Objective You will learn the basics of how a camera works by constructing your own. You will be able to define shutter, aperture, and exposure. You will be able to print and develop a contact print including a test strip.
Vocabulary Words Exposure Aperture Camera Obscura—“dark chamber” View Camera Shutter
Directions Modified from Stewart Lewis Woodruff’s website http://users.rcn.com/stewoody/index.htm
Take a picture A good exposure to begin with is 30 seconds on bright sunny day. This time needs to be increased when cloudy or in the morning and evening hours. It could be as long as 20 minutes on a cloudy day during a first period class! On the left is the "paper negative", which is the film from the pinhole camera after it has been developed. On the right is a "print", or positive, made from the paper negative. The exposure time for this picture was about 15 seconds. Because the camera was aimed toward the bright sky, it took less than the "normal" 30 seconds to expose the paper film.
When making an exposure ("taking a picture"), it is important to decide what you want the picture to include. Remember, the background will probably take up most of your photograph, so consider the background as well as the "subject" of the picture, which usually is in the foreground. In other words, the subject usually is closest to the camera. Also, because the exposure time averages about 20 seconds on a bright day, the camera cannot move while it is "taking" a picture. This means that the camera must be set on something, usually the ground. You cannot hold the camera still for 20 seconds--if you try you will get a fuzzy picture or no picture at all! Try placing a book or shoe on top of the camera to help keep the camera steady for the 20 second exposure time. She is making an exposure of herself, and she knows that she cannot move for 20 seconds. She opened the shutter and then "froze", silently counting off "onethousand- one, one-thousand-two, ..." up to a count of twenty seconds. Only then did she move--to close the shutter.
Scan, Post, and Write up Scan your picture, add it to Lightroom, then post to your gallery from Lightroom. Then login to the gallery and write a description of the process of making a pinhole picture using all of the vocab words.
Additional Resources Pinhole Spy: This website shows you how to make a small pinhole camera and provides a template to make it. Oatmeal Box Pinhole Photo Gallery: See some incredible images made with a oatmeal box cameras. Dirkon–The Paper Camera: A camera made entirely from paper. Print the template and go for it. Pringles Pinhole: See how a pinhole camera works with this small camera obscura. Zero Image: Check out these wooden pinhole cameras. Pinhole Resource Gallery Website: Real nice pinhole pictures. Pinhole Camera Calculator: If you ever want to get real technical with your design try this tool. The Luminous Landscape: Check out the finished cameras. I particularly like the Cracker Jack camera.
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