Adventures with the Harman Titan 4x5
On Saturday, September 7th, I returned to shooting with my pinhole camera after a few months away over the summer. Packed in my bag was my Harman Titan 4x5 pinhole camera, equipped with 3 film holders loaded with 6 sheets of Fomapan 100.
For this outing, I opted to expose the film at 400 ISO. This decision was partly to minimize exposure times; while I typically don't mind the longer exposures characteristic of Fomapan, I encountered a challenge as I set up my first shot on the seashore at Birling Gap: my tripod began sinking slowly into the wet sand. The calculated decision, a shorter 1 second exposure will sink less in the wet sand during the exposure than a longer 30 second exposure, equaling a less blurry shot 👍
Adjusting to the Harman Titan has been a learning curve for me. Having been accustomed to wider pinhole cameras in the past, normally needing to take a step or 2 forward after setting up the composition, the Titan's 72mm cone offers a slightly narrower field of view, prompting me to think more deliberately about compositions—a refreshing change from my usual approach.
The first location I stopped at was Birling Gap, East sussex UK
1 second exposure .
Looking along the cliffs at Birling gap.
A slightly longer 3 second exposure.
3rd exposure looking back along the otherside of the cliffs at Birling gap
1 second exposure.
After Birling gap I head along the road to this lovely small church.
St Simon & St Jude's Church, East Dean
My last stop on the way home was in Jevington
Home of the Hungry Monk, where the famous banoffee pie was invented.
This is on a very narrow and sometimes very busy stretch of road, so the only composition I found safe was just on the edge of the path, but I feel it works well.
I did film all this photo a behind the scenes YouTube video for My Channel
But: unfortunately the SD card corrupted
Developing
I stand developed this film in Ilford Ilfotec DD-X
Mixing ratio 1+9
Agitate for 1 minute and a couple of taps on the side
leave for 45 minutes
Stop, Fix and was as normal.
Overall, this outing has rekindled my appreciation for the precision and thoughtfulness that pinhole photography demands, especially with a camera like the Harman Titan. Despite the initial challenges, I’m beginning to appreciate its slightly narrower field of view and the way it pushes me to approach compositions more thoughtfully.
As I continue to experiment with this camera, I’m excited to see how my skills and style evolve. If you’ve been considering trying out a new pinhole camera or experimenting with film photography, I encourage you to embrace the learning curve—it can lead to unexpected and rewarding results.
Thanks for following along on this journey, and I look forward to sharing more adventures, images, and tips with you in the future!
To check out all my pinhole work go see
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