The history of photography is exciting - a self-made pinhole camera can give you an insight into the world and the creation of photography as we know it today. A camera obscura, a pinhole camera can be made by yourself in a flash.
In these instructions we will show you how you can build a pinhole camera and how it works. You will also learn how to take photos with the pinhole camera and then develop them. Learn something about the beginnings of photography and create a camera obscura with your children. Have fun!Aristotle already recognized the physics of optical images during a solar eclipse - while sitting under a tree, he noticed the images of the solar crescent on the ground. These were caused by the numerous gaps in the leaves, which, like the pinhole camera, only let a few rays of light through.
These handicraft instructions explain the structure of a pinhole camera and how you can use it as a projector or for taking photos.
Content
Instructions for a pinhole camera
Function of the pinhole camera
Using the pinhole camera with photo paper
Instructions for a pinhole camera
You can make a pinhole camera in no time with just a few materials - the cost of the camera is low if you already have a shoebox lying around at home. However, if you want to take pictures with the pinhole camera, you will need photo paper. This and the special chemicals for the development are then more expensive.
But now the assembly instructions for the pinhole camera follow.
You need:
- Shoebox
- needle
- Aluminum foil
- black acrylic paint and brush
- Tracing paper or photo paper
- duct tape
- Craft knife
Step 1:
Put the lid of the box aside. First cut a rectangle with the craft knife in one of the two smaller sides of the shoebox. This should have a size of about 8 cm x 5 cm.
Step 2:
Now attach a larger piece of aluminum foil with adhesive tape over the window you cut out from step 1.
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| Note: Be very careful - the aluminum foil must not be damaged and it must not have a hole. |
Step 3:
Now turn over the box. Use the cutter to cut out the other small side of the box except for a 1 cm wide edge.
Step 4:
Now brush the entire inner surface of the cardboard with black acrylic paint or paint. So there can be no unwanted reflections. Also paint the inside of the lid black.
Step 5:
Once the paint has dried, the parchment paper is attached to the open side with the adhesive tape. To do this, cut out a rectangle the size of the side surface and tape the edges with adhesive tape.
Step 6:
Then close the shoe box with the lid. So that nothing slips and not a single beam of light can get into the boxes, attach these to the edges with adhesive tape.
Step 7:
Finally, use a needle to poke a small, round hole in the middle of the aluminum foil.
It's that easy to build a pinhole camera out of a shoebox.
A pinhole camera can serve as a projector and thus become an exciting toy. The parchment surface serves as a canvas and shows you an upside-down motif.
To do this, place an illuminated or self-radiating object, for example a candle, in the focus of the camera. If the windows are well darkened and all other light sources are off, you will see the candle glowing upside down on the tracing paper.
Function of the pinhole camera
How does a pinhole camera work and what can you do with it? The physics of the pinhole camera is based on the ray model of light. Every object, whether it is a light source or a simple, illuminated object, sends out rays of light in all directions. The small hole in the camera bundles these many rays of light - it only lets a few and not all of them through. Because of this, photo paper can only discolor in the camera where it is struck by light.
The bundling creates an image of the object on the parchment or photo paper, which is upside down. The greater the distance between the photo paper and the hole in the aluminum foil, the larger the image on the paper will be. This is described in photography as the image distance. A small hole creates a sharp image, whereas a larger hole requires more exposure time - this is also the case with the conventional aperture of a camera.
The camera obscura is the pioneer of the photo camera as we know it today. If you make a pinhole camera yourself, you not only create an exciting projector, but you also learn something about the history of photography.
Using the pinhole camera with photo paper
How to use the pinhole camera: Depending on your preference, use either parchment paper or real photo paper as a projection surface on the back of the shoe box.
You will need a little more time and money to take real photos, as well as a darkroom. Such darkened rooms can be found in photo studios or at photo groups in schools - perhaps you have the opportunity to use the darkroom there once.
Otherwise you will need:
- Shutter for the camera
- Photo paper for black and white pictures (gradation 1 or 2)
- developer
- Fixer
- vinegar
- water
- 3 small plastic tubs
- 1 bowl
- Clothes line
- Clothespins
- Red light bulb
- Big tweezers
- Glass plate
- Clock
This is how taking pictures with a pinhole camera works:
Before you start taking photos, you should put on suitable clothing. The chemicals used in photo development can damage some clothing fabrics. Also, make sure that only the red lamp is lit in your darkroom. This light cannot harm the photo paper.
Step 1: We are now going to step 5 of the assembly instructions - attach the photo paper to the point where you also attach the parchment paper.
Warning: As soon as you intend to take the photo paper out of the packaging, you should be in the darkroom when the light is red!
You are now sticking photo paper to the side surface of the shoebox with tape. The smooth side of the paper must be on the inside - the photo will be shown on this later.
Step 2: Now follow steps 6 and 7 of the assembly instructions - close the shoe box with the lid, the edges should then be taped shut. Use a needle to pierce a small hole in the aluminum foil.
Step 3: Now close the small hole in the aluminum foil with a closure. This can be a piece of cardboard or black construction paper. Tape a small square of the cardboard to the hole.
Step 4: Your camera is now ready to use. Go outside with the pinhole camera - preferably during the day. Good night shots are hard to master for beginners. Place the camera opposite the desired subject, for example a tree. If you hold the camera in your hands, the picture may be blurred badly. So find a solid surface on which the pinhole camera can stand. When that is done, remove the cardboard closure from the hole, wait a minute, and then close the hole again. Finished!
Step 5: Now it's time to develop. In the darkroom, fill a small tub with 2 cm of water and diluted developer. In the second tub you fill water and vinegar - this is the so-called stopper bath, which does not have to be precisely dosed. The third tub is filled with water and diluted fixer. Pay attention to the manufacturer's instructions for the proportions of developer and fixer. Fill the bowl with water only.
Step 6: Now turn on the red light and extinguish any other light source. The pinhole camera will now open. The photo paper is now removed and placed in the tub with the diluted developer liquid for a maximum of two minutes. The picture is slowly emerging. If the motif is clearly visible, remove the paper - you can use tweezers.
Step 7: Now the picture is placed in the stopper bath for one minute, the tub with water and vinegar and then the fixer bath for one minute. After that, the photo is placed in the bowl of water. This is where the chemicals are supposed to dissolve, so leave the picture in there for a while. Now you can turn the light back on. Then hang the picture, which you can now touch with your fingers, on the clothesline and fasten it with two clips.
Step 8: The picture is now reversed and negative - that means what is black in the motif can be seen in white in the photo and vice versa. How to make a finished photo out of the negative: Turn on the red light again. Take a new sheet of photo paper and place it on the table with the smooth side up. Place the negative on the photo paper so that it is covered and both are exactly on top of each other. The motif must point towards the photo paper, i.e. downwards. Then place the glass plate on both papers - so nothing can slip. Now it is exposed: hold a bright lamp exactly over the glass and switch it on for a maximum of one second. The photo is ready!
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