Cameron Gillie Photo Blog | The Photograph of Cameron Gillie

Rustic Kentucky

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Cameron

While in Kentucky doing an art show I stayed with Clint Krause, a friend from my Florida newspaper days. Clint took me out and showed me around some awesome old farmsteads very near their house. It was a gold mine for pinhole photography! There is a lot more photos yet to come. Thanks Clint!

Although this barn had seen much better days, this old tractor appeared to still still be in use.

When I first looked at photographing this tractor inside and old barn it was way too dark inside for a pinhole photograph. The exposure would have been hours long. The next morning light streamed in giving me enough light for a 15 minute exposure.

Kentucky/News/Pinhole Photographs

Back in the Saddle

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Cameron

The Lanier Mansion in Madison, Indiana

I’m back on my feet and starting to develop film from the Kentucky trip. For those who don’t know already, I had heart bypass surgery since returning from Kentucky. Two weeks ago today I was in open heart surgery for 10 hours but today I’m up scanning and developing some film. So the recovery is going pretty good. After 3-4 months I should recover fully and I’ll be back in the swing of things again.

This was just as big a surprise to me as it has been to everyone else. Here’s the Reader’s Digest version…

While in Madison, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky doing two shows I noticing some discomfort in my chest when walking long distances. Considering my family history I figured I should get it checked when I got home. We went into the walk in clinic and I never left the hospital. It turned out to be pretty serious, I had some pretty bad blockage so the bypass surgery was the best option for the long term recovery. The good news is there is little damage and I should make a full recovery.

I got here by having some seriously bad genes, combined with not taking care of myself, stress and not knowing when to slow down. I got myself into this mess, with some serious lifestyle changes I can get myself out of it. I should be able to recover fully and be in better shape than ever. I’ve got some serious motivation. The past two weeks have been the most miserable experience I’ve ever had to endure. I don’t want to have to repeat this. Or suffer even worse consequences. I’ve got too much left to do.

So I’m be seeing you at an art fair again soon! Next up is the Winter Off The Square on November 15th and 16th.

Close To Home/Madison Photos/The Midwest/Wisconsin

Pope Farm Pinhole

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Cameron

I did a pinhole shot too while at Pope Farm Conservancy testing the Agfa Click. In fact this is the first shot with the new wood pinhole camera!

In all the photos I’ve done at Pope Farm Conservancy I still don’t feel I have any print worthy photos. I guess I’ll just keep going there till I get something. It goes to show that it’s okay to revisit the same thing many times until you perfect it. It’s a cool place, I just haven’t captured it yet.

Click and Clack/Close To Home/Madison Photos/The Midwest/Wisconsin

A Click- Not to be confused with a Clack.

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Cameron

So here’s the first roll with the Agfa Click. The Click is the 6×6 square format version of the 6×9 Agfa Clack. They are both inexpensive German plastic point and shoot cameras from the 1950’s. I guess the German version of the Brownie. The Click was never sold in the U.S. making them hard to find so I ordered this one on eBay from Lithuania. I’ve reversed the lens in the Click just like I did in the Clack (taking the camera apart and putting the lens in backwards). Kind of an interesting look to the images, fun to play with anyway. These are a few shots from the Pope Farm Conservancy in Middleton.

Close To Home/News/Pinhole Photographs/Wisconsin

Hidden River Art Festival

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Cameron

Had a nice surprise this morning at the Hidden River Art Festival.

Close To Home/Madison Photos/Pinhole Photographs/The Midwest/Wisconsin

A Few Beers

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Cameron

Here’s my first shots with the beer can pinhole cameras. The 4×5 film wraps around the inside of the beer can pretty tight and so there is a lot of distortion because the film plane is curved. I found the vintage cans at a garage sale and they work much better than a modern beer can because they are more sturdy and I can use a can opener to get the top off to put in the film. Here’s a few shots from the Wisconsin Capitol.

The cans loaded up with film and sealed with electrical tape.

How do you put a beer can on a tripod? With a custom made head and some rubber bands.