standard of my 6 megapixel astronomical CCD

This is taken using a beer can pinhole camera mounted to the south facing wall of my house and this is a continuous 6-month exposure (from solstice to solstice). You can see the white fibreglass dome of the New Forest Observatory in the middle, and the checkerboard pattern running across the centre is the patio. In the centre of the patio you might just make out a table and chairs.

Greg

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Nexstar 11 GPS, 2 x Sky 90, M25C, MaximDL, Photshop CS3, Noel Carboni's Photoshop actions, 7 foot Pulsar fibreglass dome, Canon 40D, 100mm macro lens, 28-200mm zoom lens, 17-55mm f#2.8 zoom lens, 100-400mm zoom lens, 1.4x converter, 2x converter.
http://www.newforestobservatory.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12801949@N02/

I like this project of yours and although the quality is not very high it`s still interesting to watch the suns trail change.

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My photostream

Interesting shot, reminds me of a spaceship.

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Flickr

Technically very impressive and interesting - thanks Greg!

Cheers Gordon,

It is difficult leaving these cameras alone for 6-months at a time - very tempting after a couple of months to open them up and see what's happening.

Still - I re-loaded the two beer cans with film and set them going again - this time pointing a bit further up so I should get the Sun at its highest point in the sky. Only 6-months to wait now - roll on December 21st

All the best,
Greg

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Nexstar 11 GPS, 2 x Sky 90, M25C, MaximDL, Photshop CS3, Noel Carboni's Photoshop actions, 7 foot Pulsar fibreglass dome, Canon 40D, 100mm macro lens, 28-200mm zoom lens, 17-55mm f#2.8 zoom lens, 100-400mm zoom lens, 1.4x converter, 2x converter.
http://www.newforestobservatory.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12801949@N02/

A very creative and interesting idea you carried out Greg Still I find the cropping a little annoying ... is it a choice or a limitation?

Wasn't cropped - this was due to me not having the beer can angled enough upwards to capture the Sun at its highest point As you say it is VERY annoying to wait 6-months to find out you didn't set the camera up right. BUT - I have just reloaded the 2 beer cans with new film - AND - I angled them up high enough (I hope) to catch the Sun at the top of its travels. So now it's another 6-month wait until December 21st 2010

Greg

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Nexstar 11 GPS, 2 x Sky 90, M25C, MaximDL, Photshop CS3, Noel Carboni's Photoshop actions, 7 foot Pulsar fibreglass dome, Canon 40D, 100mm macro lens, 28-200mm zoom lens, 17-55mm f#2.8 zoom lens, 100-400mm zoom lens, 1.4x converter, 2x converter.
http://www.newforestobservatory.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12801949@N02/

Need a wider angle pinhole?

Definitely interesting. I assume that was B&W film - would colour work too?

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

It was black and white photographic paper - film is too sensitive for this work.

Greg

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Nexstar 11 GPS, 2 x Sky 90, M25C, MaximDL, Photshop CS3, Noel Carboni's Photoshop actions, 7 foot Pulsar fibreglass dome, Canon 40D, 100mm macro lens, 28-200mm zoom lens, 17-55mm f#2.8 zoom lens, 100-400mm zoom lens, 1.4x converter, 2x converter.
http://www.newforestobservatory.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12801949@N02/

I absolutely love it.. both the concept and the final image... it's something that would make a very cool pic to frame and hang... at least I would really a cool conversation piece for me.

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Canon 7D + 50D + EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM + EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
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When I do the thing properly - that is get the whole 6-months of Sun tracks on the film I will indeed hang it on the wall
Greg

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Nexstar 11 GPS, 2 x Sky 90, M25C, MaximDL, Photshop CS3, Noel Carboni's Photoshop actions, 7 foot Pulsar fibreglass dome, Canon 40D, 100mm macro lens, 28-200mm zoom lens, 17-55mm f#2.8 zoom lens, 100-400mm zoom lens, 1.4x converter, 2x converter.
http://www.newforestobservatory.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12801949@N02/

Nice!
Very interesting picture, showing exactly how the sun moves! =)


This guy has done something similar:
http://www.pinholephotography.org/SSGB%20Page.htm

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Canon 5D MkII -|- Sigma 24mm f/1.8 | Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 | Canon 50mm f/1.4 | Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro | Lensbaby Composer
Canon A-1 -|- Canon 28mm f/2 | Canon 35mm f/2.8 | Canon 50mm f/3.5 Macro

Doesn't show exactly how the Sun moves unfortunately as the photographic paper is curved inside a beer can - so those curves are not how the Sun appears to move across the sky.

It's more like this:


Which was taken with another pinhole camera but this time with the photographic paper flat.

Greg

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Nexstar 11 GPS, 2 x Sky 90, M25C, MaximDL, Photshop CS3, Noel Carboni's Photoshop actions, 7 foot Pulsar fibreglass dome, Canon 40D, 100mm macro lens, 28-200mm zoom lens, 17-55mm f#2.8 zoom lens, 100-400mm zoom lens, 1.4x converter, 2x converter.
http://www.newforestobservatory.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12801949@N02/