Develop-in-the-Can Pinhole Camera Photography (No Darkroom Required)

'Develop-in-the-Can Pinhole Photography' is about taking a photo using a beverage can and then developing it in the same can. This is achieved by adding a 'Light Trap' to your normal beverage can pinhole hole camera so the developing solutions can be poured in after taking the image. The created negative image is converted into a positive one by scanning and using a negative to positive app and then printed out.
Its an easy and cheap way to experience 'old school' photography.

• 3 Aluminium Beverage cans
• Black Insulation tape
• Pin
• Plastic straw
• 180 grit sandpaper
• Black spray paint
• Photographic paper
• Instant Coffee, Vitamin C power, Washing Soda
• White Vinegar
• Aquarium water conditioner

Tools:

• Bastard File
• Craft knife
• Scissors

Other:

1. Light metering phone App
2. Negative to Positive image phone App
3. Photographic change bag

The 'Develop-in-a-can pinhole camera' is made from 3 aluminium beverage cans. Sand one of the cans where you will be making the pinhole for about a minute and a half with 180 grit sandpaper to make the metal thinner. With a pin make a hole into the can but only go in about 1-2 mills. The hole needs to be of a very small diameter for a sharp image so just push in the tip of the pin. Rotating the can while pushing with the pin will help make the hole round. Sand the inside of the pinhole to make the surface smooth. Remove the lid of the can by filing with a bastard file, you may be tempted to use a can opener but don't as you want a smooth opening. Sand the opening once the lid has been filed off.

With the other can make a lid by cutting the bottom off - about 25 millimetres from the bottom using a craft knife and trimming with a pair of scissors. Spay paint the inside of the pinhole can and it's lid with matt black paint and allow to dry. A shutter is made be by placing 2 layers of black tape over the pinhole.

The light trap is made from the top section of a couple of beverage cans and will fit on top of the previously made pinhole camera can. Push the drinking tab back so there is only a gap of about 8 millimetres. Cut a couple of pieces of back duct tape and place over the tabs so opening only exist next to the cans wall. The idea is to allow liquid to flow freely through the hole but not the light. Make another light trap with the second can's top.

Add an 'air breather' to one of the completed sections by gluing in a piece of plastic drinking straw. This air breather will assist liquid in flowing freely into the can when pouring in the developing solution.

Align the holes opposite each other, the air breather will go below the top section. Spray paint matt black and allow to dry. Join the 2 light traps together, opposite each other, by wrapping around a couple of layers of black insulation tape.

Before taking a photo, the pinhole-camera-can needs to be loaded with light sensitive photographic paper. You can purchase this special paper from a camera shop or online. The paper needs to be loaded in darkness. I use a photographic change bag. You can make one yourself from back rubbish bags or buy one.

Using a light meter will assist you in determining how long to take the photo for.

I use a phone app called 'Light Meter - Lite'. I have found the following setting on the app will give a good approximation on how long to take the photo for: Use the Sensor Meter with setting: f/256 and iso 125.

Note down the exposure time and adjust after viewing the resulting photo if required.

I avoid taking photos in bright, harsh light and aim for consistent lighting with no shadows - like on an overcast day or in the shade on a sunny day. When taking the photo, both the subject and camera need to remain still so I normally secure the pinhole camera to a tripod with some painters masking tape or place it down on something, so it doesn't move.

The first photo shows a developing solution being poured into the can through the light trap. This solution was made from 300 mils of water, 2 teaspoons of instant coffee, 1/2 teaspoon of washing soda and 1/2 teaspoon of vitamin C powder. The lid was placed on top, secured with some plastic insulation tape and the can rolled back and forth for 3 minutes so the developing solution develops the photo.

The top outer lid was then removed, developer poured out and a 'stop' poured in. This stop was made from white vinegar. Lid placed on a the can rolled back and forth for 30 seconds. The 'stop' is then poured out.

The final solution was the 'fixer', this was aquarium water conditioner, as the active ingredient in this is already very diluted, it shouldn't be further diluted for fixing photos. The can was rolled back and forth for about 10 minutes to give time for the photo image to be fixed. You could of course, develop the image using solutions (Developer and Fixer) obtained from a camera shop which can be an easier way.

After the developing process is complete, remove the light trap from the can and take out the image. Wash the image in water to remove any remaining fixer and allow to dry.

The image will be negative and to see it better, needs to be converted into a positive image. This can be achieved by scanning it (I just take a picture of the photo with my phone) and then use the phone App 'Negative Image' to convert the photo into a Positive image. You may also like to mirror image it.

The photo of the car was made and developed using a 375 mil can-camera / developer while the photo of the park bench was made using a 200 mil can.

As the image taken with the pinhole camera is a negative image and then made into a positive one by scanning or using your phone, there isn't really a need for it to last much longer once it's been scanned. So there's not really a need to fix the image.

The developing process can be streamlined:

1. Develop the image.
2. Wash it in running water.
3. Convert it to a positive image.

I purchased some developer from a photo shop and mixed it to 1 to 4 with luke warm water. This was then used to develop the image in the can for 3 minutes. The photograph was removed, washed under running water and squeegeed dry. I used my phone to convert it into a positive image and to crop it.

The purchased developer is clear and may be able to be reused over a couple of days once made up. This in in contrast to the washing soda, coffee and vitamin C mixture which will only last a few hours before the vitamin C degrades.

After changing the image to a positive one, print out. My local office supply store has this service for 15 cents a photo. Then place on display.

https://www.instructables.com/Photo-Holder/

Having come across some old (as in use by date 1981) 126 color film for a good price, I thought I would experiment with it in a pinhole camera. A 'Develop in the can' pinhole camera was made (with 3 light baffles), film place in it using a photo change bag and a photo taken with exposure of about 30 seconds. This was then developed in the can by pouring in paper developer (mixed at 1:25) and left for 6 minutes and then poured out, followed by stop (vinegar) and then fixer. When the can was opened the negative had developed but it was very dark.

Placing the negative on a bright light did reveal an image, so this was captured by taking a photo with my phone, edited to be black and white and then using a negative to positive app, converted to a positive image.

A few more photos were taken in the same way - with mixed results.

I found using Photographic paper to be a better experience.