An attempt at stereo solargraphy.

June 2019. When my university retiree account disappeared with a new change in policy, the pictures I uploaded to this blog while logged into that account disappeared. I'm working on fixing that but it's going to be at least a summer long project. 

I don't see why it wouldn't be possible.  I just screwed it up a little.

I put the camera out on January 1st, and closed the shutters after sundown on Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day.  It's probably not going to be my Pinhole Day submission.  I just picked up my film and it looks like I've got lots of other choices.

It's set up for crossed-eyed viewing. (How to view crossed-eye stereo images)

I guess it's OK in 3D.  What I screwed up was that the paper in the right hand chamber (the left as set-up for crossed eyes) was a little big on one side and warped, so the sun trails don't follow their normal curve.

I was hoping I could tell that the sun was farther away than the trees, but since it seems to have overexposed through the skinny tree branches, and the aforementioned distortion, it kind of screws up any 3D illusion. The rest isn't bad.  The negative density is a little low contrast, about what I'd expect for 4 months in winter

The camera's a one pound 45mm Oaks candy box with two .3mm pinholes, so two about 4 x 4 inch images. There's a piece of black foam core taped to the top and bottom that's dividing the chambers.

It was mounted on the side of the garage underneath the roof overhang so except for the windiest storms it would stay dry and that seems to have worked.

What did surprise me is I've always thought of myself as pretty far north, but really I'm just slightly south of halfway between the equator and North Pole.  I was surprised that the overhang cast a shadow on the camera this early in the year, so no more sun trails.

The other surprise was that the sun trails were kind of slanted to one side.  This wall faces absolutely south, but if you've seen a noon analema, it's always tilted. I think the equation of time explains this, but I really don't know.

In August when the noon sun falls on the camera again, I might do it for another couple months.  I'll be careful to make sure the film plane is flat this time. Will the sun trails be slanted in the other direction after the summer solstice?

It will be interesting to see the difference from the leafless snow scene and the fully leafed out trees and garden..