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Lakeshore Pinhole Photography at Sturgeon Point
terraPIN ACMEPinhole Camera
Taking a break from the 2023 Alabama Road Trip, let's take a look at some different moody photographs. These were all taken with a 3d-printed pinhole camera at a material cost approaching zero. In fact, the single roll of Kodak T-Max 100 black and white film was more expensive than the camera.
The simplicity of the camera is underpinned by it being a pinhole camera with no lens. Instead of a lens, the camera has a tiny hole. In fact, the name pinhole exaggerates the size as the hole is so small that a pin would not fit through. To complete the simplicity, I did not fit this version of terraPIN ACME with a fancy laser drilled pinhole but instead made my own by solely mechanical means into a sheet of aluminum from a soda can.
Mysterious RocksPinhole Photography
Mysterious Rocks
Photographed with a medium format pinhole camera on Kodak T-Max 100 black and white film, developed in D-23
terraPIN AcmePinhole Camera in Action
I have a few favorite approaches to photographing the Sturgeon Point beach area. While that can lead to repetitive images and a difficulty to challenge myself to find something new, nature usually helps out. It seems that on no two visits does the beach look the same. Finding different submerged rock formations is one of those things I like to do every time, and they never ever look even similar, let alone the same. It seems like the force of the water repositions the rocks. Then, water level determines how submerged they are. Wind will create different waves.
With the tiny pinholes the f-stop of my pinhole cameras is between f/100 and f/200. Combined with a medium speed film at ISO 100, this results in exposures of several seconds, automatically pushing the photographs into the long-exposure territory without the use of any special filters. As the moving water does its thing the photographs are transferred into the mysterious moody territory.
Five and a Half RocksPinhole Photography
Five and a Half Rocks
Photographed with a medium format pinhole camera on Kodak T-Max 100 black and white film, developed in D-23
The camera features a very wide angle of view. The film plane is about 25mm from the pinhole, which would be a wide angle even on a 35mm camera, let alone the 120 medium format. This makes it fun to experiment with extreme close ups. While nothing is really in a sharp focus with a lensless camera the tiny pinhole resulting in a large f-stop creates an almost unlimited depth of field. As a result, things 1cm away will be as in focus as things at infinity. Different photographers prefer different looks but one school of thought with these extreme wide angles is that "if you think you're close enough, get closer". I am not really sure where I'd place myself. I continue experimenting with close and more moderate distances and often prefer the look of stepping just a bit back letting my main subject form a center of the square image and the natural vignetting accenting it. However, here the camera was almost touching the rock's corner.
Bow Up from WaterPinhole Photography
Bow Up from Water
Photographed with a medium format pinhole camera on Kodak T-Max 100 black and white film, developed in D-23
There are quite a few of these dome-shaped rocks along the beach. Some dry far from the water's edge, some close getting splashed over, and some permanently submerged. They're like cannon balls cut in half. They seem unnatural as if from another planet. Sometimes I call them UFO rocks even though they're most certainly not flaying (any more), at least I have never witnessed that. For today's post, I went with a more boring name of a Dome Rock.
Dome Rock
Photographed with a medium format pinhole camera on Kodak T-Max 100 black and white film, developed in D-23
May this serve as a reminder that every last Sunday of April is the annual Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. This year it falls on Sunday, April 30. I am not yet sure what camera or cameras I will bring but an idea is brewing. Maybe this terraPIN ACME and the Holga Wide Pinhole (WPC), one for black and white and one for color. Check back in May for results.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
More of my Pinhole Photography ...
Pinhole Lemonade WagonPinhole Photography
Pinhole Wagon WheelPinhole Photography
Pinhole Refueling TruckPinhole Photography
Alabama 2023, Part III, A Hop to Pensacola, Florida
From Gulf Shores, Alabama, it's not too far to other states. Namely Florida is right around the corner following Route 182 east and enjoying the Gulf of Mexico on the right.
Orange BicyclePensacola, Florida
Orange Bicycle, Downtown Pensacola, Florida
I really enjoyed this charming town and it did not hurt we visited a day before Mardi Gras and some of the decorations were already up for a more festive mood. The beautiful afternoon sun warmed up the air and the tones of the photographs I liked the increased contrast too.
Red StairsPensacola, FL
Red Stairs, Pensacola, FL
So many passages and balconies all around with stairs of many kinds. The red of this staircase looked gorgeous against the deep blue sky and it translated into a photograph really well too, which is not always the case. I tried different angles standing directly in front of the stairs, a little to the left, a little to the right, and in the end liked this version the most as it shows how one can sneak by the stairs.
Bricks, Pensacola, Florida
Mentioning the balconies, they all looked great. But this decorated one with the brick building behind it and lit by the warm rays of sun took the prize. I loved the deep black shadow underneath this scene created too.
Plaza Ferdinand VII SculpturePensacola, Florida
Plaza Ferdinand VII Sculpture, Pensacola, Florida
Nikon FE, Ilford Delta 100, D-23 7 minutes
Not exactly sure about the significance of this sculpture but am assuming it was related to the next day's Mardi Gras. Like with the stairs above I tried various angles here too but in the end the obvious symmetry of the head on approach won.
Seville QuarterPensacola, Florida
Seville Quarter, Pensacola, Florida
That light! We really lucked out on the lighting conditions while visiting Pensacola. Many of the photographs would become quite boring had it not been for the help of the warm directional sunlight. The yellow makes for another great combination with the blue sky, and the red text fits in too.
Mardi Gras MasksPensacola, Florida
Mardi Gras Masks, Pensacola, Florida
Nikon FE, Ilford Delta 100, D-23 7 minutes
Walking under the balcony of the Seville Quarter color photo, the Mardi Gras masks in the window caught my attention and I explored several angles again trying to show the sense of the place. I selected this version as the sidewalk goes on into the distance and is lined with the columns supporting the balcony above.
Tarragona StPensacola, Florida
Tarragona St, Pensacola, Florida
There was something irresistible in the old brick building especially once we cleared the corner and saw the palm trees down the narrow street. And just a little further the crosswalk willed in the corner and the scene was camera ready.
Pensacola Bay BridgePensacola, Florida
Pensacola Bay Bridge, Florida
Just a few steps from there we made our way to the water's edge offering a nice view of the Pensacola Bay Bridge. And that view will be the end of today's post.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Alabama 2023 Series: Part I, Houses on Stilts, Part II, Ends of Day, Part III, Hop to Pensacola, Florida
Gulf Shores Beach SunsetGulf Shores, Alabama.
Office & Palm TreesGulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf State Park Pier at SunsetGulf Shores, Alabama
Alabama 2023, Part II, Ends of Day
In the spring and in the fall, around the two annual equinoxes, a south facing beach like the one in Gulf Shores, Alabama, have one extra advantage. You can observe both a sunrise and a sunset from the same spot and both will be pretty much over the beach for a different mood from the ones over open water. In fact, the whole winter between the two equinoxes you will be able to enjoy both sunrises and sunsets, even if a bit more over the water. As the days extend, the sun will migrate too far over the land to the north.
Gulf Shores Beach SunsetGulf of Mexico
Setting sun over the beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +1 EV, 1/125 sec, f/16
Standing at almost the same spot as for the photo above just turned to the left and that is where the sun rose the following morning. For a different mood I went with a long exposure here completely flattening the already calm surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Not sure how but even the slope of the sandy beach disappeared for a complete leveled look of the sand and water.
Gulf Shores Beach SunriseGulf of Mexico
Rising sun over the beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +4 EV, 25 sec, f/22
First, I tried finding angles that would eliminate. any signs of civilization from my photos. however, as we continued our walk down the beach and the shape of the beach behind us changed it offered the below view including the silhouetted condominiums under the wild sunset colors.
Sunset Colors over Gulf Shores BeachGulf of Mexico
A distant condo silhouette under bold sunset colors in Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority -2/3 EV, 1/125 sec, f/4.5
And finally for the least intuitive view. While this was at sunset the below view is towards the east. There, the bold colors of the sunset were replaced with more subtle pastel tones. And no, the long pier of the Gulf State Park did not hurt the composition a bit. It was visible from quite a distance and it took us a while to realize we would not make it all the way to it that evening.
Gulf State Park Pier at SunsetGulf of Mexico
The Gulf State Park Pier in the distance with painterly sunset colors in the eastern sky
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority, 1/50 sec, f/7.1
And that is it for today. One beach, many different looks.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Alabama 2023 Series: Part I, Houses on Stilts, Part II, Ends of Day
Sunny Afternoon at Paradise IsleGulf Shores, Alabama
Office & Palm TreesGulf Shores, Alabama
Paradise Isle at DuskGulf Shores, Alabama
Alabama 2023, Part I, Houses on Stilts
After two days on the road, we pulled into the Paradise Isle Resort's parking lot, and I knew there would be many photographs of the resorts' buildings on stilts. While it is a common sight along the shore it definitely is not a common sight around Buffalo, New York. I immediately felt a connection and looked forward to exploring the raised house in different light. However, there was something captivating about that exact look in the middle of the afternoon with the sun in my eyes and the backlight skimming the walls of the resort.
I was tired from the long drive and a bit lazy and did not feel like digging out the camera at that very moment even though some lessons of the past went through my head. The light might not be the same again! We might not be there mid-afternoon again! Yet, all I did was pull out my phone and snapped a quick memory that way. For a few days afterwards, my worries kept coming true. Eventually I got my second chance though when we were not exploring elsewhere, and the light was similar to the arrival conditions.
Sunny AfternoonParadise Isle Resort
Sunny Afternoon at Paradise Isle Resort, Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +2/3 EV, 1/60 sec, F/16
The resort offered some other picturesque angles. Here's a pretty basic head on photograph across the West Beach Boulevard. I tried several other angles but in the end liked the simplicity of this one. I also liked how the palm trees fit in this frame.
Office of the Paradise Isle Resort, Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +2/3 EV, 1/200 sec, F/10
Since the houses on stilts also featured outside lamps I had to try a blue hour photo. We were lucky with the week spent there and evenings and nights offered clear skies with some decorative clouds floating by. And yes, I was happy with a scene similar to the opening one, just a few steps back to include one extra unit. I was hesitant about the cars on the right edge but did not have much of a choice as I absolutely wanted to include the utility poles. Why not though? These are vacation houses and the cars belong there.
Paradise Isle Resort at Dusk, Blue Hour over Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +2 & 2/3 EV, 15 sec, F/10
The next evening we returned early enough to catch another dusk photograph. For this one I went around the corner and looked for a new angle. When I thought I was done someone turned on the light in the window on the right and I grabbed one more photo. And I am glad I did. As I reviewed the whole series it was that last one that came ahead of the rest for me. It added a little extra bonus.
Blue Hour over Paradise Isle Resort, Gulf Shores, Alabama
Nikon D610, Nikkor AF-S 24 - 85mm ED, Aperture Priority +1 EV, 25 sec, F/11
There you have it, the opening post to another series. Apparently, I am doing really well with the sequels to the other ones (from 2016!).
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Alabama 2023 Series: Part I, Houses on Stilts
De Immigrant on MississippiRoad Trip
Trading Post in Georgetown, ColoradoRoad Trip
A Rural HouseTravel
Pineapple, Ananas, Piña, Abacaxi
This time it did not take a long time at all to add to the Animals & Plants photo gallery. After some frogging last time, we're exploring the look of a tasty fruit this time around. First up? A close up, always creating an intriguing pattern of shapes and colors. Sometimes more yellow, sometimes more green, but always tasty unless it's left standing around for too long turning into pineapple wine.
Pineapple PatternA close up on pineapple skin pattern
Pineapple Pattern Close Up
Tokina atx-i 100mm f/2.8 FF Macro, 1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 200
I have had an opportunity to meet and talk with people from many countries and somehow by accident our discussions often turned to a pineapple. While our common language usually was English, we found it interesting that ananas was the word for it in our native languages. And the more people I asked the more of them knew the fruit as ananas.
For the second photo I have gone for a profile. Can you tell this pineapple is looking left? I liked the contrast between the warm colors of the fruit and the black background.
Pineapple ProfileThe side of a pineapple, or its profile.
Pineapple Profile, Side Close Up
Tokina atx-i 100mm f/2.8 FF Macro, 0.6 sec at f/16, ISO 200
And finally, a full head portrait to close us out today. Unlike the two photos above I did not want to go for a frame-filling portrait. Instead, I wanted to give the fruit plenty of room around the edges. I like the mood better that way.
PineappleHow do you say pineapple?
Pineapple, Ananas, Piña, Abacaxi
Tokina atx-i 100mm f/2.8 FF Macro, 0.5 sec at f/11, ISO 100
All photos were captured with a very simple set up. I hung a black velvet fabric behind (and under) the pineapple for a blank black background. Then I placed a single large adjustable LED light (18" FotodioX C-700RSV FlapJack) at about 45 degrees on the left and turned it more right to just illuminate the fruit by the feathered edges of the light. With that set up almost no light was falling on the fabric to the left of the fruit and the right side was far enough to also stay in the dark. In fact, the light was turned more towards the camera than the fruit and was causing a flare despite having placed a hood on the lens. I flagged the light off with a piece of black matboard leaned against the light from the camera side. I manually set the camera white balance to 3700K and the light to 3600K for a slightly warmer rendering.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs of the animal kingdom? Visit my Nature - Animals & Plants and enjoy!
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