How to Make a Simple Camera

Pictures taken with a pinhole camera have a distinct appearance.

You might not know it, but cameras are in essence very basic devices. So simple, in fact, that you can make your own simple camera from items in your home and take real photographs with relative ease. Making your own camera requires at least an hour's set up, but once completed the camera can be used over and over again. Basic homemade cameras are known as pinhole cameras because of their tiny shutter mechanism.

Things You'll Need

• Small can or box with lid (must be able to seal out light, coffee cans are ideal)
• Matte black paint
• Black paper
• Ruler
• Photographic paper
• #10 needle
• Awl
• Scissors
• Tape
• Red cellophane paper (several sheets)
• Flashlight
• Elastic bands

Instructions

1. Prepare the can for use. Wash and dry the inside of the can to remove any remaining product. Paint the inside of the can with matte black paint (gloss will reflect too much light) making sure you cover the inside completely. Paint the inside of the lid and leave to dry.

2. Flip the can over and using a ruler mark the center of the base. Using an awl, gently work a small hole in the center of the base of the can. This will be the lens of the camera. Rotate the awl to ensure a smooth opening. The hole should be roughly the size of a #10 needle, check with a needle to measure. Sand the inside of the hole down to remove any metal burrs and repaint the area.

3. Make a shutter to cover the hole in the base of the can. Cut a large enough piece of black paper to cover the shutter hole and tape it to the can so it hangs over the hole. The tape will be used as a hinge to open and close the shutter.

4. Load the camera with photographic paper. To protect the light-sensitive paper from exposing while you are loading, cover a flashlight with several layers of red cellophane paper to act as a safe light. Place the flashlight 6 to 8 feet away in an otherwise completely dark room and cut the photographic paper to size before taping it to the inside of the lid of the can. The emulsion (shiny side) of the photographic paper should face the pinhole inside the camera. Attach the lid to the camera and tape down the shutter paper before turning the lights back on.

5. Take pictures. Because of the basic nature of pinhole cameras, they are very sensitive to movement and other conditions. To take a picture with your camera make sure the can is held still by clay or tape and the shutter opened for around 2 minutes in sunny conditions. To open the shutter, lift the paper covering the shutter hole away and time around 1:30 to 2 minutes, close the shutter back up and tape it down firmly.

References

• Kodak: How To Make and Use A Pinhole Camera