Vobes-Babbidge Pinhole Camera Project: First tests

Well, the Vobes-Babbidge Pinhole Camera Project is moving on at a nice pace now, with our latest tests showing definite improvements over the last.

In the first of our audio commentaries below, you'll hear us constructing our MK#1 camera, taking it outside for exposures using only available light (the sun) and developing the very first paper negatives. It was interesting to see what appeared out of the darkness of our improvised darkroom...

Pin Hole podcast - 003

With the MK#2 camera in hand, there was a definite increase in sharpness, contrast and density in our results. In a somewhat more controlled environment, we stayed indoors and set up a still life arrangement; this was lit by a constant light source (one 1000-watt halogen photo lamp).

By no means perfect (watch out for the schoolboy error!), our work is still very much about understanding the process and slowly refining our technique... as explained in our final thoughts about how to move things along in the very near future. Enjoy!

Pin Hole podcast - 004

Oh, and if you missed our first two instalments, you can catch up with them here.

Introducing: The Vobes-Babbidge Pinhole Camera Project

With the end of another year just hours away, it's time to think ahead to what the next twelve months might hold in store. That in itself will be the topic of a forthcoming post, but for now I'd like to talk briefly about a very exciting project which I will be involved in throughout the whole of 2010...

Many of you will by now be aware of my friend and collaborator Richard Vobes - most likely as a result of following either him or myself on Twitter, or via various audio chats we have recorded this year for vobes.com (some of which have also subsequently appeared in posts here on the GBP Blog).

Well, now we have taken things one step further, embarking on an idea which Richard came up with a number of months back. Its working title is The Vobes-Babbidge Pinhole Camera Project - and we are very excited about it!

In a nutshell, we are going to be stripping back the photographic process, removing the hi-tech, super-material, computer-reliant aspect so prevalent these days, instead concentrating on producing a set of images as the final outcome of a simplified yet very involved process.

Why so involved? Well, rather than simply purchasing a pinhole camera and photographic film, we will instead be working from scratch - completely from the ground up. As such, the starting point will be to construct our camera- most likely from traditional materials such as wood, varnish, brass, leather etc. And then there's the small matter of the physical medium onto which our images will be physically recorded (clue: we want to make our own).

The final images will for part of an installation/exhibition around this time next year.

For the benefit of both ourselves and those who would like to follow our progress, Mr. V and I will be recording all of our steps along the way - via audio, video, stills and note books. We've already documented our first tentative steps via audio; you can listen to these below in order to get a better idea of just what we have in mind.

Pin Hole podcast - 001

Pin Hole podcast - 002

To keep up to date, either check by here to see new pinhole-related posts, or bookmark the Pinhole Camera Project page over on vobes.com.