Solargraphy
Canon SD960 IS
Given how grey our summer has been in San Francisco, I’m a little surprised how fixated I’ve become about solargraphy. Solargraphy? It’s an image that records the path that the sun takes over a long period of time. (Check out this Google Images link to see what I’m writing about.)
Once I started searching for information on how to make these images, I realized it wasn’t all that difficult.* The key ingredient (and one that will prove my greatest challenge), is patience. The patience to let that little film canister sit outside, building the image day after day.
I used the information from the following two sites to build my pinhole cameras:
Justin Quinnell, Solargraphs — How to create 6 month exposures
http://www.pinholephotography.org/Solargraph%20instructions%202.htm
Solargraphy Gallery — How to make a pinhole camera
http://www.solargraphy.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=11
* Difficult? Well, given that I have no idea how it’s all going to turn out, I could be completely talking out of my butt. Instead of 3 – 6 month exposures, I’m going to try a month long test with the four cameras. If it works, I’ll then refill them and begin the next set on September 23rd — the autumnal equinox.
A big thanks to Dave at Photoworks for the photo paper.
Come back in a month and I’ll let you know how they turned out.
this is cool — thanks for sharing… there have been long exposures over the course of years – versus months — of people moving along crowded streets, etc — i love the photos, but haven’t taken the time to figure out how it was done — this gives me a little insight…
Posted by bob on 3 September 2010 @ 4pm