Basic Pinhole Camera
By Charlie M
27 Apr 2009
Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) was on 27th April 2009 – which gave me the perfect excuse to finally reuse one of the many plastic boxes left over from my MOO Minicards!
WPPD is an annual international event, aimed at promoting and celebrating the art of pinhole photography. It is held on the last Sunday in April each year. Further details can be found at www.pinholeday.org.
Pinhole cameras work on the "camera obscura" principle – a tiny hole (the pinhole) in a darkened container projects an inverted image on the opposite wall inside the container.
There are two main rules to consider when building pinhole cameras:
1. The container must be completely light tight.
2. The smaller the pinhole, the sharper the final image. Also remember that the smaller the pinhole, the less light it lets in (meaning longer exposure times are needed).
The steps below will produce a basic pinhole camera that uses silver halide paper as paper negatives.
To build a pinhole camera, you'll need the following:
• An empty container (the empty MOO Minicards boxes are ideal, however any container can be used within reason, so long as it can be made light tight),
• a can of matt black spray paint,
• a permanent marker,
• a craft knife,
• some black PVC electrical tape,
• an emery board or fine sandpaper,
• a pin (finer is better),
• Blu-Tack,
• and an empty aluminum drinks can.
Directions
1. Draw a cross (from corner to corner) on the front of your box, to find the exact centre, and cut a hole (around 1" in diameter) to let the light in.
2. Spray the inside of the box with matt black spray paint. If you're using a plastic surface, consider lightly sanding the inside to provide a better key for the paint (otherwise it could flake off).
3. Cut a square of aluminum from the drinks can. The square must be bigger than the hole cut in step 1.
4. Draw a cross on the aluminum to find the centre, and very slowly "drill" a hole in to the centre using the pin. The hole should be as possible – just let the tip of the needle show through.
5. File both sides with fine sandpaper or an emery board, so that the area around the hole is as smooth as possible.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 if necessary, and wash and dry the foil to remove any dust or grease. Be careful when handling from now on, as finger grease can block the tiny hole.
7. Colour the foil square in black, using a permanent marker. This will be the side that faces inside the camera, and stops light from bouncing around inside.
8. Fix the foil square to the front of your camera using PVC tape, covering the hole created in step 1.
9. You'll need a basic shutter mechanism, so that light doesn't enter when your camera is loaded. I created a thin cardboard sleeve that slides up and down, however a strip of tape or a piece of Blu-Tack will work equally as well.
10. That's it – this is the basic pinhole camera! Check carefully for any potential light leaks, and patch 'em up with PVC tape!
To use your pinhole camera, you will need:
• Silver halide paper. I used Ilford Multigrade RC (glossy), because that's what I had. Some websites say that Grade 2 is best. Glossy is easier when it comes to loading, as you can tell which side needs to be facing the front in the darkroom.
• Basic black and white chemistry – paper developer, stop (or you can use water), and fixer.
• A 15W safelight
• A room that can be completely sealed off from light
To load your camera:
1. Lay everything out ready (but don't open the paper until the door's shut, and normal lights are off), and switch on your safelight.
2. Cut a square of photographic paper that will fit inside your camera. For Moo Minicard boxes, around 7x4cm works well. I found it easier to make it slightly smaller, and Blu-Tack it in to the back (bigger pieces were difficult to get out if they got stuck – things are harder to do in the darkroom!).
3. Place in the back of the camera (glossy / light sensitive side facing towards the hole), and fix in place if necessary.
4. Put your camera back together, and make sure that the pinhole is covered.
5. Make sure that all paper is safely put back in to its box before turning the light on or opening the door!
To use your camera:
1. Choose a subject – larger subjects that don't move are probably easier!
2. Place your camera on a flat surface, and open the pinhole. Exposure time depends on your camera, the size of the pinhole, and ambient light, however around 45-60 seconds for daylight, and 5 to 10 minutes for inside.
3. Cover the pinhole, and take back to your darkroom for developing.
Develop according to the instructions for the chemistry you've bought. A comprehensive guide to developing black and white prints can be found on the Ilford website (http://www.ilfordphoto.com/).
Remember that the image will be negative. To convert it to a positive, you can either scan it in Photoshop or similar, and invert, or produce contact prints. There are several guides detailing the contact printing process online.
You can use almost any container as a pinhole camera – cylindrical containers produce strange results. Almost any size can be used – from small 35mm film canisters, to trucks, and even airplane hangars! The only limit is the size of your developing trays!
2 responses
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Daley Taylor gave props (28 Apr 2009):
ive always wanted to try this. thank you:)
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Danne Dhirgahayu said (14 May 2009):
like it!!
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