How to Make a Pinhole Camera That Does Not Use Film
The pinhole camera is also known as a "camera obscura." That's Latin for dark chamber. Pinhole cameras have been around for over a thousand years. An Arab scientist by the name of Ibn al-Haitham built the first model in the 10th Century for scientific purposes. Some 500 years later, Leonardo Da Vinci used it to study perspective. In the 1800s, with the invention of light sensitive silver crystals, the pinhole camera gave birth to photography. Many artists used pinhole cameras today.
Here are instructions for building a pinhole camera that does not use film.
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Things You'll Need
- Waste paper bucket, 3 gallons
- Power drill
- Drill bit, 1/8 inch
- Spray paint, black
- Plexi glass, 3/16 inches thick
- Coping saw
- Silicone sealant
Instructions
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1
Cover your work area thoroughly with newspaper. Apply two thick coats of black spray paint to the inside and outside of your waste paper bucket. Let the paint dry completely before applying the next coat.
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2
Attach the drill bit to your power drill. Drill a hole into the center of the waste can's bottom.
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3
Place the waste paper bucket's lip onto the plexi glass sheet. Mark its outline with a permanent marker. Use the coping saw to cut that shape out of the plexi glass. Wipe the plexi glass thoroughly, removing any dust particles. Clean it with water and dish soap. Let the plexi glass dry completely.
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4
Attach the plexi glass to the waste paper bucket's lip with silicone sealant. Let the sealant dry completely. Tape a sheet of tracing paper to the plexi glass. You will get an image on the tracing paper of what the camera sees. You can trace this image with a pencil just like you would trace a photograph or a magazine picture, except now you're tracing from nature.
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Tips & Warnings
Always work in a well-ventilated area when working with spray paint and silicone adhesive.
References
- Photo Credit Pinhole Valley image by firelover123 from Fotolia.com
