r/Solargraphy

While repainting a wall, the pinhole camera I had installed accidentally fell. I installed it on my twentieth birthday, in March 2020.

The camera was exposed for 2,248 days, my current exposure record. The colors are very different from those of other solargraphs I've taken, likely due to the extremely long exposure time. I also believe the fact that the camera was protected from the rain contributed to the final result.

Despite the Sun having made 12 passes across the sky, the trails interrupted by the clouds are still clearly visible.

Pinhole camera made from a 30 mm plastic tube, Kodak Polymax paper.

March 11, 2020 – May 7, 2026

On a clear day, I took my Lubitel out to experiment with solargraphy. I pointed it at Castello Pio in Casarano, a neo-Gothic building from the early 1900s.

The Kodak paper was exposed for 5 hours, and the sun left a sharp, well-defined trail across the field of view. The advantage of using a camera with lenses, compared to traditional pinhole cameras, is that it offers much greater sharpness and can expose in a few hours, rather than several months. I had to significantly increase the contrast of the castle because it was backlit the entire time, and there's a lot of noise, but I'm happy with the result. behind the scenes video

It is expired black and white paper but it got these nice colors.

The more colorful one was 244 days (September 2025) overlooking the posh residences on the cliffs at the beach.

The foggy blue one was 293 days (July 2025) overlooking a lagoon (bottom) and train trestle.

I cut out a small part of the plastic off and made the pinhole into a part of a soda can so I'll get less vignetting. I also tape zip ties in the back so they are easier to secure on the spot.