Pinhole Camera

For the past week or so we have been working with pinhole camera's. We have learned how to make them, how to take pictures with them and fix them. Our group went through two pinhole cameras. The first camera was made out of a pringle can, after we finished it Hiller told us that it would not work. The next day we started on a new camera that was made out of a box. From what it looked like this camera was really going to work. We finally got all our problems worked out with the paper and keeping the light out. We went out into the hall way to take the picture and everything seemed fine until Hiller told us that only one picture came out.

This is how a pinhole camera works:




Our final camera consisted of:

-Smaller box.
-Duck tape which covered the hole on the box and used as the shutter.
-A piece of carboard to support the film paper.
-Film paper.
-Plastic bag.

How we got there:

First we taped the box shut and made sure that it was light tight. After that we cut out an area so the paper could go into the box, this was held up by a piece of cardboard so the paper wouldn't bend or fall. We also had to put a small hole, made by a tack into the box. This was used as the lense, which was covered by a piece of duck tape which we used as the shutter. After all that was done we needed to put the film paper in, without letting the light hit it. We did this process in the black bags. When we were all finished we went to talk a picture. For our picture we used a binder we found and proped the camera up so it would take a picture of the right thing.

After we were completey finished we went into the hall way and took a picture of some flowers. I'm not sure if ours was over exposed or under exposed but my guess it under, because we only set it out there for three minutes.

The whole purpose of making this camera was understanding how the first camera can still relate to a camera we use today. Or to just show that you can take a picture with this camera too.

The whole experiment with the pinhole camera was a good one overall, enough though our camera didn't take a picture. I really enjoyed learning about camera's and how they work, and now I even know how to make my own camera. I can also use the information that I learned and I can show someone else what I learned.

Here are some pictures of us in process:


Taping the box light tight.



Our box.


Putting paper in the film slit.


A plastic bag covered the film slit.


The shutter.



The pinhole.