Pinhole perspectives…Decisions, decisions.

Remember back in the day when we had to have that new Smashelblad with interchangeable backs and lenses? Omigawd. We could be such better photographers and take pictures like Bert Stern. (For those of us old enough to remember Bert Stern, that goes back a ways.)

Well, funny thing was, when I got my first Hassy 500C, my pictures weren’t any better because I could never afford the extra backs, or lenses or even the durned cable releases. But, that 80mm Planar was way cool and I looked like a professional photographer. That thing set me back $500.00. Five hundred bucks was a lot of money back in the day, but my bad pictures just turned out sharper!

I hadn’t learned that good pictures were really in the eye of the beholder…make that photographer. Well, a lot of film (now cards) has gone over the dam and I have learned a few things. I don’t need interchangeable backs and I don’t need that 150mm Sonnar or the 60mm Distagon. (I admit, I’d still like it.) Truth is, the Hassy was a hassle. The cocking mechanisms almost always failed at the most inopportune times. The things were, let’s just say, finicky. By the way, they still are.

Then I discovered pinhole. Oddly, that epiphany came along about the same time for me as digital was emerging. Now with the blending of digital and film, I can proudly announce that I am free!

“Hello. My name is Hugh and I’m a gadgaholic.”

Crowd responds “Hi, Hugh.”

Now don’t you just feel the luv in this room?

Anyway, one thing I “discovered” is that you really can have your cake and eat it, too. Although, I could never quite understand why someone would want cake if they couldn’t eat it anyway. But, I discovered that, after burning through about a dozen rolls of Super Duper Whooper Ortho film that I could have it all. Yup.

I switched to Fuji Superia, ISO 100 color negative film (a gasp falls over the room.)

Because it is the new generation of “T” grain films (or “f” grain or whatever the marketing department calls it)and because it is color negative, it doesn’t respond to reciprocity like other negative films. Second, exposure latitude is pretty wide…for pinholers that means more mistake proof shots. Third, when you scan the negs, you are not scanning grain (as in black and white) but contrast from dye layers.
Voila! Smoother and “sharper” negatives. Finally, overexposure in color negative films means the film actually increases in acutance. (I added that scientific word for those who read all that toe/heel crap.)

Now, when I get my negatives and contact sheets back from the lab’ I scan what I like, decide whether I want black and white, sepia or color and adjust accordingly. I know. Not purist. A lot like enjoying Peter, Paul and Mary or Big Bill Broonzy, but who cares how you get the print just that you get it, right?

The picture at the top was taken with a Zero 6x6 with “interchangeable backs”, a 24mm Hong Kong Zernike Au uncorrected, astigmatic non-lens and a cable release of unknown origin.

So, I choose my subject. I choose my “back” (Superia) and shoot happily away enjoying the reason I got into photography in the first place…I like it. The only decisions I have to make now are do I take the truck or the car? Oh God! Another decision.

Pass the Hasselblad.