Shipping Container Camera

[Tin Can]

With doors to walk in.

https://www.popphoto.com/shipping-container-camera/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email

[BrianShaw]

Interesting, but the lack of information makes me want to know more. What size is the Polaroid film that is being used? The link on “polaroid film” goes to Kmart’s offering of instant cameras, etc.

[William Whitaker]

...all brought to you by the Ministry of Silly Cameras.

I'd hate to see the neck strap for that thing!

[Tracy Storer]

Not using Polaroid film at all, just BW paper negatives. Watch to the end and see that Ilford is one of the "partners". Quite neat project.

[Tin Can]

I agree.

I like the way the original doors provide security and how the lens board is rolled into place and contains another light tight door.

It is worth watching the entire show.

Nice lens too!


Not using Polaroid film at all, just BW paper negatives. Watch to the end and see that Ilford is one of the "partners". Quite neat project.

[Mark Sampson]

One wonders if any of the photographers who build these ultra-large cameras ever produce any interesting photographs with them. Beyond 'OMG it's HUGE!' that is.
I'm not talking about Douglas Busch or the Polaroid 20x24s, of course... It's just that I haven't seen anything from most of these (although I would like to). Would anyone point me to good photos made with such cameras?

Full disclosure: I first saw a van converted into a camera c.1988 when I was at the Visual Studies Workshop... someone was touring around with it and were proud of having made a big picture of the facade of the George Eastman House. Of course I've forgotten who it was, but it was the only the first of the 'enormous camera' projects I've heard about, and never seen the results.

[Tracy Storer]

One wonders if any of the photographers who build these ultra-large cameras ever produce any interesting photographs with them. Beyond 'OMG it's HUGE!' that is.
I'm not talking about Douglas Busch or the Polaroid 20x24s, of course... It's just that I haven't seen anything from most of these (although I would like to). Would anyone point me to good photos made with such cameras?

Full disclosure: I first saw a van converted into a camera c.1988 when I was at the Visual Studies Workshop... someone was touring around with it and were proud of having made a big picture of the facade of the George Eastman House. Of course I've forgotten who it was, but it was the only the first of the 'enormous camera' projects I've heard about, and never seen the results.

Jo Babcock maybe? He did a van / pinhole camera back in the day.

As for "interesting work", I like a lot of the portrait and figure work Richard Learoyd has done in his camera obscura project. YMMV.

[Tin Can]

Had to look that up. https://www.pacegallery.com/artists/709/richard-learoyd

Why not?


Jo Babcock maybe? He did a van / pinhole camera back in the day.

As for "interesting work", I like a lot of the portrait and figure work Richard Learoyd has done in his camera obscura project. YMMV.

[Pete Roody]

One wonders if any of the photographers who build these ultra-large cameras ever produce any interesting photographs with them. Beyond 'OMG it's HUGE!' that is.
I'm not talking about Douglas Busch or the Polaroid 20x24s, of course... It's just that I haven't seen anything from most of these (although I would like to). Would anyone point me to good photos made with such cameras?

Full disclosure: I first saw a van converted into a camera c.1988 when I was at the Visual Studies Workshop... someone was touring around with it and were proud of having made a big picture of the facade of the George Eastman House. Of course I've forgotten who it was, but it was the only the first of the 'enormous camera' projects I've heard about, and never seen the results.

Ian Ruhter does some interesting large wet plate work work using a van converted into a camera:

https://petapixel.com/2012/04/03/wet-plate-photography-with-a-giant-format-van-camera/

https://www.ianruhter.com/


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[MAubrey]

One wonders if any of the photographers who build these ultra-large cameras ever produce any interesting photographs with them. Beyond 'OMG it's HUGE!' that is.
I'm not talking about Douglas Busch or the Polaroid 20x24s, of course... It's just that I haven't seen anything from most of these (although I would like to). Would anyone point me to good photos made with such cameras?

Full disclosure: I first saw a van converted into a camera c.1988 when I was at the Visual Studies Workshop... someone was touring around with it and were proud of having made a big picture of the facade of the George Eastman House. Of course I've forgotten who it was, but it was the only the first of the 'enormous camera' projects I've heard about, and never seen the results.

This particular photographer is doing this to engage the local community with photography and to educate his photography students at the university. As a pedagogical device, its quite brilliant.

[Pete Roody]

Another video of Ian Ruhter's work:

https://vimeo.com/296476568


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[Drew Bedo]

My recollection is that this has been done before using photo paper as the sensitive medium. Not quite sure of the benefit in creating such a camera though; other than the novelty. If they would make Tri-X in something like three by four feet or five by seven feet then maybe . . .

[Tin Can]

Some things are done just for fun. Such as any photography I do.

I can add this feature to my cargo trailer, still camp in it, or move my junk.

I like most things to be useful for several purposes.

Where's Dan and his container dreams?

[Amedeus]

Jo Babcock maybe? He did a van / pinhole camera back in the day.

As for "interesting work", I like a lot of the portrait and figure work Richard Learoyd has done in his camera obscura project. YMMV.

I met Richard on two occasions and experiencing his large Ilfochrome color images is somewhat surreal. I agree on the portrait and figure work, just sublime.

YMMV
Cheers

[Fred L]

not sure why he painted it to look like a Polaroid camera, but guessing it's eye candy to lure people in. but that gives a false, or mistaken impression, that the work will be instant, instead of paper negs. liked his rolling shutter board idea though.

[reddesert]

not sure why he painted it to look like a Polaroid camera, but guessing it's eye candy to lure people in. but that gives a false, or mistaken impression, that the work will be instant, instead of paper negs. liked his rolling shutter board idea though.

It's based on the same Polaroid camera that the original Instagram logo was based on, and the more stylized camera logo they used until a couple of years ago. Anyway, that connotes "photography" to the intended audience, I imagine.

[MAubrey]

It's based on the same Polaroid camera that the original Instagram logo was based on, and the more stylized camera logo they used until a couple of years ago. Anyway, that connotes "photography" to the intended audience, I imagine.

I think there's also an element of: after the exposure happens a print comes out of the camera.

Brendan Barry also turned a camper into a camera/darkroom and painted it like a rangefinder, but I don't think anyone got confused. ;)
https://petapixel.com/2017/09/09/turned-camper-giant-camera-portable-darkroom/

[Fr. Mark]

I was initially offended by the non polaroid film, but think it's a camera and developing in one, so it is "functionally" a polaroid.

[FrancisF]

My recollection is that this has been done before using photo paper as the sensitive medium. Not quite sure of the benefit in creating such a camera though; other than the novelty. If they would make Tri-X in something like three by four feet or five by seven feet then maybe . . .

...not quite sure of the benefits...

I agree and I spend more time than should thinking about this issue. Big is not automatically good but what are instances where the size, skill and subject all come together to do something which deserves ULF? Dennis Manarchy did the 4 by 6 foot work on Tri-X and in his hands it was truly magnificent.

[Fr. Mark]

Benefit? Can we start by agreeing that art isn't practical but has benefit for the soul?
Enormous camera/darkroom benefit? Education/outreach! I think it's great that he's showing people how to do chemical based photography. As a kid, I really wanted to join my dad in the camera hobby and back in the late 1970's I got signed up for a pinhole camera class on Saturday mornings taught out of the basement of a museum on the Mall in D.C. we used 4x5 sheets of photo paper in cardboard boxes like the old school supply boxes, developed the paper negatives and the next class printed them. Most people have never seen or done this process. I think it's great he's doing it. I misunderstood the process at age 9 and didn't put the negative emulsion side down and got "soft" prints. When I re-found those negatives and reprinted them a few years ago I was astonished at what I saw.

[basiltahan]

Vera Lutter. Amazing work.

[Tin Can]

Yes



Vera Lutter. Amazing work.

[Algo después]

208807



...my five cents: Rodney Graham ( from Vancouver school, like Jeff Wall), probably it´s different, because he is working at studios but anyway..
Although I think he had a Camera obscura project from 1979.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-aHhr24GoA

[Kiwi7475]

The first question that popped in my mind when seeing the video (which is cool) is, who is paying for this? Because nothing that happens in the video, from building, to the crane lift, to the public permit, to the materials used, is cheap... this could easily cost $50k to produce for a 2 week runtime.

It’s great to see film photography engaging with communities. We need that or else we’ll be the last dinosaurs.

[calebarchie]

The first question that popped in my mind when seeing the video (which is cool) is, who is paying for this? Because nothing that happens in the video, from building, to the crane lift, to the public permit, to the materials used, is cheap... this could easily cost $50k to produce for a 2 week runtime.

It’s great to see film photography engaging with communities. We need that or else we’ll be the last dinosaurs.

I believe he was given an Arts grant, lucky him.

[MAubrey]

The first question that popped in my mind when seeing the video (which is cool) is, who is paying for this? Because nothing that happens in the video, from building, to the crane lift, to the public permit, to the materials used, is cheap... this could easily cost $50k to produce for a 2 week runtime.

It’s great to see film photography engaging with communities. We need that or else we’ll be the last dinosaurs.

He's a university faculty member, his job is teaching photography and art, so I would expect that there was public funding for this grounded in engaging the public with the arts.

[Drew Bedo]

I have seen this done before.

Sometimes the whole container is the camera.

There was a thread here a few years ago where they built the whole trailer to look like a field camera with bellows, fake lens and all. Slick Video too.. Turns out the actual camera was inside the whole thing.

anyone remember that?

[Tin Can]

https://reelchicago.com/article/manarchy-take-his-giant-still-camera-road140306/

[Tin Can]

However i vastly prefer this camera

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/worlds-biggest-camera