Pinhole photography

jaimej

jaimej

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jaime
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:help: I am about to start a project on pinhole photography and other alternative techniques llike cyanotype, gum bichromate etc. I am just wondering if anyone has any helpful info on what kind of things are best to build a pinhole camera with? Something a bit different than a biscuit tin? Thanks in advance for any help.
 
I just saw a kit at woolworths for real cheap that had everything to build a pinhole camera...
 
you don't need much...tin of soup really.
empty it, push a small hole in the closed end, cut a small square of photographic paper to fit on the 'cut' piece of the can, best done in a darkroom under a red light where you can see what you're doing but not affect the paper, put the end back on (with paper) and tape it up with lots of black tape/duck tape...also place some tape (again light proof) over the pin hole at the other end before you leave the darkroom. then, once you've set yourself up at your chosen destination, put tape off little hole to expose paper...and then wait.

if you're being really clever you could test the optimum length for the pinhole tube by testing in daylight the light cast onto a piece of tracing paper (like the ground glass view screen in SLRs and medium/large format camera backs), make the distance greater or further to achieve focus - the small aperture means lots of DoF, but it helps to get it roughly right to start with. you might need a hood to see the screen better too.
 
Then there is the DSLR version....

Telephoto pinhole lens

longlens.jpg


blurry picture from it
telepinhole.jpg


Wide angle

widelens.jpg


Not quite so blurry pic

widepinhole.jpg
 
I once turned my Pentax SLR into a pinhole camera by taking off the lens and taping a sheet of black plastic with a pinhole in it over the opening.

One vitally important thing when making a pinhole camera (if you want to get good images) is to make the pinhole as small and as perfectly round as possible. Even a tiny burr on the edge will degrade the image, while the narrower the hole the greater the depth of field will be.
 
Thanks all, thats great. Definately given me some new ideas.
 
petemc said:
Really? Cool! I'll have to get one of them.
Click to expand...

Pah! Make it yourself you big ninny!

I made two - one out of a beer can (watch out for widgets) and one out of an old speaker :D

I preferred the results from the beer can one - obscenely wide and very fisheye. But the ones from the speaker were sharper... Sooo...
 
I like the beer can idea but it seems it has been done lots before. Heard about someone who made one from a wheelie bin but can't imagine trying to get it to college on the bus!:lol:
 
Yes, the beer can doesn't win you any creativity points - but it does work very well :)

Just wander around the house looking for suitable candidates!
 
Hoodi said:
Pah! Make it yourself you big ninny!

I made two - one out of a beer can (watch out for widgets) and one out of an old speaker :D

I preferred the results from the beer can one - obscenely wide and very fisheye. But the ones from the speaker were sharper... Sooo...
Click to expand...

I did put a pin hole in a lens cap and put that on the body. Came out very um wrong :) Can you point your beer lens at ugly women and make them look hot? ;)
 
the 'cap' needs to be as thin as possible. Back in the bad old days they used to recommend using paper thin brass sheet but I reckon drinks can aluminium would do as well.

Make a big hole in a body cap, stick the thin sheet over it with the tiny hole in the centre.
 
This might be a bit off but the button (actuator) on aerosol can often has an insert which gives you the small hole that you spray through. If you could remove one of those inserts (not easily done) then it 'might' give you the pefect 'hole'.

You can get different size holes depending on what product type is in the can eg deodorant = small, antiperspirant = larger.
 
A tip for gum bichromates a mate of mine used to do them a lot, he used a lightbox with high power UV tubes in it, that way the times were controlably and the light consistant (unlike daylight) he had great results, but if you do try this get UV resistant glasses for eye protection. Wayne
 
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