Pinhole photography uses the most basic camera concepts. A lightproof box, an aperture, and a light-sensitive material. Light passes through the aperture to display an inverted image on paper or film on the other side of the camera.
With pinhole photography, the distance between the aperture and the film determines the angle of view. The smaller the depth, the wider the angle. Most pinholes have a wide angle. This arrangement is very useful. A longer focal length would make framing the image more difficult. A wide angle makes framing an image much easier because it contains much more detail
Using the pinhole technique can be an exciting introduction to analog photography. Pinhole photography has a mysterious aspect. The lack of a viewfinder means that you don’t know exactly what you are capturing
Pinhole photography, while simple, requires thought. You need to spend some time before you work out all the details. You need to think about exposure, movement in the scene, what is static or moving, how will the blur look? This can be a calming, meditative process
Pinhole cameras need to be small. As such, you should expect long exposure times, even on bright days. You can use low ISO to get details. You won’t gain much on a faster photo scanner, except grain. So a slower scanner provides a sharper and cleaner image.
Besides, you will need a tripod to get sharp images. Think about a cable trigger. Some of the more advanced pinhole cameras have this option. It will help you get the most out of your equipment. The more you use the camera, the better you will be able to judge exposure times and results.
If you’re just getting started with pinhole photography or don’t use a tripod, you definitely want to have a surface to stand your equipment on
The devices mentioned above are so simple that you can make them yourself. All you need is a cardboard box. It will be best if you paint the inside black. This will prevent light from reflecting inside the camera. Find a light-impermeable space or bag to stick the film or paper to the camera. Done!
Of course, this is a basic pinhole model. You can buy a precision-made wooden camera. Some devices have specially cut holes that provide sharper images and accurate exposures. They can handle 35 mm and 120 mm film, even 4 × 5 sheet film. The proposed models are small and lightweight. They are great for traveling. They can be charged in daylight, which makes them much easier to use. Additionally, the exposure calculator on the back of the unit will help you determine the exact exposure time you need.
The simple design of a pinhole camera offers many ways to construct using different materials. The devices can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Different formats and types of photosensitive materials are used here, with multiple holes, curved film planes, for panoramic photography, etc. There are many ingenious ways of making these cameras. The most ordinary objects can unexpectedly become pinhole equipment, such as a matchbox, a book, a travel bag, a delivery truck, an old refrigerator or even a hotel room
You can, of course, turn your regular camera into a pinhole model by simply replacing the lens with a small pinhole. It is worth mentioning that there are also many commercially produced pinhole cameras. What you experience when designing, constructing and testing your own pinhole camera is hard to describe. You will find yourself on a whole new plane of imagination, experimentation and creativity. What’s more, the photos themselves have an extraordinary atmosphere. Build your own pinhole camera and take some pictures with it. You will see for yourself.
The limitations and simplicity of pinholes make this technique appealing even to experienced photographers.
Main photo of the article: Photo by KOBU Agency, source: unsplash.com
