U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | RE: OT question and Hello

RE: OT question and Hello



Aha, found it at last. See the 720 degree self portrait at the bottom of the page and the link to the camera construction on the same page. The camera is constructed a little different then the one I saw, however a couple of years ago.
 
 
If this isn't what you were looking for, don't tell me. I'm too exhausted now from all the searching :-)
 
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: D. Mark Andrews [mailto:mark@dragonbones.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 9:53 PM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: RE: OT question and Hello

Saffron,
 
Your question is really driving me crazy since I feel like I know exactly what you are looking for, but can's seem to locate the appropriate link. The best I can do is describe the process used to achieve the look. The images I saw a couple of years back were made by a simple pinhole camera of interesting construction.
 
A 5 inch length was cut from a cardboard tube (larger in diameter than a paper towel roll). In each end was placed rubber stoppers, like those used for shipping tubes for posters and such. Each stopper was fitted with a pinhole "lens" in the center, the size of which was drilled to expose midway through the tube (2.5 inches)--you still with me? A tabbed piece of tape was placed over each pinhole to make a crude shutter of sorts.
 
A piece of 4x5 sheet film was placed in the tube using a changing bag. The loaded camera was aimed at the subject and held stationary while the tape was lifted from one end (You'll need to calculate the appropriate exposure. There are web sites that can tell you the size of pinhole you need and exposure, let me know if you need them). THEN the tube was flipped over and the OTHER end had the tape lifted--both sides were now exposed--basically two 360 degree images shot twice but barely overlapping in the center.
 
The resulting images were bizarre. The images I saw were primarily of the photographer's face (self portraits), but his faced was warped and teeth were coming his forehead, eyes in his neck etc. They appeared as severely deformed faces.
 
Keep in mind that the diameter of the tube needs to be large enough so when the sheet film is placed in the tube the ends do not overlap.
 
I hope this helps. A simple image would have make this much easier, but I'll be damned if I can find one!
 
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: Saffron Branfoot [mailto:Saf.branfoot@tiscali.co.uk]
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 11:27 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: OT question and Hello

Thanks for your suggestions, Dan, and for the great site you suggested.
 I really mean in camera effects because photoshop and computers are a closed book to me.
The nearest example I can think of is a recent article on the work of James Fee in the latest edition B&W magazine and the title was 'Retreating man' in case anyone has seen that.( I can't find it on a website. ) I don't know how this particular image was achieved though, as Fee evidently did a lot of work on his prints in the darkroom.
 I have seen similar effects to the one I am looking for when photographs are taken through heat haze or like the headless swimmer by Kertesz, but also in 'normal' conditions. If I can track down some more examples I shall come back to the list - meantime, many thanks.
Best wishes,
Saffron.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 5:55 PM
Subject: Re: OT question and Hello

Welcome to the list!

Could you point us to a web site with examples similar to what you'd like to achieve, just so we are on the same page image-wise? Thanks.

It's not clear if you want to get this anamorphic look in-camera or if you're willing to play in Photoshop a bit. Hunt Witherill has done some stunning floral work in which he has "bent" the image structure using the Polar Coordinates filter (Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates). You can see some examples at the following:

http://www.neartexpress.com/artist/Huntington_Witherill.html

If you are using CS2, there are also some new warping tools found in the Edit>Transform>Warp menu. Lots of fun and a great opportunity to waste time. ;^)

Hope this helps,

Dan

Saffron Branfoot wrote on 10/15/06, 3:05 AM:

I would like to make some images of my partner going about his work, so will use MF, and would like to achieve for some of them an 'anamorphic' look that I have seen elsewhere. It is not just that the image is out of focus, but that it takes on a strange shape. I nearly achieves this in one image where he was walking away and was in the background of a shot. Is this the way it is done, can anyone tell me? I would like to have a fairly extreme example of this - a suggested shape in the landscape to counter balance the more prosaic shots I already have - I would be so grateful for any advice.

--
www.DanBurkholder.com
www.TinyTutorials.com