KANTA, Making of a lens board

– making of a lense, a window, cut open, torn, ripped out
– section by section, it unfolds, the steel petals peel off
– the light within, the eye that watches, it edges closer, the time is slipping, the opening
– of steel you're not, but veneer, wood with iris see you, of mixed breed you are, vest we see less we be
– and alas, the plate fits, onto this steel eye, that will set forth, the opening to the world, of a moment present, it captures, but a moment of past it will exist
– pennies for the passage, all roads paved with good intentions needs a talisman. coins are the best holder/fixtures to hold the lense plate in place

LENS BOARD

VIsit to Master Chan, a camera restorer and lens board maker. calculations and measurements with a caliper to the 50th of a millimeter! commissioning seven plates for a variation of lenses. the board will be < 4 x 4 inches (101mm) at a thickness of 1mm ± 0.5 to 1mm for felt.

 

 

 

MATERIALS

besi buruk, junk 'recycling' centres. heading to one of these this week to look for containers and fixtures, plus whatever that might come in handy with the mounting.

Prototype no.2; insides

internal framing, holder in place, this is the viewing door, need to put in ground glass plates and we're ready for test printing! but first need to work on the other prototypes too.

WOODWORK; ground glass & negative holder

from left clockwise; grooved wood strips, cut glass, 1st & 2nd attempt, the successful 3rd, the ground glass fitted on groove strips

WOODWORK; holder

woodwork; ground glass & negative holder. trying hard to make this work. been quite frustrating, the 45 degree joints are just not working. manage to work on another approach and after 2 attempts, made one good holder. at the moment figuring out mounting. another challenge!

prototype no.2— fold camera

prototype no.2— fold camera. attaching a fold camera as the lens and focusing element. this is the first prototype built, it has more framing to hold the fold camera. currently building and designing the film plane (negative holder)

WOODWORK; prototype No.4

WOODWORK; prototype No.4 this is by far the most complex build and also the biggest box camera. aproximately 11 x 14 x 20 inch W x H x D. working with unwanted wood takes alot more work and and reconstruction

MORE READING

on theories on printing, as well as some inspiration from the Lukas & Sean, the guys behind the documentation of the Afghan Box Camera, the living art form of photography