Retro-America with a Zero Image Pinhole Camera

The cameras used for this video are a Zero Image 2000 Deluxe Pinhole camera with Ilford HP4 120 film and a Canon 5D Mark I.
One small segment of suburban and small town architecture has always appealed to me, and that’s sidewalk ice cream shacks or dairy bars. To me, they represent the lowest common denominator in pop-retro culture, and I mean that in a good way. The tackier and older the structure, the better it looks. If Robert Frank and Andy Warhol were architects, they may have come with these.
There is something very lonely about these places in winter when they’re shut down for the season. I wanted to try and capture that.
In my mind, there were a few approaches to take, and both were based on medium format film. The first was using Portra 160 color print film. This would really bring out the retro-styled colors and give the images a pop art feel.
The other approach was to use 120 black and white film with a pinhole camera. Since it’s still winter and these places for the must part are shut down until spring, the black and white approach seems more appealing.
On the other extreme, I bought a Canon 5D Mark I body to have as a full frame backup body for my 5D Mark III. This is the first shoot I’ve used it, and I’m pretty happy with the results. I got a good mix of shots with the Zero Image pinhole camera and the 5D Mark I.
Check out my blog for some thoughts on image making at: https://jstefanphoto.com/blog/
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