The One Minute Camera design process is moving from cardboard mockups to a wooden prototype. As a first attempt, it will no doubt fall short in some ways. But I'm anxious to get some experience with it to see how it might be improved. The wooden prototype is being made of quarter-sawn fir that was salvaged from my 1928 bungalow remodel. Fir would not be a first choice for building a camera but since this particular kind of camera is often cobbled together by an amateur for use in making their own livelihood, they often have a kind of folk art feel about them. So the reclaimed fir seemed appropriate for this first attempt.

The prototype in front of a cardboard mockup

Variable spacing box joints.

Billy and I found a couple of additional patents for this type of camera so there is now a bit more information on historical solutions to this camera design challenge. More updates will be posted as things progress.

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While investigating the work and equipment of street photographers using "One-Minute" cameras, I stumbled upon the book by Chris Wroblowski entitled "Smudgers". It is about photographers using these cameras in various countries around the world.
Chris recently sent along photos of these cameras he has collected from Cuba, India, Morocco and Brazil. Each is a work of folk art in itself and has an accompanying illustrated backdrop for use behind the portrait sitter. In order to help fund a new project, he is now offering them for sale. Check out this article about Smudgers.

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Just about 4 years ago a modest sketchbook idea took life in a form that eventually would become the P.90 lensless camera. Conceived as an easy-to-use camera with an elegant, modern appearance, the P.90 is a medium format, lensless camera with a long-standing pedigree dating back to the original Pinoramic 120 camera from 1991. That original sketch proposed a canvas for the arrangement of a simple, anodized aluminum shutter placed in the middle of a subtly curved field of beautiful wood grain. Like all the Pinoramic cameras, the P.90 design is a curved film plane camera designed to capture a wide field of view on the expansive medium format.

Unlike so many offerings in this general category, the P.90 is an uncompromising camera utilizing original design concepts executed at the highest level. Bent wood laminations used for the front and back of the camera incorporate cross-banded construction that makes the camera both lighter and stronger than typical brick-style cameras. This technique was used in constructing the famous Mosquito bombers of WW2.

Carefully chosen rift-sawn solid timber is used for the top and bottom of the camera. Considered to be simply a necessity by historical camera makers, rift-sawn material is more dimensionally stable and reliable in service than the typical, less expensive, plain sawn material. The combination of bespoke, cross-banded lamination and rift-sawn material is unique to the P.90 and Pinoramic 120 series cameras and gives them their unique appearance.

The P.90's hardware is designed and made specifically for this application. Each brass component is given the same level of consideration as the custom woodwork. Both form and function are carefully designed to bring beauty and functionality into harmony in the final result. Very few contemporary builders of wooden cameras give this same level of attention to hardware that  they do to the woodwork.

This level of attention to detail makes a P.90 is an investment you will be proud of and enjoy for a long time to come. And with the no-questions-asked return policy, there is no risk in making your purchase.

P.90 cameras are a limited edition and production is nearing the end of the run with the remaining stock dwindling quickly. The last chance to own a P.90 is near. With the week-long anniversary celebration there will never be a better time to buy a P.90. Orders placed between June 9 and June 15 will receive 10% off of the standard price of $975.00.

Purchases can be made either at the website store or the Facebook P.90 page.

As encouragement to try out Dwolla's new cash payments system, purchases made using their service will receive an additional $20.00 off of the standard price. Dwolla is a new cash payment system that takes the credit card middleman out of the equation. There are online and mobile apps available. Check out the Dwolla site and contact me if you might want to take advantage of this additional discount.

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What a place to work - a Pinoramic 120 photograph of the train outside my shop window.

The Guardian newspaper recently proclaimed Portland #1 on its list of the five best places in the world to live. The others were -

St Pauli, Hamburg

Northern coast, Maui, Hawaii

Cihangir, Istanbul

Santa Cruz, Tenerife

It's an unusual list. Many of the usual suspects don't make the cut. But the reasons given for the choice - "There are planning restrictions on crappy developments. Portland has the highest number of microbreweries in the world." among others are familiar to Portlanders. I just like the sense of Portland being a place that's full of surprises but still gritty in an urban sort of way. To look out my shop window and behold the Banfield expressway, the MAX light rail and this railroad all within 50 feet of my window - that's my urban fix.

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