Continued from Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) 2020 - Part 1

After I got 5 photos in on the Lensless 4x5 and got thoroughly chilled on the cold and rainy Sunday that was WPPD 2020 it was time for a change of pace and a change of tools. The exposures on the direct positive paper I had in the 4x5 camera were just too long. It was time for the Holga WPC loaded with Rollei Retro 80s. ISO 80 film vs. ISO 3 paper definitely made a difference even accounting for the film's reciprocity failure.

Holga WPC - WPPD 2020Behind the Scenes Support this blog: Do you like my free content but are not ready to buy a photograph yet? Using my links (Amazon) to do your shopping helps me share more photographs and write the stories behind them. Thank you!

The difference was very noticeable and very welcome. I went from 15-minute exposures to about 90 seconds. The meter was showing around 30 seconds and I did not know the exact reciprocity failure characteristics of the Rollei Retro 80s film. As a result, I used the general guidance I found a while back and that had been working well for me. I have this info stored as a note on my phone but it's not hard to memorize either.

In my case, I did a times 3 for my 30 seconds and exposed for 90 seconds. These are not perfect numbers and if you look up your film's characteristics ahead of time you will most likely get even better results. Some more modern films, like the Fuji Across or Kodak T-Max don't need this much compensation.

Since the casino's back porch featured a roof and provided a relief from the rain I lingered for couple more shots and tried to take advantage of the very wide perspective of the Holga WPC. I really liked the architectural curves and textures.

Behind the Casino IIWPPD 2020

Behind the Casino II - Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) 2020
Holga WPC (Wide Pinhole Camera), Rollei Retro 80s Black & White Film

The next photo is from the other side of the passage in the first photo. What intrigued me there were the stairs to nowhere, or mystery stair. They're not really to nowhere as they lead to some sort of an attic of the building but the door has been turned into more of a wall for the commoners.

Behind the Casino III - WPPD 2020WPPD 2020

Behind the Casino III - Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) 2020
Holga WPC (Wide Pinhole Camera), Rollei Retro 80s Black & White Film

I warmed up, I felt like I exhausted what the location offered for the day, and it was time to move on to at least one more location for some variety. I decided to drive to an old farm turned into a state park as it offered a variety of subjects in a rural setting. Since the weather was awful I was not worried there would be crowds of people being Sunday. And indeed, the place was uncharacteristically empty.

As I was approaching the farm entrance the stone wall caught my eye. It's a beautiful wall and I had photographed it before but this day, the two spots where the wall gave in to the passage of time captured my attention. So I stopped and sprang into action. And it just so happened that the other locations happened spontaneously from there with me never actually heading for the official entrance and to the usual suspects. Starting at the wall and looking past it provided a whole new inspiration in a place I'd been to many times.

Broken Stone WallWPPD 2020

Broken Stone Wall - Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) 2020
Holga WPC (Wide Pinhole Camera), Rollei Retro 80s Black & White Film

Once I captured the wall I went through the opening to see whether there was an interesting view of the wall from the other side. There wasn't but I saw something else in the distance. And who could resist hay bales in the field? Not me. One challenge was the unrelenting rain. The field was soaked and I was wearing sneakers! Yes, laugh if you want to, I felt rather silly myself. But at this point I was not going to let that slow me down. At first, I proceeded carefully trying to avoid the ankle deep puddles. As I was getting closer it became clear that was silly as my shoes were getting wetter and wetter with each step anyway both from below and from above. I just gave up and walked up to the subjects of my next photo.

Hay BalesWPPD 2020

Hay Bales - Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) 2020
Holga WPC (Wide Pinhole Camera), Rollei Retro 80s Black & White Film

From the hay bales I saw another potential target and headed in that direction, at that point my sneakers were completely drenched and my jeans wet up to my knees. In a way, that made the last shot simpler to get to as I really did not have to worry about water any more. The intended shot lost its appeal when I got there but on the way, I passed this wonderful chaotic scene. A tree, shrubs, a gap allowing a view through the window on the field behind, and an old collapsed fenced there. That became the last frame on the roll and the last pinhole photograph for the day.

ChaosWPPD 2020

Chaos - Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) 2020
Holga WPC (Wide Pinhole Camera), Rollei Retro 80s Black & White Film

Alright, that does it for WPPD 2020. While I hope for better weather in 2021 it goes to show that bad weather can lead to a good inspiration. I might have never found and photographed these subjects had it been sunny. Who knows?

Enjoy the Beauty that Surrounds You! (#etbtsy)

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Stone WallWPPD 2020 Stump & RootsWPPD 2020 Casino PatioWPPD 2020