The spirits of the river
I recently started working on a new project…
The main idea was/is to shoot landscapes on the Troodos region in a way that goes beyond the actual scenery at hand… to show not so much how pretty this region is, but to somehow intertwine what the place looks like with its origins—with a focus on mythology…
For this purpose I chose to shoot this project with pinhole cameras which introduce an inherent dreamlike element to the pictures… this is the beginning though, and it remains to be seen if it’ll work as hoped for, but the first results are encouraging…
As for film, after extensive testing in the darkroom to determine its properties and usability, I’m giving a try to Harman’s direct positive paper… this is a very interesting photosensitive material (well sensitive is an exaggeration, since I rate it at ASA 03 when pre-flashed…) which produces a unique positive image without the use of a negative… it’s like the lovechild of slide film and polaroid…
(I’ll make a separate post soon about Harman’s paper, to share my findings for anyone interested in using this paper themselves…)
So, without further ado, I present to you the first installment of this new project:
Thodoris…
Very nice images and I choose n2 as my favorite.
Keep on and see ya on Burn
thanks Paul!
Wonderful!
Duncan
thanks Duncan!
Thodoris – I like. Pretty amazing.
Thanks Bill… just added your new blog to the links… I love the new/old pictures you’re posting!
I appreciate that, Thodoris!
PS – I have not yet added my links to the sidebar, but when I do, I will link to you as well.
Reciprocity is always nice, but it should be clear… my little blog comes nowhere near what you’ve accomplished with yours… an inspiration to say the least… for anyone reading this, check out Bill’s blog here:
http://www.logbookwasilla.com
Thodoris, these are great! And I certainly think you are heading in the right direction with this work and with pinhole images. I have done pinhole images on and off for many years, and I am very slowly [unfortunately] coming to the conclusion that I should have been doing a lot more of them. From now on I will. Just read that Nokia is coming out with a 41 MP camera phone. I think the best antidote to this overpowering digital progression is to go and stick with something like pinhole work.
As you probably know from reading my post on the subject, I like to use enlarging paper and then scan that and produce a positive. Are you finding a difference in image quality with different paper negatives? I am still trying to figure out the difference in quality between those two pinhole photos I recently posted, both done with the same camera, but different enlarging paper.
I think that all good quality papers (for the past several years I’ve been using only Ilford and Oriental, and I’m happy with both) out-resolve pinhole “lenses” to the point that extensive comparison between papers (and/or films) is probably unnecessary… that is in terms of resolution…
As far as tonality is concerned though, each photosensitive material has (even if slightly) different properties, and on this subject there is much testing to be done… for instance, I’m also using medical x-ray film from time to time, which has a *very* steep curve and requires very diluted developer and developing by inspection with minimal agitation in order to tame that curve into something usable…
Finally, the main reason for using direct positive instead for the “traditional” negative paper on this project, is that I plan to include the originals in the exhibition of the finished work…
Indeed it does, add I dream like quality I mean. And man, I’ve always wanted to shoot with a pinhole, and this is exactly why…Superb stuff brother.
thanks man!
A great project and wonderful images. I lived in Cyprus in the 1960s when I was 3 years old. It really is a pleasure to see these pinhole photos from Troodos. My mother and father took me to Troodos all those years ago.
Thanks Simon, I appreciate it. Love your pinhole pictures of the lakes!