Pinhole Camera

Pinhole Camera

A camera is a devise that records images; a pin whole camera does exactly the same only it takes longer than your typical modern camera. The term camera comes from the Latin term camera obscura which means dark “chamber”.

A shutter is a devise that allows light to pass for a determined amount of time, for the purpose of exposing photographic film or a light sensitive electronic sensor to light to capture a permanent image of a scene.

In the subject of optics, an aperture is a whole or an opening through which light travels. In photography this can be measured in increments called f-stops.

The lens captures the light from the subject and brings it to a focus on the film or detector.

The size of the aperture and the brightness of the scene control the amount of light that enters the camera. During a period of time and the shutter controls the length of time that the light hits the recording surface. Equivalent exposure can be made with a larger aperture and a faster shutter speed or a corresponding smaller aperture and with the shutter speed slowed down.

In the process of making a pinhole camera, you must start off with either a thick cardboard box or a tin. Take one of these items and paint only the inside of it in black paint, when the paint has dried repeat this process twice more, so that the inside of the item is extremely dark. When you have finished cut out a hole in the area that you want the shutter to be. Stick a piece of foil bigger than the hole over the hole and make a tiny pinhole in the foil with a pin.

Cut out a square piece of cardboard out and stick over the pin hole with gaffer tape, this is called a shutter. Measure the distance in miller metres the pinhole to the opposite side of your tin or box.

When the pinhole camera is made stick photo graphic paper on the opposite side of the pinhole, this must be done in a room with no light. You then you must close your box or tin making sure no light gets inside. Then when you want to create a picture open the shutter in the area that you want to shoot for a calculated amount of time.