Re: Making a portable 4x8 feet pinhole camera

Hi Guy,
I have been following this discussion but preoccupied with reviewing WPPD
entries as well.

I build a modified portable darkroom a few years back that started with the
general idea of 'Jim Shull's' pinhole book idea. I created a 1x2 minimal frame
with a skin of thin wall paneling approximately 3/16" to 1/8" inch. I build in
overlapping frames that could be screwed together with drywall screws for
breakdown also. It was 6'X 3'x4' and used as a camera obscura too. Turned on
its side it might resemble a Zero 2000 shape.

I could envision creating a paper roll film system similar in style to
Zernike's great design. All in all I never got a chance to shoot any photos
with it but it fit inside my pickup truck with a topper. Used it for a
portable darkroom for workshops in the summer outdoors.
I painted the entire inside with latex flat black paint applied thickly with a
roller while disassembled.
Just food for thought. Now that I am retired maybe I better go back that idea
and think this over again??? ;-)

I do remember seeing people turning U-Haul trailers into pinhole cameras.
Maybe an inexpensive or borrowed utility trailer could be used to move it
around.

--
Take Care, 
Chuck
-May your troubles be less, your 
blessings more, and nothing but 
happiness comes through your door-
----------------------  Original Message:  ---------------------
From:    "Guy Glorieux" <guy.glorieux@gmail.com>
To:      pinhole-discussion@spitbite.org
Subject: Re: [pinhole-discussion] Making a portable 4x8 feet pinhole camera
Date:    Sun, 4 May 2008 02:32:25 +0000
> Many thanks for the comments/suggestions.  They are very helpful.
> 
> Perhaps I need to go back to square one and define my project.  I want to
> make a series of very-large format (4x8 feet give or take a bit) pinhole
> paper negatives (museum quality) of several architectural structures and/or
> wide urban landscape here in Montreal.
> 
> Up to now, I have used a variety of rooms (hotel, offices, etc...) to make
> this type of work.  This time around, I am running into the constraints that
> the only spaces available are spaces that either cannot be closed into
> camera obscura and/or cannot be appropriated for the time necessary for
> conversion into camera obscura plus exposure time.  Hence the need for a
> portable light-tight device allowing me to set up camp for a short period of
> time, expose the paper and pack-up without disturbing surrounding
> activities.  The camera  needs to be as small as possible to allow working
> in tight quarters and will be used both inside and outside..
> 
> It goes withouty saying that the camera should be constructed such that  (1)
> the pinhole panel (front panel) remains rigorously immobile relative to the
> paper panel (back panel) and (2) that the two panels remain rigorously
> immobile in relation to the scene being captured.  Not a problem when
> working inside but a real challenge when working outside, even under the
> most favorable weather conditions.
> 
> Finally, and most important, the camera needs to have a slick look to it.
> Imagine a Zero Image 4x8 feet collapsible pinhole camera designed by Zernike
> Au...!  This would be the summum of bliss...
> 
> Did I hear you Zernike?
> 
> That's it folks... Your continuing ideas are most helpful.  More to come as
> I move along this project.
> 
> Best to all,
> 
> Guy
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2008/5/3 Tom Miller <tomwmiller@comcast.net>:
> 
> > > Guy Glorieux, Friday, May 02, 2008 wrote:
> > >
> > > I am working on designing and building a 4 x 8 feet pinhole
> > > camera
> > > which I will be using in about a month time for a project here in
> > > Montreal.
> > > I'd be happy to hear if anybody has experience in this area.
> >   <clip>
> >
> > Guy, this is a delightfully wonderful and crazy idea.  I don't have direct
> > experience making a camera like you're describing, but here are a couple
> > of
> > thoughts that might help.
> >
> > 1/4-inch plywood is not light-tight.  You'd have to use something to make
> > it
> > opaque, like lining the wall with plastic black-out from Porter's Camera
> > or
> > finding a thick paint or something similar.  This is a link showing the
> > first Ice Shanty Obscura that Chip Lindberg made.  The squares above his
> > head in the photo are pop can pinholes mounted on thin plywood.  From
> > inside
> > the shanty, the plywood glowed.  Chip made some excellent photos in this
> > house, including several 360-degree panoramas.
> > http://www.pinhole.com/archive/415
> >
> > This is Chip's second shanty obscura.  The MN Center for Photography and I
> > 'rented' the shanty from Chip to conduct a public pinhole photo-making
> > event
> > on ice last January.  This shanty is made of panels of extruded
> > polystyrene
> > fastened together.  To make it light-tight, Chip covered the inside with
> > black vinyl-coated fabric.
> > http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl?b-local/m-1201759280/
> >
> > My main point is that you'll have to do something to make the plywood
> > walls
> > light-tight.  Neither of Chip's ice shanty designs is easy to move, which
> > is
> > one of your main criteria.  On the other hand, Montreal is on the same
> > latitude as the Twin Cities, and my guess is that there would be places
> > nearby that manufacture or sell portable ice fishing shanties.  You may be
> > able to incorporate some of their design ideas and knowledge into your
> > camera, especially what they do for ease of setup and light-weight
> > materials
> > for portability.
> >
> > > Regards to all
> > > and congratulations for WPPD 2008 to the organizers and the
> > > participants.
> > > A fantastic success
> >
> > Thank you, Guy.  You were one of the founders of this amazing event, and
> > you
> > built a strong foundation for your successors.
> >
> > Tom
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Que la douceur de l'amitié soit faite de rires et de plaisirs partagés.
> Khalil Gibran
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