Best way to digitally replicate 'pinhole effect'?

Norfolkbloke

Norfolkbloke

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Recently been admiring some pinhole camera landscape images on the net and wondering how best to replicate the effect digitally, I'm currently using lightroom, elements 11 (though haven't used this since LR5) picasa3 and photoscape!!

I guess the obvious answer is just to make a hole in my camera body cap, may well do that at some point but just fishing for ideas from anyone who may have done/doing something similar?

Many thanks
Matt
 
Topaz Labs do a 'Lens Effects' plugin which includes a pinhole effect. :)
 
Norfolkbloke said:
wondering how best to replicate the effect digitally,
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Remove lens, fit pinhole. Make your own using a body cap.

You won't be able to do it in post processing as a pinhole image is equally sharp (or not) from infinity to incredibly close.


Steve.
 
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Who said you have to use Photoshop? All we know is that a 'digital' method was requested. It sounds like an interesting exercise if you like dabbling with PP. It'll get you to look more closely at pin hole pictures. To find that particular characteristic.
 
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ianp5a said:
Who said you have to use Photoshop? All we know is that a 'digital' method was required. It sounds like an interesting exercise if you like dabbling with PP.
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I was thinking generically! The OP is using Lightroom and Elements 11 - give me some latitude here? ;)
 
chuckles said:
Certainly cheaper than Photoshop!
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cheap generic body-cap (£1.79 - here)

2cm square bit of aluminium irn-bru (other soft drink cans are available) can - (free - nick one from next doors recycle bin if you haven't got your own)

1 straight pin (free - I used the one from my last "proper" collar-and-tie type shirt)

1 bit of fine wet and dry paper (foc. - already had some "in stock")

and follow one of the free tutorials online - this for example
 
chuckles said:
I was thinking generically! The OP is using Lightroom and Elements 11 - give me some latitude here? ;)
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Oh I see. You brought up the cost aspect, so I thought you meant using Photoshop was a disadvantage. I was merely saying there are other alternatives without that disadvantage. The OP is not limited to using those programs only.
 
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It will be interesting to compare a pin hole result with a lens result, taken at the same scene. A bit of trial and error to find a lens with a similar field of view. Then it would be possible to judge differences in the distortion of the scene.
 
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Many thanks for all of the suggestions, most helpful.

To elaborate I'm looking to 'interpret' the work of pinhole photography using the digital formats I mentioned in my post, not solely to copy the method completely but using the ideals of breaking down hard lines (sharpness) and giving that distinctive glow to minimalist
black and white landscapes. I've also been looking at Lomography and Orton effect as well as other film techniques.

I find the work of Steve Gosling particularly inspiring.

Matt
 
Keep in mind the real pinhole usually involved a long-ish exposure as well, so you'll need neutral density filters on the camera to emulate it properly if theres anything moving in your scene.
 
Good old Picasa. Who needs anything else?

So far there seems to be these characteristics:
- Extreme depth of field.
- Soft, but deep Vignetting.
- Long exposure.

Search Flikr groups for pin hole for more inspiration. There are a lot of pin hole Flikr groups.
 
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I stopped using it when they gave up support for Ubuntu. 'Giving up support' is something Google does a lot of.
 
ianp5a said:
It will be interesting to compare a pin hole result with a lens result, taken at the same scene. A bit of trial and error to find a lens with a similar field of view. Then it would be possible to judge differences in the distortion of the scene.
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ianp5a said:
I stopped using it when they gave up support for Ubuntu. 'Giving up support' is something Google does a lot of.
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A pinhole image shows no distortion and is geometrically perfect. The field of view depends on distance from the focal plane. much the same as a lens focused at infinity gives.
A pinhole is the ultimate zoom lens, and gives an undistorted image at any focal length equivalent. But the equivalent aperture changes with focal length.
 
Norfolkbloke said:
Thanks for that link, Ian!!

Here's something I knocked up just to give an example of what I'm trying to achieve, to the the glowing effect I had to use a filter effect in the Picasa editing program!

Matt
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It would be very hard to confuse that with a pinhole image.
A pinhole image is universally soft at all distances.
 
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Steve Smith said:
Remove lens, fit pinhole. Make your own using a body cap.

You won't be able to do it in post processing as a pinhole image is equally sharp (or not) from infinity to incredibly close.


Steve.
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^This.

Seriously.... why go to ALL the trouble of inventing, or appropriating a long winded digital process, or buying plug ins or software when you can actually use a pinhole.

If you're doing it just for fun, fine, but if you actually need something that looks like it was taken with a pinhole, then use a pinhole.

If you're still intent on a digital Process, then PHotoshop's lens blur filter set to maximum aperture blades and maximum curvature, coupled with a pass through Lens Correction to add a lot of vignetting should get you close. The fact is though, the results of a pinhole suffer a huge amount of diffraction, which more lens effects algorithms don't have a need to replicate. Adding diffusion to highlights will be needed too.

Seriously.... get a body cap... drill a 5mm hole in it. Cover with a piece of thin aluminium and experiment with different sized holes. Costs you a few pence each time, or possibly nothing at all if you have the stuff lying around. It's MUCH more fun too.

View attachment 38079
 
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