MAKE YOUR OWN PINHOLE (BLACK AND WHITE) CAMERA

Here are the basic steps and supplies to make a pinhole camera.

Supplies:

· A small cardboard box or tin box

· An empty soda/pop can (you won’t need this if your using a tin box)

· Scissors

· Duct Tape

· Black spray paint or regular paint

· A Hammer

· A small nail or pin, preferably a small nail

· Finally an Exacto knife

These are the things you will need to develop the photo

· A developer chemical

· Stop bath chemical

· A fixer chemical

· Tongs

· Warm water that’s flowing from a tap after you take the photo out of the fixer

· Latex or dishwashing gloves (just in case you get chemicals on your hands)

· Special photo film

· A safe light (infrared light)

Here in step one you will need to paint your box with the black paint to

make it “light tight”. Paint your box inside and out and over the hole for taking pictures. After you have done this cut a square out of the box if it is cardboard where you want the lens to be. Then cut a bigger square out of the tin can/pop can. This will be taped with the duct tape to the inside of your box to cover the square in your box if it is cardboard. Before you do this, you will need to use the hammer and nail to put a very small hole in the square from your tin can, once you have done this, tape it to the inside of your cardboard box if you used cardboard. If you did not use a cardboard box use the hammer and nail to put a hole in your tin box where you want to put the shutter.

To make your shutter, use the square of cardboard you cut out from your

cardboard box, or, cut out a piece of cardboard from a cardboard box if your using a tin box. Make sure that your cardboard square completely covers the hole in your box. Before you do this cover your piece of cardboard with your black duct tape. After this put another piece of tape on your shutter so it can be attached to your box. To test if your box is light tight put a flashlight inside your box and close the lid. If any light is escaping cover the hole with tape, but make sure you can still open your box.

Once you have done these two steps you can begin taking photos, but, you must have the special film to take photos with. DO NOT, open the film in a light room, you must have a dark room with the safety light in place so the film does not get ruined! Once you have your dark room set up you can go ahead and open the packet of special photo film. Get another piece of tape and tape your film onto the opposite side of your box from the photo hole. Make sure you have the chemicals to develop the photo. Minimum photo taking time should be at least 25 seconds. Depending on how far away you are you must have a different time.

Go outside and find something to take a photo of, make sure you don’t open the box on your way or the film will be ruined. If you find what you are going to take a photo of, set a timer for how long you think is enough. After you have set your timer open your shutter and make sure you keep the camera perfectly still, if you want to take a self-portrait set the camera on a still platform. Get someone else to open the shutter and start the timer. When the timer finishes close the shutter and take it into the safe room and seal out all light, from under the door, around the door, the window if you chose a room with a window.

During this next process DO NOT TURN ON THE LIGHT! Pour the developer (chemical number 1) into a basin labelled #1 to help you remember which one to pour it into. After you have had it in for at least 2 minutes take it out of the developer and see if figures are starting to appear. If there are black shadows on the film then put the film into the stop bath (chemical #2) which should be in a different basin. After it has been in for at least 4 minutes, put the film into your chemical #3 which should have its own basin, leave it in here for at least 2-3 minutes. After this amount of time look at the photo too see if the photo has developed and if it has rinse the photo film in warm water for at least 4 minutes and then your picture is complete!

Now you can show this to everyone you know and tell them about this (please) and everyone will congratulate you on your own camera!