Pinhole Photography: Right Back to Basics

Why Pinhole Photography?

It's fun. It's creative. It's educative about the basics that photographers deal with whenever they do their thing.

What is Pinhole Photography?

At its simplest, a pinhole camera is just a light tight cardboard box with a piece of aluminium pie dish containing a pinhole to expose the film or photographic paper.

Of course you need to design a shutter, (your thumb will do), some way to hold the film in place and a system to seal up the opening where you put the film in the pinhole camera.

There is no viewfinder; you just point the pinhole camera in the right direction. You can draw some lines on top of the camera to indicate the field of view.

Exposure times for pinhole photography are usually measured in minutes.

Exposure Determination.

Work out your exposure by the hit and miss method, also known as exposure determination by experimentation. This is where you say "Ooooh. I reckon about two minutes." Then if it turns out ok, well and good. But if it's not right, you either double it or halve it for the next exposure, depending on your assessment. Nothing wrong with that method for pinhole photography.

Suitable Camera Size.

Let's say you're using 4"x5" photographic paper. The diagonal of your paper is about 160mm. If you make the distance from the pinhole to the paper about 50mm to 80mm this will be ok. Length of about half the diagonal of the film. You could make the length 20mm to 50mm giving quite a wide angle. There's nothing to stop you building your pinhole camera around a four foot length of drainpipe giving you a 1200mm telephoto pinhole camera, except that the exposure time might be in the order of several hours or all day.

My best pinhole cameras have used 8"x10" film and have a length of 50mm to 70mm. Everything is in focus from 250mm to infinity. Angle of view is around 135 degrees.The light runs off at the edges of the image.

Note: 100mm = about 4"

End of Technical Stuff.

There is much more technical stuff that can be studied but that's all you really need to know to get started. So empty the breakfast cerial packet and build a pinhole camera.

Practical Stuff.

You can use pretty much anything light tight to make a pinhole camera: biscuit tin, breakfast cerial packet, 20 litre oil drum, golden syrup tin, jam tin, match box, black ice cream container etc. etc. Would you believe you can even use your mouth?

Yes, in the darkroom put a short piece of 35mm film in your mouth and close it. Go outside and press the aluminium with the pinhole firmly against your lips, then open your lips for about 10 seconds keeping your head still. Reverse the procedure. You can work out the rest for yourself.

Consider whether it will be better/easier to use the end or side of your tin/box.

If you use a jam tin you can use alfoil and a rubber band for a lid.

Use black paint inside a shiny tin if you have some handy.

Invent a shutter. Black plastic and masking tape will do.

If you decide on a jam tin or golden syrup tin with the pinhole in the side, consider using a baffle that springs tight against the sides of the tin to fasten your film too. A piece of plastic milk bottle will do.

Handy items to have around are: breakfast cerial packet, masking tape, blue tack, plastic milk bottles, rubber bands, alfoil, scissors, knife, glue.

Your pinhole camera will give a negative image on your photographic paper. In this modern, computer age it will be possible to scan, change to a positive and computer print.

An SLR camera can be used for a pinhole camera simply by removing the lens and attaching a pinhole with black sticky tape.

If you are making a pinhole, look for the smallest needle in the set.

It's important to have a smooth, burr free pinhole for the sharpest possible image. Ideally, push the tapered section of the needle through in several stages, gently removing the burr with fine wet and dry paper between actions. Rest the foil on cardboard as you push the needle through so you don't stretch the foil.

So Build a Pinhole Camera

I think that every photographer needs to build at least one pinhole camera and experiment with it. There is so much to be learned from pinhole photography which is photography at its most basic.

Laurie McArthur is a wilderness landscape photographer, based on the New South Wales Far South Coast, Australia. Laurie's images may be viewed at http://www.southimage.net/

---

Megapixel Cameras: How Many Megapixels Do You Need?

Knowing which megapixel camera to buy can be intimidating. There are literally hundreds of models of digital cameras out on the market today. How can you know... Read More

Photography Business: Taking Baby Photos - for Professionals & Families

Babies make the best and the worst subjects to photograph. They are the best for two reasons, people are more tolerant at looking at baby photos, as... Read More

Diffusion & Softening of Digital Photography Images

Like many people who've made the switch from film cameras to digital, I've discovered that the lens tools I once used so effectively on my cameras to... Read More

Photography 101 Part 3

ContentEven if you feel that you already know what kind of photography you like to do, it's always a good idea to try your talent at different... Read More

Choosing the Right Digital Camera

Choosing the right digital camera for general use can be more challenging than actually taking a good picture. Like all things technical, digital cameras come in a... Read More

Digital Wedding Photography: Myth Vs. Reality

1. Myth: Digital photos are pixilated or fuzzy. Reality: most people that say that have never seen a photo produced by a professional grade digital camera. The... Read More

Digital Film Processing is Really the Only Option for Truly Quality Prints

Digital photography has taken off like wildfire these days, primarily due to its ease and quality in its digital film processing. With a good digital camera, it's... Read More

Digital Camera Interpolation Explained

In a device such as a digital camera it is very important to understand the very basic aspects of the device so as to properly operate it... Read More

Move Up to the World of the Digital SLR Camera

A digital SLR camera or a single lens reflex (SLR) camera is one of the most popular cameras amongst photographers today. These cameras not only provide high... Read More

What Should You Look for in a New Camera?

These parameters are discussed at 2 levels: -Based on degree of functional use of available features -Based on the type of photography you want to... Read More

Sony Digital Cameras - Always On The Innovation Frontier

Sony was the first company to introduce digital cameras into the market. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the digital revolution. Its historical journey began... Read More

Wedding Photography: How to Become a Successful Wedding Photographer

Once in while I receive e-mails or phone calls from aspiring or beginner wedding photographers asking me for advise on how to become successful in the wedding... Read More

Modeling Portfolio Webites

In the age of home phones and 8x10's we all wondered how anyone could ever afford to get into the modeling industry. Even after you invest a... Read More

Have You Read Your Digital Camera Manual?

Have you read the manual that came with your digital camera? If not you are in good company, the majority of digital camera owners never get past... Read More

Digital Camera Metering

Looking at the most intricate details of the digital camera as a technologically advanced device a lot of functions come into play. Such s a point is... Read More

Getting Rid of Red Eye

The photos you took of the party are really great - except for one thing: "red eye" makes everyone look like extras from a low budget horror... Read More

Photography Workshops and Master Classes

Several years ago, I met a fellow photographer - albeit, he was an amateur, a very good one (the difference is not the quality of the work... Read More

Safari Wildlife Photography Top Four Tips

I've been practising wildlife photography on safari for over twenty years now in places like the Kruger National Park, Chobe, Okavango Delta, and Hwange game reserves and... Read More

Video Camcorder Formats and Media

There are way too many tape, disk and stick formats out there:VHS - The old standard, too big, not digital, easily played anywhere without conversion.VHS-C - A... Read More

Buying Your Child A Digital Camera - What You Need To Know

Purchasing any gift item for your child is a mind-numbing task. You can never be sure whether they will like what you buy for them or not.... Read More

Magic and the Photograph

It was widely reported in the press (15 September 1997) that a British tourist, who stole a lump of stone from the base of the Great Pyramid... Read More

Tips for Better Vacation Photos

Photos are a great way to share your travel experiences with family and friends. Here are a few suggestions to help you capture vacation memories you will... Read More

Stock Your Kit with Digital Camera Accessories

There are a large number of digital camera accessories available in the market today. Even though you might have invested a few hundred dollars in your digital... Read More

A Guide to Underwater Cameras

There are two types of underwater camera systems: an ""amphibious"" camera, which is a self-contained waterproof system, and an SLR land camera with waterproof housing. Amphibious systems... Read More

How to Take Better Photos of Your Baby or Toddler

Every Mom wants to take great photos of their babies and toddlers. We all want professional looking photos for our children without paying a fortune! This better... Read More

Light Meter Readings for Film and Digital

Reflected Light Readings for Film and Digital ImagesIn order to correctly expose your film or digital CCD there are two variables that must be identified: average reflectance... Read More