A quiet pinhole photo and the egrets of Bolinas
Worldwide Pinhole Day was Sunday, April 24th. Images taken between April 23-May 1 are eligible for the 2011 online exhibition. This non-commercial event has no entrance fee, isn't a competition, and you keep copyright. The image above was taken with a Zero Image 69 medium format pinhole camera. This beautiful little wood camera shoots 645, 6x6, 6x7, or 6x9. The pinhole is f/235, which requires about an 8 second exposure in bright sunlight with ISO 400 negative film. The image above was exposed for 16 seconds with Kodak Portra 400VC.
The sign is next to the viewing platform at Audubon Canyon Ranch's Martin Griffin Preserve (formerly Bolinas Lagoon Reserve). There are 62 egret nests visible from the viewing platform, and volunteers have spotting scopes available. When the birds stand up, you can see the beautiful pale blue eggs. The chicks will be born in mid-May. Bring a long lens if you'd like to photograph the birds from the platform.