Nightmare on pinhole street

mysteryscribe · Apr 30, 2006

Today is the great worldwide pinhole day. So we have all been getting ready for it. Equipment made and tested. Everything is ready right... wrong...

I woke up at 6:30 am, my time. I put the two dogs out (If it had been a normal day, my wife would have been up first and done that chore) since in my house you can't get out of bed after 6am without a cold nose on you. Then, of course, they didn't want to come inside again. They wanted to sniff the moring air. It was really just to annoy me I know.

I finally got them inside and checked the computer for some things I'm messin with on ebay, Drank a cup of day old coffee while the dogs annoyed me again to be fed. So feed them I do. Meanwhile my wife is happily dozing off and on.

Big dog in the kennel, small dog tucked away in my wife's room. The cold nose is on her ear this time.

Into the old studio, converted to a lab, I go. I find my pinholer and add the retro along with a half dozen sheets of paper in film holders also to be exposed. Then it's load my junk into the car, the camera, the tripod, a case of film holders along with a sock I half filled with beans to use as a camera holder, the retro has no tripod hole.

Oh god don't forget the coffee. Neighbors almost have me blocked in, tire needs air to hell with it. I managed to work the car out of the too tight driveway. Down the road I drive with all the other early Sunday morning drivers. Most are at least half asleep, and mostly likely headed home from a night of debauchery.

Finally I'm at the park and ready to relax. What's this a ranger at the entrance.

"What's up ranger?"

"Park's closed."

"What do you mean don't you know it's world wide pinhole day."

"Not only did I not know it, I also wouldn't have cared, if I had. The park has been rented by a company for the day. It's their picnic."

"I will only be ten minutes and they aren't here yet."

"Nope, it would cost me my job."

"Yeah right you supervisor is home asleep but okay."

Off I go, in the cold I might add, in search of new places to shoot. I finally gave up and went back to another familar place. Pictures to follow if any came out.

JamesD · Apr 30, 2006

Oooh... a fictional horror story, I hope?

I'm on my way out now.

mysteryscribe · Apr 30, 2006

It gets worse and no not fiction. All the negatives from the morning shoot were too thin to use. I obviously didn't test it enough. So I respooled another roll went out and shot it. Opened the camera at home and found that the roll didn't roll up tight. loose 620 roll = disaster...

So no negs so far. I took my grand daughter out going to shoot a quick pinhole portrait. The little dog came by on her lead cause she was curious. She immediately wrapped herself around the tripod and you guessed it. The cemented on lens went one way the camera another. Fortunately the shutter still works. And it is a pinhole so liquid nail and it will be fine. The day is shot. I am going to hide for the rest of it.

But just to prove it is the curse of the pin hole, I took the retro camera out and shot paper negs while I was shooting the pin hole. The paper negs are just fine. I swear pin hole hates me, and I'm beginning to hate it back.

JamesD · Apr 30, 2006

Sorry to hear about the rotten luck. Still, I say Never give up!

My first two negatives were utter crap. Same subject (I've been doing them one at a time) but just no good at all. Then, the third one came out just right. I've got the print washing now.

I may go out some more later, if it doesn't start raining again.

Terri: We told you so!

mysteryscribe · Apr 30, 2006

I couldnt leave it alone... I shot it again and this time I did everything right still got crap. It just wouldnt clear.. I cursed the fixer for twenty minutes then I finally got it.

I checked the camera Yesterday and it was fine except that it had this little bitty image because the old aperture was still in the camera, so of course I put my cutter to it. To get the aperture I had to cut the shutter out no big thing it was all internal right? Wrong the darned shutter release button and the slide to set the thing for bulb were on the outside of the camera and obviously had light leaks. I feel like Tim the Toolman... Fix it till the damn thing never works again. I have the camera drying now maybe I can get some interior before midnight stuff. Or maybe I can salvage something from the last shoot.

The paper negs from the retro camera look pretty good so maybe I wont slash my wrists after all.

terri · Apr 30, 2006

JamesD said:
Sorry to hear about the rotten luck. Still, I say Never give up!

My first two negatives were utter crap. Same subject (I've been doing them one at a time) but just no good at all. Then, the third one came out just right. I've got the print washing now.

I may go out some more later, if it doesn't start raining again.

Terri: We told you so!

Hey, if it's any consolation I was freezing in my booth at the arts festival today. Didn't get rained on, just watched people's stuff get blown around in our 20-knot gusts. Coulda been worse.....coulda been better, too. :mrgreen:

Happy pinholing! :thumbup:

mysteryscribe · Apr 30, 2006

I told you it was too early for a festival... thats exactly the kind of day i had in the show I promoted on may 1st. I hope they let you build a fire in a can like the winos.

mysteryscribe · May 1, 2006

I went back and looked through all the useless negative from yesterday's pinhole shoot and found one I could salvage sorta.. so here is my sad freaky little pinhole image

JamesD · May 1, 2006

I like it! Did you enter it into the pinholeday.org thing?

mysteryscribe · May 1, 2006

not yet I might....

Just in case anyone was wondering about the brownie cam that took the beating yesterday... I got the lens stuck back on and here is a shot from it I made today....

terri · May 1, 2006

mysteryscribe said:
I told you it was too early for a festival... thats exactly the kind of day i had in the show I promoted on may 1st. I hope they let you build a fire in a can like the winos.

Good God, no. We were lined along a street where the house for sale behind me was going for a cool $924K. :lol:

We don't get to act like winos; we have to act like at least semi-respectable bohemians. :mrgreen: In years past, we've been burning up from the heat of the day, and were grateful to be under the tall trees; just, not this year. Win some, lose some. Such is the gamble of the outdoor arts fest.

mysteryscribe · May 1, 2006

But you meet some of the coolest people. Everyone from the rich house wife who brough a picture on saturday and returned it on sunday because it didnt match her bathroom wallpaper, to the girl who wanted the nude portrait made, (Right that moment).. ROFL