Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice is approaching fast and will occur this year at 17:47 on 21st December..so that can mean only one thing it's time to take down the pinhole cameras, placed all those months ago.

Can you believe all the things that have happened in the last 6 months? What were some of your highs and lows ... personal, political, musical, ...whatever.

Now I don't expect that everyone will take down their cameras on that the 21st, but it would be great if you could take it down and post it back before Christmas.

If your camera is gone missing don't worry - as the line goes, ... there it was ..gone!

Before you take down the camera, take a good look at it. I think it is remarkable that this little can will have been constantly recording the passage of time at the particular place in which it has been sited. Perhaps you could take a photo of the can in it's weather beaten state and of the changed vista at which it is pointing.

1. Cover the aperture with some opaque electrical tape and release the camera from it's bindings.

2. If you can hear water inside the can try and keep it as upright as possible as otherwise the water will be washing over the surface of the negative.In Ireland we have had the wettest November in decades with heavy flooding causing chaos.

3. A day or two inside in the hot press will allow the water to evaporate. If the hot press is a dark space the aperture can remain open to assist with evaporation. Just remember to cover it again when posting.

4.If you are in a hurry just skip step 2 & 3 - we should still get some sort of image

5. Please post the camera back with your name, email address and the location of where the camera was sited.

sheelaghnagig
Lios na Si
Church Strand
Baltimore
Co. Cork
Ireland

When we get the cameras, then it's our turn on the Island to start processing the negatives - we will email you the image ...as long as you have sent a return email address and continue working on the images throughout the Spring. If you want to be involved in this last part..even remotely by skype ... let us know

The Islanders are cut off from the mainland as I write this...huge winds this weekend, making ferry crossing unsafe.



The December Solstice Explained

The December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, it is when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. Depending on the Gregorian calendar, the December solstice occurs annually on a day between December 20 and December 23. On this date, all places above a latitude of 66.5 degrees north are now in darkness, while locations below a latitude of 66.5 degrees south receive 24 hours of daylight.