Instax Coke Can Pinhole Camera Photography

It almost looks magical. You take a photo of your friend using a beverage can, several minutes later, they open the can, remove the photo and watch their image appear before their eyes.

How's it done? Don't tell your friend as magicians never share their secrets but here's how:

The beverage can is a pinhole camera which has been loaded with instax film. After taking the photo, it is developed in a photographic change bag, placed back in the can and handed to your friend who will be amazed watching the image appear. Photos of other things can also be taken, one photo at a time.

World Pinhole Photography Day is on the last Sunday in April every year. You can share a pinhole photo taken on this day. Here's some photos taken in 2022:

2 beverage cans

180 grit sandpaper

Pin

Barstard File

Craft knife

Scissors

Matt black spray can

Instax film

Instax camera or developing unit

Black tape

Photographic change bag

Sense of wonder

To make a pinhole camera:

Source a couple of 200 mill drink cans. Sand one of the cans where you will be making the pinhole for about a minute 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 don't push it all the way through. 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 Instax film needs to be loaded into the pinhole camera in complete darkness. This can be achieved by using a photographic change bag. These can be purchased from a photographic supplier or 'here's one I made earlier'.

Place an instax film pack, pinhole camera, black tape and scissors into the change bag. Insert your arm though the bag's arm holes.

By feel, remove the cover plate from the instax film pack by sliding it off. Then slide out a film strip. Place the cover plate back onto the film pack (you may need to angle it to slide it back on). Place the film into the pinhole camera with the negative side (black side) facing the pinhole. You can feel the negative side as it has bumps on it where the developer is stored.

Place the lid onto the pinhole camera and wrap 2 layers of black insulation tape around to make sure it is light proof. Remove the pinhole camera though one of the arm holes.

Taking a good instax pinhole photo is a skill to be mastered.

Exposure: Getting the correct exposure can be a challenge. Too long an exposure and the image will be washed out of even completely white, too little and it will be dark. Use a light meter to assist you in gauging how long to expose the photo for. I use the 'Light Meter - Lite' app downloaded to my phone. (Settings: Sensor Meter; f/256, iso 800) as a guide for exposure times and adjust from there by noting down exposure and result. If pinhole sizes vary, this can also effect results. 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. Normally I secure the pinhole camera to a tripod with some painters masking tape.

As Instax photos are small, subjects between 60 cm to 3 meters away seem to work better. Try to have some distinctive colour in the shot if possible.

To develop the film; Place an instax camera with 3 layers of tape over it's lens into a change bag. Insert the pinhole camera though one of the arm sleeves, insert your arms and by feel remove the film from the pinhole camera by removing the tape and lid. Place the film into an empty instax cartridge with film side (bumps side) facing outwards. Insert the cartridge into the instax camera and press the button to take a photo. As the lens has been covered with tape it will just feed the film through the rollers and develop the image. Place the photo back into the pinhole camera and remove through an arm sleeve.

Pass the can to your friend, they remove the photo from the can and watch as the image appears. You may like to give the image away if it has turned out well.

A pasta roller was tried out to develop some instax photos. The rollers were set to the thinnest they could go and a sheet of card was inserted between the photo and the rollers as it was rolled in a photographic change bag. This resulted in a pretty good spread with just a couple of corners left undeveloped.