Light-sensitive materials for pinhole photography
The range of materials which could be used to make pinhole photography is very wide, even if manufacturing many of them is discontinued. Fortunately for analog photography enthusuasts it appear new ones on the market. In this post i will describe different types of light sensitive materials which might help to breate interesting effects.
Light-sensitive materials: films for 35mm and medium format cameras for pinhole photography
Black and white (monochromatic) negatives has different are usually sensibilized to all spectrum of visible light. Low ISO speed films offers very fine grain and high contrast. Using ISO 25 or 50 films we can expect really low grained pictures with high contrast, but exposure will be very long, especially when you use pinhole camera.
Medium ISO (100 and 200) films are average standard for photography at all and pinhole photography.
High speed films allow to take pictures in poor light condition, indoor shots in natural light and portraits. Tonality range of that films is wider ther low ISO speed ones.
Interesting option is use of ortho or infra red negatives. Orthochromatic film does not reproduce full spectrum of visible light on sensitive material. Only blue and green light is “visible” for that emulsion. You can create interesting landscape images using that film with orange or red filter. Blue sky is dark almost black on the pitures. Ortho films are usually low ISO speed. Ilford and Rollei offer that kind of negatives both for 35mm and medium format cameras.
Infrared films can reproduce full spectrum of visible light and additionaly infrared waves. You can use that film two ways. Without any filter as normal high ISO speed film. Other, more interesting way is use that film with deep red or black IR filter. Second one filter completely cut off visible light and ony IR is captured. Effect- sky is black, green leaves and grass is reproduced as white. Additionaly on the sky you can capture clouds, which are not visible with naked eye. Only one disadvantage of infrared pictures with filter is fact, that ISO speed dramatically falloff- from 200 to 6 or even ISO 3. Unfortunately only one available at this moment IR film is Ilford SFX 200.
Light-sensitive materials: colour films for pinhole photography
Modern colour films are based on T grain technology, which gives very fine grain and allow to use les silver in emulsion. Depending on manufacturer and ISO speed they offer different reproduction of colours. Some of them are designed more for landscape and nature photography, like Kodak Ektar 100 film, other are better for portraits, like Kodak Protra. Widest range of colour films is offered by Fuji and Kodak, which are biggest players on the market.
It is also worth to try other options than “standard” negatives. Since few years CineStill negatives becomes very popular. What is CineStill film? This is colour negative designed primary for cinematography. It offer ultra fine grain and excellent rendition of colours.
If you like experimenting with pinhole photography, you should try also redscale film. Depending on manufacturer and exposure time they produces interesting images in brown -orange shade or green. To be honest this is not a different model of negative film, it’s normal film loaded into cartridge other side. It is exposed thru emulsion mask, not directly. You can buy it as “redscale” film, but you can prepare it yourself. You need to rewrap and mount other side any colour negative film.
All films described above are negatives. I’d like to mention also slide films- there is not so much of them available. At this moment this is Kodak Ektachrome, Fuji Velvia and Provia. They gives fantastic, vivid colours and fine grain, however they must be exactly exposed. Tloerance for under or overexposure of slide films i lower than negatives.
Colur and monochrome films are offered for 35mm cameras and medium format cameras. Some of them also as cut sheets for large format cameras. Question is, what else light sensitive materials we can use in pinhole camera?
Read also: How to take photos with a pinhole camera?
Light-sensitive materials: photographic paper for pinhole cameras
Best way to shot on photographic paper for pinhole camera is to use it in large format camera- 4×5, 5×7 inch or even 8×10 inch. This way you can get large format negative with relatively high quality. ISO speed of photographic paper is low – in range 3-6, so exposure time will be long. Using it with ultrawide cameras, like Vermeer 4×5 inch camera you can make it shorter. Focal length is only 40mm, so distance between light sensitive material and “lens” is very short.
After processing of paper you can make a contact print of scan it and invert it during editing.
Photographic paper for pinhole camera are manufactured in other sizes than negatives, so sheet need to be cut in safe light before loaded into film holder. Tonality range is narrower than negatives, however they are not so expensive as cut sheet film and this is great advantage.
Other option is to load pinhole camera with direct paper, manufactured by Ilford in film negative sizes. It produces straight positive image.
If you are interested in pinhole cameras and want to buy one, visit my pinhole camera shop.
