Alternative Photography:
Pinhole Cameras
by Charles E. Jenkins
Students Projects, Photography
+ 
= PictureIntroduction
Each student
in Dr. Bordley’s Chemistry and Art class is required to do a project at the
end of the semester. I knew that
I wanted to do something interesting but I had no idea what I wanted to do
my project on until we studied photography.
I was fascinated with the whole the process of taking an already developed
negative and making a positive onto a piece of photographic paper. After this lab, I wanted to take and develop
my own negatives so that I could get a feel for the whole process of photography
from start to finish. I decided
to not only take my own negatives, but to take them in an alternative way.
I thought that it would be cool to use a pinhole camera.
Background
Pinhole photography uses a
“camera” without a lens. A very small hole is made in a piece of metal using
a tiny needle. This piece of metal is used in place of
the lens. Light passes through the hole and an image is formed on the film
inside of the “camera.” Almost
anything can be made into a pinhole camera. The only important thing is that the container be completely
dark inside. For my project,
I used an ordinary oatmeal container.
I was going to construct my own camera but Dr. Bordley suggested that
I use the camera Joy Reeves made out of an oatmeal container for her project
in 1997. See her project here. Originally, I was going to use X-Ray film
but decided to switch over to Kodak Ortho film.
Procedure
Materials Used for This
Project:
1 pinhole
camera (see materials further down), X-ray film, Kodakâ
Ortho film, clear tape, Kodakâ Dektol developer,
H2O, Kodakâ fixer,
dark room, 3 medium sized developing tubs, clothes line and clothes pins.
Materials for Camera:
One empty
container in good shape (oatmeal box works fine), soda can, plenty of electrical
tape and, a small needle or a push pin.
Construction of Camera:
Cut 1 hole about 1/2 inch think
on the bottom of the box and another on the side of the box about midway down
Picture from Stew Woody
Using the
electrical tape, tape up any seems and the top of the container that might
allow any light leakage.
Cut a piece of metal out of the
side of a soda can about 2’x2’ square.
Picture from Stew Woody
Using the small needle or push
pin, poke a hole in the middle of the piece of metal from the soda can (sand
off any rough edges this may cause).
Pictures
from Stew Woody
Using the
electrical tape, tape the piece of metal on one of the 1/2-inch holes on the
container making sure that the small hole is over the opening in the container.
Using the
electrical tape, tape up the other 1-2-inch hole on the container making sure
there is no way for light to seep in the container.
Make sure
the top does not allow any light to seep in by completely covering it in electrical
tape.
Cover the
tiny hole on the piece of metal using a piece of electrical tape so that light
will not seep in.
Using the Camera:
In a dark
room, tape the film in the camera either on the lid or side of the camera
depending on which hole you are going to use (i.e., if you are using the bottom
hole, tape the film on the lid of the camera; if you are using the side hole,
tape the film on the side if the camera.
Make sure
that the lid is closed securely and firmly before leaving the darkroom.
Once you
find a desired location to take the picture, place the camera on a firm surface.
Make sure
that the camera is in a stable position so that it will not move when you
are taking the picture.
Remove
the piece of electrical tape covering the tiny hole in the metal to expose
the film. MAKE
SURE YOU DO NOT MOVE THE CAMERA IN THIS PROCESS!!!
After the
film has been exposed for the desired amount of time, recover the tiny hole
with the piece of electrical tape.
Developing the film:
In a dark
room, prepare a tub of each:
1. Developer- 1 part Kodakâ
Dektol + 3 parts H2O
2. Kodakâ
Fixer
3. Stop Bath- H2O
Developing trays in the
dark room.
Once in the dark room, remove
the exposed film from the camera and place it into the developer for 2 minutes,
constantly agitating for 30 seconds, then for 5 seconds per 30 seconds. After this, put the film in the stop bath
for 30 seconds constantly agitating the film. Next, place the film in the fixer for 1 minute, constantly
agitating for 30 seconds and then for 15 seconds every other 15 seconds. Finally rinse in fresh water for 30 seconds.
Hang the developed negative on a clothesline using a clothespin to
dry.
Negatives drying on the
clothesline.
Observations and Images
I originally had planned on
using the X-ray film Dr. Bordley had suggested I use.
I spent about 2 hours one day cutting the film into piece that would
fit my camera since the X-ray film comes in quite large sheets. This was hard to do since this type of
film does not allow the use of a safe light. After trying to take several shots with this film, I was not
getting any results. I am not
sure if the film was bad or if I was not doing something correctly. Since I did not have enough time to keep
on trying the X-Ray film, I switched over to using Kodakâ Ortho Film.
This film was much easier to use since I did not have to cut the film
plus I could use the safe light while working in the dark room.
While taking and developing the
negatives, I noticed that I was having problems with overexposing and/or moving
the camera while taking the shot. I
was able to stop the moving of the camera while taking the picture by placing
objects (sticks or books) on both sides of the camera to stabilize while exposing
the film. As far as overexposing
the film, I was able to prefect my exposure time to some degree, but not as
much as I would have liked to because of time constraints. Maybe another student in the future doing their project on
pinhole photography could focus on exposure time in different light conditions.
I also noticed that the two different
holes on the camera caused much different results from the same place. When using the side hole, the image was
very wide and included a broad area.
When using the bottom hole, the image was of a very small area right
in front of the camera.
These are negatives that I produced
with the pinhole camera. The
image on the left is the actual negative and the image on the right is an
image of the negative inverted. This
was done with Adobe Photoshop 6.0.
This
is an image of a tree using the side hole of the camera.
This
is a picture of Woods Lab using the bottom hole of the camera.
This
is a picture of Woods Lab using the side hole of the camera.
Data
|
Picture Number |
Type of Film |
Weather Cond. |
Exposure Time |
Bottom or Side Hole |
Result |
|
1 |
X-ray |
Mostly Sunny Partly Cloudy |
5 sec |
Bottom |
No result, clear film |
|
2 |
X-ray |
Mostly Sunny, Partly Cloudy |
60 sec |
Bottom |
Overexposed, no image visible |
|
3 |
X-ray |
Mostly Sunny, Partly Cloudy |
20 sec |
Bottom |
Overexposed, no image visible |
|
4 |
X-ray w/ 21- |
Mostly Sunny, Partly Cloudy |
20 sec |
NA |
Could see 21 step wedge |
|
5 |
Ortho |
Mostly Sunny, Partly Cloudy |
20 sec |
Side |
Got an image! Was fuzzy and overexposed |
|
6 |
Ortho |
Mostly Sunny, Partly Cloudy |
5 sec |
Bottom |
Foggy image |
|
7 |
Ortho |
Mostly Sunny, Partly Cloudy |
12 sec |
Side |
Clear image, overexposed |
|
8 |
Ortho |
Clear |
12 sec |
Side |
Camera moved, image fuzzy |
|
9 |
Ortho |
Clear |
12 sec |
Side |
Overexposed, image still visible |
|
10 |
Ortho |
Clear |
12 sec |
Side |
Overexposed, still visible somewhat |
|
11 |
Ortho |
Clear |
10 sec |
Side |
Over exposed, still visible |
|
12 |
Ortho |
Clear |
6 sec |
Side |
Image visible |
|
13 |
Ortho |
Cloudy |
12 sec |
Bottom |
Camera moved, image fuzzy |
|
14 |
Ortho |
Cloudy |
12 sec |
Bottom |
Image great, camera stabilized |
|
15 |
Ortho |
Cloudy |
12 sec |
Bottom |
Little foggy |
|
16 |
Ortho |
Cloudy |
5 sec |
Bottom |
Image good |
|
17 |
Ortho |
INSIDE ALL SAINTS |
15 sec |
Side |
Underexposed |
|
18 |
Ortho |
INSIDE ALL SAINTS |
35 sec |
Side |
Not really sure, light blurs |
|
19 |
Ortho |
Cloudy |
6 sec |
Side |
Image good |
|
20 |
Ortho |
Cloudy |
6 sec |
Side |
Image ok |
|
Table 1 |
|||||
Conclusions
The most
important thing I learned about pinhole photography in this project is that
it cannot be rushed. It takes
time and patients to get good and clear results.
I also learned that weather conditions affect the amount of time needed
to expose the film. I had originally
wanted to do my project inside of All Saints Chapel but was warned against
this idea by Dr. Bordley. I did
however take 2 pictures inside of All Saints and the images did not come out
at all. From this I learned that pinhole photography
works best outside, not inside. One thing that I learned about my self in this project is that
it is possible to work in complete darkness. I managed to get a feel of where things where and was able
to function very well in complete darkness after several hours in the dark
room. I wish that I would have
had a little more patience with the X-ray film. I know that with time I could have been able to get it to work.
Perhaps I will try the X-ray film some other time f Dr. Bordley will
let me. I am very glad that I chose to do pinhole photography for my
project. You wont believe the
excitement of getting an image onto a piece of film using an oatmeal container
until you do it for yourself. I
know that I want to get into photography as a hobby one day and hopefully
become good at it.
Links
Joy
Reeves' Pinhole Project, 1997
Oatmeal Box Pinhole
Photography by Stew Woody
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Bordley
and the Chemistry Department for the use of a dark room and all the supplies
I needed, Joy Reeves for the pre-constructed pinhole camera, for Amanda Michaels’
cooperation in the dark room, and to the University of the South for supplying
me with all the beautiful architecture and nature to photograph.