Pinhole Photography
A pinhole camera is a simple optical device that forms an image without using a lens or mirror. The material the camera is out of must be light proof with a small hole on one side. Light travels through the hole and projects an inverted image onto the other side where photographic paper will be inserted. Images appear inverted because light does not usually bend, but travels in a straight line so the light from the top of a scene passes through the pinhole, continues in a straight line, and ends up at the bottom. When you develop a pinhole photo, it also comes out as a negative. This is because the paper has a coating that darkens proportionally to the amount of exposure the specific area of the paper receives. The brightest area in the scene is more dense (darker) on the negative than areas which receive some light (midtones) or very little (shadows).
How to construct a pinhole camera:
- Make the container or box that is being used for the camera completely light proof. This can be done with black paint, tape, or paper to ensure that light can only enter through the hole.
- Create a hole for your camera with a needle. The hole will act as the aperture, and its size will determine how much light can enter.
- Create a shutter to control how long you expose the image. Cloudy days will require longer exposure times than sunny ones because there is less light.
- If the camera is built on a rounded surface, make a stand so the camera can remain still and steady when taking photographs.
We decided to shoot objects found outside the school such as trees, walls, windows, and cars because they stood out and were big enough to easily photograph. We placed the camera on flat surfaces so photos wouldn’t be blurry. If we shot something like a tire, we put our camera on the ground, level with it, to create an interesting point of view. On very sunny days, we exposed for about 6 seconds, on average, overcast days we exposed for about 15 seconds, and on darker, cloudy days about 50 seconds. After taking a few photos, we determined that our box was light tight because none of our images were pre exposed. If they were pre exposed, they would have come out completely black or it would appear like multiple different images were layered on top of each other.
Our first shot was of a tree, but it was not exposed long enough because it appeared gray after being developed instead of black. Depending on the type of day, and how much light there was, we tried multiple exposures and captured a few good photos throughout our experience with pinhole photography . We were satisfied when our images came out clear and in focus and they had a strong composition. Our exposure was correct when the image had balanced contrast and was not too dark and not too light. Our pinhole was just right because the photos did not have any borders and the photo was exposed onto the full size of the paper we used. To control sharpness, we changed our depth of field by getting closer or farther away from the subject to make sure it was in focus. Also, we placed our camera on flat surfaces so it was not shaky during the exposure. Our pictures are sharp for the most part and our subjects are identifiable but they could be sharper.
Finally, in photoshop, we inverted our images. During this inversion, the lights become dark and the darks become light, creating a more recognizable photo. Although working with the pinhole was frustrating at times, we were happy with the results. It was rewarding to know that we could actually take pictures with a camera that we made. From this project, we learned about the process of developing photos and the concepts of exposure time and depth of field. The most interesting part was watching our photos develop and seeing our work pay off.
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