Pinhole Camera

It is surprisingly easy to take a detailed photographic image using a simple pinhole camera.

The 'camera' I used was a large tin with a tiny hole drilled in half way down one side. The hole needs to be able to be covered completely with a bit of tape; black sticky insulation tape works well. The tin also needs to have a well-fitting lid. A large cleaned and dried coffee 'Milo' tin or one that used to contain baby formula is ideal.

In the darkroom, I affixed a postcard-sized piece of unexposed photographic paper to the inside of the tin opposite the hole, with a few small bits of blu-tack. It was easy with a red filter on the light, but it is possible to do it by feel.

All that remained was to take my tin outside and prop it up somewhere stable with some suitable view in front, and remove the tape. It will depend upon the weather - ie light conditions, and the size of your tin, as to how long the hole should be open. This image below was taken with an exposure time of two and a half minutes. I experimented to get it right and used up three or four other prints that were too dark - too long an exposure, or too light - too short an exposure time.

I then closed up the hole, and developed the print back in the darkroom. This image comes out upside-down and mirrored. There's not much you can do about it being mirrored, but it's a simple matter for most people to turn the print up the other way.

I have just scanned the print into my computer, flipped it horizontally, and 'inverted' it. Hey presto: We have a reasonable image of the trees at the back of the tech, and a view of the fence-top upon which I sat the tin.