Buzz
Ever considered crafting a functional camera from everyday items found at home? Despite their perceived complexity, cameras essentially consist of dark boxes with a minute aperture for channeling light onto a photosensitive surface. Follow the steps outlined below to fashion a pinhole camera from cardboard or metal.
Procedures
Constructing the Casing
Select a cylindrical or rectangular container. Opt for a vessel resembling a standard camera in size, ensuring it's free from dirt. Potential options include an old paint can, oatmeal container, shoebox, or coffee canister. Ensure the container's lid fits securely.
Ensure your container is painted black both inside and out. Alternatively, completely cover it with aluminum, ensuring there are no tears. This prevents any internal light reflection.
- Coat the entire lid as well.
- Allow the paint to fully dry before proceeding.
- If any paint chips off before usage, repaint it before taking photos.
Determine the size of your pinhole. The distance between the film and the pinhole affects your photo outcomes. The film will likely be on the lid if you're using a can.
- The pinhole size affects photo sharpness.
- For 3 to 6 inches between ends, use a No. 10 sewing needle, pushed halfway up the shaft, for your pinhole.
- Twist the needle as you poke for a cleaner hole.
Create the pinhole at the container's bottom. You can poke a hole directly or cut a 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch hole and poke a pin through separate paper or thin metal. The latter allows for a perfect circle and a retry if needed.
- For the second method, use heavy black paper or thin metal, securing it with strong tape like electrical tape.
- Materials like sturdy aluminum foil, malleable metal, or cardstock are suitable.
- Ensure the pinhole is circular by checking clarity from the film side; a printed page helps for clarity.
Constructing the Shutter and Viewfinder
Fashion a shutter from dark paper. Opt for opaque cardstock to prevent light penetration. Ensure the paper is thick enough not to fold during use.
- Cut a two-inch square from the dark cardstock, large enough to cover the bottom hole completely.
- Tape the square above the pinhole as a hinged shutter.
- Use sturdy tape like electrical or duct tape.
Apply tape to secure the bottom of the shutter flap. Use a less adhesive tape, such as electrical tape (duct tape is too strong), and affix the opposite end of the shutter beneath the pinhole when not taking photos to prevent light from entering the camera's interior.
Fashion a cardboard viewfinder. This device replicates the geometric relationship between the pinhole and the film, aiding in visualizing the final photo.
- The front viewfinder should mimic the film's shape and be positioned directly above the pinhole, secured with strong tape or hot glue.
- The rear viewfinder should sit atop the camera, serving as a peephole for visualizing photos. You can create it from a metal washer or a cardboard circle, attached with strong tape or hot glue.
- For subjects within five feet, lower the subject in the viewfinder to adjust for differences between perception and the pinhole's angle.
Preparing the Camera
Choose your light-sensitive material. Photographic paper can be loaded under specific lighting conditions.
- Load photographic paper under a safelight or flashlight filtered through at least three layers of red cellophane at the light source end.
- The flashlight should be six to eight feet away, ideally hung from a ceiling for proper distance.
- Load film under complete darkness. Practice loading in light conditions with a piece of paper, then with eyes closed before attempting in darkness.
Determine the size of your light-sensitive material. Cut the film into smaller frames, depending on your camera's body size.
- For moderate-sized cans, use film strips cut into 2 3/8 to 3 1/2-inch pieces. For a one-gallon paint can camera, cut a 4 by 5-inch film piece. A 2-pound coffee can camera requires a 2 1/4 by 3 1/4-inch film piece. These measurements apply to photographic paper too.
- Opt for sheet film if possible for easier manipulation due to its flatness.
- Cut the paper or film in complete darkness, like a closet with no light seepage.
- If unsure about size ratio, cut a larger strip; edges can be trimmed after development.
Prepare your camera for loading. Position the photographic paper or film inside the camera, opposite the pinhole.
- In complete darkness, secure the film or paper using looped tape at the back corners to prevent rolling. Avoid taping the front side to prevent damage and obstruction.
- Ensure the emulsion side of the paper faces the pinhole, distinguished by its shiny appearance. For film, the emulsion side is the side inside the rolled spiral.
- To identify the emulsion side, touch both sides with a wet finger; the sticky side is the emulsion side.
Seal your camera. Ensure complete lightproofing by covering any cracks or openings with black paint, aluminum foil, or black tape. Any stray light could spoil your photo.
Capturing an Image
Position the camera on a level surface. Set it on a table, counter, or tripod, ensuring stability for sharp photos due to shutter sensitivity.
Calculate exposure time. Film requires brief exposure, while photographic paper may need several minutes.
- For film, exposure time varies with ISO. Higher ISO means shorter exposure: 400 ISO film may need 2-12 seconds, 100 ISO 8-48 seconds, and 50 ISO 16 seconds to 1 minute 36 seconds, depending on light brightness.
- Photographic paper exposure generally ranges from 1 to several minutes, with some designed for extended exposure, even months.
- Practice to find your exposure time, following the guideline: brighter light, shorter exposure.
Direct the camera towards your subject. Factor in the distance between the pinhole and the viewfinder, aiming slightly lower than perceived.
Unveil the shutter flap. Carefully lift the bottom tape to allow light to pass through the pinhole, ensuring minimal camera movement.
- For extended exposures, secure the shutter open with tape or add weight atop the camera in windy conditions.
Seal the shutter. After the desired exposure duration, reapply tape to prevent further light infiltration. An image has formed on the film or photographic paper, ready for development.
Developing Your Photograph
Decide whether to self-develop or seek professional services. Self-developing requires various resources like chemicals, a darkroom, and potentially an enlarger for film. Alternatively, film and paper can be processed at a photography store. For DIY development, read on.
Master the art of black and white film development. Fundamentals include three solutions: developer, stop bath, and fixer.
Assemble your development materials. Besides a darkroom, gather developer solution, fixer solution, water, tongs, towels, a sheet of glass, and a safe light. Ensure your darkroom remains pitch black except for the safe light.
- Orange LED Halloween bulbs can serve as safe lights.
- Prepare three plastic dishwashing tubs: one with developer, one with water for stop bath, and one with fixer solution.
Retrieve the film or photo paper from the camera. Only do this in a darkroom illuminated solely by a safelight; white light will ruin your photo.
Utilize a photo enlarger to transfer the negative to photo paper. Skip this step if using photo paper in your camera. Otherwise, place the negative on the slide, switch on the enlarger, and select the appropriate f/stop.
- Create a contact sheet to experiment with various f/stops by covering the paper with black cardstock and gradually uncovering it while adjusting the f/stop to create strips of different brightness.
Immerse your photo paper in the developer. After transferring the negative image, place the paper in the developer using tongs. Observe as the image emerges, removing it from the solution with tongs once it reaches the desired darkness.[[Image:Make a Pinhole Camera Step 22.jpg|center]]
- Gently agitate the tray to ensure even coverage.
- Remember, the image will appear darker in white light outside the darkroom.
Move the photo paper to the stop bath for approximately ten seconds. Ensure the stop bath consists of room temperature water.
Using tongs, immerse the photo paper in the fixer for two minutes.
Retrieve the photo and rinse under running water for two minutes. Allow the photo to air dry completely or speed up the process with a hair dryer.
Handy Tips
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The key to building a pinhole camera is ensuring it's fully sealed from external light.
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If you wish to overlay multiple images during exposure, shield the shutter with black cardstock while changing subjects.
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When using aluminum foil to cover the opening, minimize wrinkles and ensure the tape lies flat against the cardboard.
Essential Supplies
- A cylindrical can or a small box
- No. 10 sewing pin
- X-acto knife or sturdy scissors
- Electrical/duct tape
- Thick cardboard or cardstock
- Black paint or aluminum foil
- Developing materials (optional)
