Camera Explorations

Camera Explorations

Alyssa S  //  Five things about me:
1. I'm a senior at Holland Christian
2. I like peanut butter with ice cream
3. I read books like most people eat candy.
4. Astronomy fascinates me.
5. I like jazz music.

Aug 9 / 4:12pm

babysitting

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A few days ago, I tired my obscura out at the the house of the girls I babysit for. They through it was pretty fun to set up and see their backyard on the wall. One of the girls also ran outside for us to see if we could spot her.

Jul 21 / 2:20pm

back from Chicago...

Here are some more pictures! Last week I was in Chicago, so I was really glad when Monday came and it was sunny.

My brother, Andrew, thinks it's cool to see outside upside down on the wall, so he helped me set up the tarps and also ran around outside so I could see him on the wall. We first tried in our computer room. It didn't turn out as well as I hoped- my car reflected too much light through the window, but it was still visible. Then we tried the bathroom again. I had cut several more holes, so we tried a 2" diameter. It turned out really well!

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He also helped me with some other photography I was trying. I saw a neat picture of coins falling, so I decided to see if I could try that. He worked my camera, using the multiple picture setting so it takes pictures every 2 seconds, while I poured coins in front on the lens.We got a few that worked, but we're looking for a darker background that doesn't reflect light, so shadows won't show.

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Jul 3 / 12:27pm

view from my room

I worked on my obscura again today, this time in my bedroom. I cut a larger hole this time- with a 1" diameter. This worked quite well actually. I was able to see the deck- specifically the chair and pink flowers, the tree right in front of my window, and our deck and umbrella and the neighbor's pool. Then my mom helped me take out the screen and I cleaned my windows. This resulted in a much brighter picture. My younger brother, Andrew, went out on the deck and we could see him on my roof :) we could also see my neighbor in her pool. It turned out a lot better today which I'm very happy with!

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1. my room with the tarp up

2. the first picture of our deck and flowers

3. first view of the umbrella and pool

4. the tree on my wall

5. cleaner view of the flowers

6. and of the umbrella

7. this is a full wall shot of the view- going from top to bottom, you can see the deck, umbrella, pool, neighbor's house, and trees. you can also see my wall and desk with a mirror 

8. this is what it looks like right-side up (the image is projected on the wall upside down)

Jul 1 / 1:45pm

Camera Obscura

This summer, I decided to work on a camera obscura project. This is my first chance to get to work on it because we were gone on vacation (Florida!) and then I had a week where I started my babysitting job. Anyway....so yesterday I was able to go to buy a tarp- 10'x25', 3mm thick. Today I cut it down to the size I needed for the window. I had to triple fold it so it was light proof. First try didn't work- it was in the morning, so the sun came directly through the hole. I tried making the hole bigger and it still didn't work, so I gave up for then. This afternoon I tried again, when the sun was on the opposite side of the house. This worked much better. I actually could see a picture! 

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I chose to use our bathroom- it has only one smaller window and a door that doesn't let in much light. The view is of our backyard- the red object is our umbrella on the deck.  (The first picture is of what the tarp looks like). The pictures turned out in low resolution- it is dark and my computer doesn't handle the kind of pictures my camera take very well. Hopefully I'll find away around this soon. The next step is trying to make the image brighter.

Filed under  //  bathroom   obscura   umbrella  
Jun 7 / 1:50pm

♫ I want to turn the whole thing upside down, I'll find the things they say just can't be found ♫

So, this is the last post. I've really enjoyed this project; it's taught me a lot. It's kinda funny, but I've become rather attached to my camera. Yes, the first couple weeks I wanted to throw it out the window, but once it started working, I took it everywhere- just ask my family. I took it home almost every night, on weekend vacations, carried it around the school. :) I also used what I learned about shutter time on my digital camera to work with the ISO and hopefully a 35mm this summer.
While search the internet for stuff about pinhole cameras, I found this quote: "...[it] makes public the often unglamorous work that precedes the beautiful photographs -- the laborious process of finding locations and setting up rooms and the frustration of failed images." I think this sums up what I've learned. Photography can be hard work- finding what you want to take a picture of, setting it up...and also very frustrating when it doesn't work. But the reward that comes when you get a good picture and knowing you built the camera that took it is worth it.
I've loved working on this project, yet I'm done with it...so here are my final pictures for the project:

 

LEARNING:

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1) very first picture       2) learned that I needed to spray paint the inside       3) first clear picture :) I actually really like this one...still haven't painted the box        4) learned that I'm not a very good stand       5) strange light blob       6) under exposed on a cloudy day      7) yup, I'm not very stable       8) special effect- learned we needed to stay in place longer       9) I was in a shadow, so my face turned out very dark       10) paper wasn't taped down...opps

ARTISTIC:

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1) first clear picture- outside of school at the statue       2) at the track      3) downtown Holland during Tulip Time, ferris wheel       4) fountain by the parking lot       5) Coke bottle inside- 1/2 hour exposure      6) Pepsi truck- the guys driving the truck through I was a little crazy when I asked to take a picture of the truck and then set out a box :)       7) Tyler Dykstra's car       8) piano in the choir room- this is under exposed (45 min.) but I still really like it       9) Alex Mouw and his guitar       10) my pearl bracelet       11) old fire station in Allendale       12) sandels at the beach        13) beaker in the grass        14) railroad tracks in Zeeland

SPECIAL EFFECT:

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1) moved 1/2 way through the picture       2) 3 holed picture       3) curved camera- learned this camera only works on cloudy days       4) another 3 holed      5) Kristin moved 1/2 way through       6) YMCA!  Anna and Joy switched letters 1/2 way through       7) flipped camera over 1/2 way through the exposure       8) I moved closer

 

the end.

Jun 7 / 12:58pm

final pictures

Today I took a bouple pictures after school. 1) I tried putting this outside for a whole night. It was down by the corner of Chicago Dr. and 104th in Zeeland by Burger King. 2)Brandon's ball game, except it was bad developer. 3) me moving

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Jun 3 / 12:22pm

during Kristin's intense exam review....

I got an email back from Abelardo Morell today:


Dear Alyssa,

Thank you for the kind words, and for sharing your story about experimenting
with pinhole photography. My pictures are set up by turning a room into a
large camera obscura- I cover the windows with dark plastic and then make a
hole in the plastic, allowing the light, and therefore the image to enter
the room (just like light enters a pinhole camera). Then I photograph the
image that appears on the walls inside the room.

Best of luck with your project,

Abe

I was really glad to get an email back and it was very interesting to hear more about a camera obscura. This is something I'm really considering trying (probably this summer). I would need to do more research, but it sounds like I would turn my room into a giant pinhole camera. I also have a few more pictures. The first, I took over Memorial Day weekend to Traverse City. It was supposed to be of the lighthouse, but unfortunately the film got displaced from the back. The next is a flower in out backyard, but it was too shaky while I was taking the picture. The next two are self pictures. The first I was in a shadow, so I turned out too dark. The next one turned out nicely. The final one is of the train tracks in Zeeland.

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Filed under  //  Morell   obscura  
Jun 2 / 5:24am

Email

Yesterday I was doing a google search on pinhole photographers to look at some of the pictures that they've taken. I came across Abelardo Morell (http://www.abelardomorell.net/index.html). He takes rooms and uses them as a camera. The pictures he's taken are really amazing. So, I sent him an email:

Mr. Morell-
I'm Alyssa from Holland Christian and I'm currently working on a pinhole photography project for my physics class. I was doing a Google search on some pinhole photographers and I came across your website. The pictures I looked at are really fascinating. I also looked at your biography section and your story is amazing as well.
While reading a synopsis of the film "Shadow of the House," I found this quote: The film makes public the often unglamorous work that precedes the beautiful photographs -- the laborious process of finding locations and setting up rooms and the frustration of failed images.
I really appreciated reading this. Though I've only been working on this project for a couple months- no where near as long as you have been, this is something I understand. The first few weeks when I was trying to perfect the camera was very frustrating and yet completely worth it to achieve a good picture.
Learning more about your story and looking at your pictures has been very inspiring and I wanted to thank you for that.
I was wondering how these pictures were set up, especially pictures like "The Brooklyn Bridge in Bedroom" They are all incredible to look at. One of my favorites that I saw was "My Eyeglasses","Upright Image of the Piazzetta San Marco Looking Southeast in Office", and "The Mock Turtle’s Story" They are all amazing.
Again, thank you.

-Alyssa Schreur

Filed under  //  Morell   email  
May 28 / 12:30pm

some of the last pictures and sources

Another post? Already? Yup. It's true. I'm actually posting. Anyways...yesterday after/while taking notes for the exam I had time to scan in a couple pictures that I've recently taken. These include a special effects moving picture done with Karen and me, sandels on the beach from when we went Wednesday, a firehouse in Allendale (my brother had a game out there and my mom spotted this really neat old firehouse across the street), and a really nice picture of one of my bracelets. I'm really happy how that turned out. I was also able to take some yesterday after notes. I slipped outside into the little courtyard with the picnic table. The first one I took involved turning the camera over 1/2 way through the picture. It turned out nicely. I then tried to take one of the manhole cover, but didn't have anything to balance it on, so I had to hold it. Turns out I'm not very steady. And then I used a beaker from the chem lab and put that in the grass. During math, I also stole some of my friends to do the YMCA for me. :)

and...outside sources:
Dad- helped me build my curved camera
Mom- helped me take several of my pictures
Andrew- helped with several pictures
Alex Mouw, Keren Rottschafer, Laurel Ackerman, James Engles, Lillea Prines, Keeley Jelgerhuis, Joy Merlino, and Anna Joustra- models for my pictures

It was also really fun when I had to take my camera to a different class because I got to explain what it was and how it worked to them. It was interesting to see their reaction when I told them my beat-up Christmas tin was really a camera! :)

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May 27 / 8:35am

Summer's here....

Another apology for not posting for the last while. I went to the beach yesterday with Kristin in order to take pictures. It was gorgeous outside! Nice and warm and cool water :) The picture turned out too which was a bonus. These pictures are special effects I was playing around with. The first is one I had going for a whole hour during math class. The next is one where we moved, but we didn't stay in place long enough. There is also a developing error and then two with multiple pinholes.

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Filed under  //  beach   special effect