Yesterday, celebrating Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, I began a journey through time with my Ebony 4x5 camera, with 0.5mm and 0.7mm pinholes. I opted for HP5+ film, rated at 160, capturing the subtle light changes over 24 minutes. I prefer the soft, dreamlike quality of the 0.7mm pinhole. A mirror on a stand directed light towards the face of the guitar. My first love is music, and the Martin classical guitar pictured was made in 1913. I pull it out to play occasionally. The Martin mandolin is from the 1980s. My stepfather was a county and bluegrass musician who played anything with strings. He had a vintage Martin style B mandolin that I remember fondly from childhood. If I could afford one in excellent condition, I would grab it, but I cannot; thus, I play around with the 1980s anniversary model.
This was my first shot at pinholes on my 4x5 camera. The pinholes came from CCB (Custom Camera Building) and worked flawlessly. I developed an exposure factor sheet using a formula I will publish on my website soon for those interested. I recently ordered another set of pinholes for my 4x5 cameras with a built-in shutter; it should be fun!
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EDIT: I finished the article and exposure chart for anyone interested in reading how the image above was made
here.