"Through the Viewfinder" is a photographic technique that uses two cameras (a modern digital camera with manual focus and an old twin-lens reflex camera) to take images with vignetting and distortions.
The Kodak Brownie Reflex: a vintage twin-lens reflex camera
The vintage camera is aimed at the subject, and the digital camera is used to capture the scene through the viewfinder of the old camera. About 1.5 feet is required between the cameras, and it must be completely dark in between them, so that the only light that the digital camera senses comes from the viewfinder. As so many different vintage cameras are used with so many different digital cameras, it is necessary to design and build a special apparatus for each particular combination of cameras.
I designed two different styles, for use in different situations. One made of rigid cardboard, for when I don't need to worry about carrying it, and another made of opaque polypropylene, for when I can't carry much or will be near water.
The cardboard design was the most difficult to get right, as my camera (a Kodak Brownie Reflex) has a complicated shape.
A raw photo taken through the cardboard apparatus
The polypropylene design (at home, so I can't take a picture of it) has an elastic seam on either end (made from rubber bands) that ensures a good seal around both cameras. The flexibilty of the polypropylene comes at the expense of being very difficult to use, as it will often bend and obscure the viewfinder, and both cameras need to be individually supported.
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