Topic: Our very first Solargraph...Becky will be so proud of me!

[Diane Peterson]

100 day exposure!

[Greg Bartley]

pretty interesting !     was it digi ?

[sapata]

Love this Diane...still on my agenda to do!

[Diane Peterson]

No digital here! Pinhole on paper with a cylindrical pinhole tin. I never use digital.

[astrobeck]

Very cool!   


Yes, very proud of you too!

[ambaker]

Nicely done!  And in color too...  I'm impressed big time.  I've thought about doing one in B&W, but at my age I probably forget before it was done.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Sandeha Lynch]

Excellent.   

[Greg Bartley]

ok thats even better ! quite an amazing image !

[Nigel]

Wow Diane that's great. I love the trees in the foreground, they give it a real perspective. I'd love to do that, but my view's not nearly as interesting.

[Late Developer]

What a "Sun"?? 

Seriously, though, that's an amazing image and having some trees as a reference point makes it even more special.

[ChristopherCoy]

I had absolutely never heard of this until that link was posted yesterday about the bomb squad. This is completely amazing to me, and I can't believe this was 100 days in the making!!!


For those of us who have never heard of this, or tried it, can you give us a brief summary of what you used, and how you did it?

[Ezzie]

Your first maybe, but absolutely one of the better I've seen. Kudos!

[Jeff Warden]

Color!

Great image, Diane.

[Francois]

The best thing in that process is that it doesn't even need developing!

Nice one Diane. I did some with some little Kodak cans a while back... but all I got is a picture of the garden shed and a few streaks in the sky.

[Diane Peterson]

Well, first of all..This is all about Becky! She is the queen of solargraphs....and encouraged me to do this..My husband is now planning all the places we can put up the pinhole tins..and planning different ideas for getting unique results..Becky  would be much better at explaining but I will try to give a short bit of information..by way of a link...and most importantly..this is black & white paper..Becky first sent me a film canister with black & white paper and a tiny hole in the canister and we did that one last year..After that we were hooked..I used a tin that was about 6 inches tall and 2 1/2 inch across the top..put a very tiny pinhole in ( made a shutter of electrical tape to keep the hole covered until ready to go)and load the black & white photo paper.( the paper wraps around the inside about 3/4 of the way)..put tape around the lid just so no light leaks would get in and used plummers tape ( metal strapping with holes so you can put screw in it)to attach it to one of the wood logs that is the frame work of our wood shed and left it for 100 days...oh, pulled the tape shutter off after attaching the can.  So you all know we get plenty of snow here but it doesn't really stay on the can and with such a long exposure a lot of weather confronts the can without an issue.  My husband still has a hard time believing the paper is black & white but it is!!  You do not develop the results..just quickly take it out of the can and slip into your scanner..If you do that part in a dark room or at night you have the best results..then take into photoshop invert and play with the colors a bit..we didn't have to really do this..after we inverted ours it looked like the results you saw.
this is the link my husband found    http://www.pinholephotography.org/Solargraph%20instructions%202.htm

Nigel.....I am sure yours would be just as interesting as ours..I wish we had more buildings to show up! Becky did one with high boulders in it and it is till Randy's ( my husband)favorite !

[Owlsflight]

That looks great! And color from b/w?

I don't think I ever realized you didn't need chemicals to process the paper when you were done. Why is that?

Not that chemicals are that expensive, but I just don't think I would shoot enough pinhole pictures to be able to get the full use out of them before the developer would go bad.

With no chemicals, I would me a lot more willing to give this a try. Well that, and I drink enough beer to be able to get a couple of different scenes!  Just to double check, this would be using regualar Ilford Matt 5x7 B/W paper, correct? (normally chemically processed)

[Diane Peterson]

I actually used arista b&w paper..Arista EDU Ultra RC Semi-Matte Grade #2..but you could use glossy if you wanted..and their is NO processing what so ever..I think this paper would be cheaper..or rather IS cheaper than the ilford.. I am not sure why it turns to color but it does..I will have to ask Becky why it turns color..and BTW...I use paper in my 4x5 and 5x7 large format cameras so I definitely get the most use out of Dektol or you can process paper in caffenol..Becky does it a lot! You would only need fixer if developing paper normally of course not for the solargraphs..I love the look that paper gives in regualr film cameras..I use it in my Brownies a lot!

[LEAFotography]

Wonderful, Diane.

I've seen them elsewhere, but this is GREAT  

I'd also be interested in how come the long exposure transforms the b/w paper emulsion into a colour negative image. Photography just got even more MAGICAL for me!!!

[Francois]

From what I can figure out, the color comes from the slow decomposition of the silver crystals into other forms.
For paper, this is a major overexposure!

[Diane Peterson]

Francois has kindly answered this question cause heaven knows I couldn't!

[Francois]

 

[Ezzie]

From what I can figure out, the color comes from the slow decomposition of the silver crystals into other forms.
For paper, this is a major overexposure!

And had you developed it, it would be black as black can be. In a sense this is painting with light in the true meaning of the expression.

[Francois]

Quite true.

[16mman]

That would make a great print blown up