Building and Using a Pinhole Camera Pinhole Cameras Are One of the Simplest Ways to Make a Photographic Image

Studio Experience

Building and Using a Pinhole Camera Pinhole cameras are one of the simplest ways to make a photographic image. The concept of making a pinhole camera is simple: Take a light-tight container and poke a single hole in it to let light in. That light enters the hole and an image is captured on photographic paper or film. The paper or film is then processed in the darkroom using chemicals that will reveal your image as a negative. Learning how to construct every part of the pinhole camera and analyze the resulting images will give you the knowledge to create your ideal pinhole camera. Start by rereading about camera obscura and pinhole on pages 9 and 14.

Fig. 1–44. Pinhole camera variety. Before You Begin Materials You will need: Help students choose 2 Cut (papier-mâché or thin plastic) or their materials: light-tight • a light-tight container containers, black paint and • black paint drill (metal or wood) a sub-hole on the brush if the interior is not • X-Acto knife or drill (depending on type side of your container where you want to already black. Light reflects place your pinhole. The sub-hole should off of white surfaces, so of container used) the black is needed to be approximately one fourth of an inch • aluminum can (clean) absorb unwanted light. Ask • sewing needle (the smallest needle that and be measured to fit in the center students to think about the you can find) of the side of the box. The sub-hole is structure of the container basically a larger hole that the aluminum and to test the durability • sandpaper (the finest-grit sandpaper of the container to make that you can find) pinhole will be placed over later. sure it will last. Check thrift • black electrical tape (to tape up any 3 Carefully cut a 1-inch square piece of shops and dollar stores for light leaks and to use as a shutter) an aluminum can. Using a needle, push metal tins, wooden boxes, a tiny hole through the center of the or papier-mâché containers. • light-sensitive black-and-white photo- Cardboard boxes are okay, graphic paper (to capture your image) piece of aluminum. Push only the very but they tend to need more • masking tape tip of the needle through the alumi- care in making and keep- • black-and-white photographic dark- num, which will allow for the smallest ing them light-tight. The possible hole. If the needle hole creates smallest needle is important room chemicals because the needle size con- a slight burr on the back side of the trols the depth of field; the Create it aluminum, use sandpaper to knock it smaller the needle hole, the greater the depth of field. 1 Make your container light-tight. If the off so it becomes smooth. This becomes your pinhole lens. The smaller the hole, The sandpaper will be used inside is white or light in color, paint it to sand the back side of the black so that light doesn’t reflect off the the greater your depth of field. piece of aluminum after the surface. hole is created.

What Is Photography? 25

FOP_TE_002-029_ch1_160811_tkb.indd 25 8/12/16 9:25 PM 5 Place a piece of black electrical tape over the outside of the pinhole to act as your shutter. Once you are set up to shoot, you remove the tape for your desired exposure time, then reapply it. 6 You’ve created your very own pinhole camera! You are now ready to load photographic paper (start with paper before trying film...you get results fast and it’s less expensive) inside of your pinhole camera.

Fig. 1–45. Light-tight box before the interior is Depth of Box Initial Exposure Time painted black. 1 inch 1 second

3 inches 3 seconds

5 inches 6 seconds

10 inches 30 seconds

This chart gives you a starting point with exposure time. The deeper the box, the longer it takes to expose the paper.

Note It You will need lots of patience when shooting with your pinhole camera for the first few times. Your exposure will vary with the amount of light outside, the direction that you shoot, and the time of Teaching Tip Fig. 1–46. Aluminum pinhole is taped in place over the sub-hole. day that you shoot. Start by photograph- Explain to your students that, just like a science ing outside on a sunny day with your initial exposure time. Make sure you pho- experiment, only one vari- 4 Using black electrical tape, tape your able will be changing with tograph around that time each day until pinhole lens over the sub-hole on the each photograph, and that you understand your exposure times. will be your exposure time. inside of the container. Be sure to tape Remind students to keep the pinhole lens down on all four sides cameras stationary when 7 Once you make your exposure, pro- of the aluminum using a bit of pressure shooting to ensure a nice cess your photographic paper using a to avoid any light leaks below the tape. and sharp image. darkroom. Your image will be a “negative” (see page 5), which means blacks will be white, and whites will be black. At this point, you need to evaluate your exposure time. If your image is too light, then you need to add some time to your exposure. If your image is too dark, then you will need to subtract some time from your exposure. 8 Just like camera obscura, your image will be projected inside of your pinhole camera upside down and backwards. Be sure to notice how this affects text on Fig. 1–47. Jaedon Croy, Negative Pinhole Image.

26 Chapter 1

FOP_TE_002-029_ch1_160811_tkb.indd 26 8/12/16 9:25 PM clothing or signs. From this point you can scan your “negative” image into the computer to invert it, meaning the blacks become white and the whites become black—a positive. Check it Have you eliminated all light leaks? Did you find the perfect exposure time after several attempts? Think about the composition of your photograph. With the Fig. 1–48. Jaedon Croy, Positive Pinhole Image. challenge of having no viewfinder or LCD Teaching Tip screen to check, have you followed the Remind students not to Rule of Thirds, which is basically placing change anything except your subject off-center (see page 109), as exposure time. That means shooting in the same type of well as having an unusual angle to create a light, at about the same time compelling composition? of day (within an hour or so) and the camera should be set up to photograph the exact same subject, facing Rubric: Studio Assessment the same direction (shooting towards the sun or away Advanced Proficient Developing Incomplete from the sun). PLANNING • Rationale/Research • Composition • Reflection/Evaluation Teaching Tip In-depth research on pinhole pho- Appropriate research on pinhole Little research on pinhole No research on the pinhole The image by student photography. Considers perspectives photography. Considers per- photography. Considers few per- photography process. tographer Jaedon Croy is and ideas from others to use as spectives and ideas from others. spectives or ideas from others. Randomly chooses con- of white Styrofoam heads. inspiration. Selects an effective light-tight Selects an acceptable light-tight tainer; pinhole camera has You can see in the nega- Thoughtfully chooses the perfect container for constructing a container for constructing a light leaks. tive image they appear to light-tight container for construct- pinhole camera. pinhole camera. Randomly chooses angle of be black Styrofoam heads. ing a pinhole camera. Considers several angles of Considers one or two angles view and time of day to pho- The pinhole process can be Considers a variety of angles of view; selects appropriate time of of view; selects time of day to tograph. continued in the darkroom view; selects perfect time of day to day to photograph. photograph. The composition is uninter- photograph. Composition is interesting; The composition is centered; esting; no consideration of by researching how to make Composition is highly interesting; good use of space and Rule of some use of space and Rule of space or Rule of Thirds. a paper negative. Camera excellent use of space and Rule of Thirds. Thirds. phones can also invert Thirds. images through the settings MEDIA USE • Camera • Lighting • Exposure • Props to instantly see the pinhole exposure as a positive. This Great care taken to achieve the Care taken to achieve the cor- Little care taken to achieve the Exposure time (shutter is the fastest way to make a correct exposure time (shutter rect exposure time (shutter correct exposure time (shutter speed) chosen randomly; speed). The correct exposure was speed). The correct exposure speed). The correct exposure was exposure is incorrect—too positive, but the quality may achieved. was achieved. attempted, but not achieved. dark or too light be compromised. The print has a wide range of val- The print has a range of values The print has a small range of The print has mostly one ues from white to pure black. from white to black. values value. WORK PROCESS • Synthesis • Reflection/Evaluation

Critically reflects on each image to Reflects on each image to deter- Little reflection on images; No reflection on images. determine the next step. mine the next step. rushes through the process. Rushes to get finished. Freely shares ideas, takes interest Shares ideas, listens to others; Rarely shares ideas or does not Does not participate in class in others; eagerly participates in participates in class discussions. listen to others; some participa- discussions. class discussions. Works independently and tion in discussions. Does not work indepen- Works independently and remains remains on-task. Works somewhat independently dently and is off-task most of on-task. and usually remains on-task. the time; disruptive behavior. INNOVATION • Risk Taking • Creativity

Expertly demonstrates innovation Demonstrates innovation by Takes few creative risks; makes Avoids taking risks or copies by taking multiple creative risks. taking creative risks. safe choices. the work of others.

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