How to Make a Camera With an Oatmeal Box

Pinhole cameras were the first type of cameras in use.

An oatmeal box is the ideal container to make a simple pinhole camera because it is cylindrical in shape and has a tight fitting lid. When turned on its side and used as a camera the length and size of the body makes it easy to align the photographic paper in the lid with the pinhole at the sealed end. A pinhole camera has no lens to focus the image, so pictures tend to be softer and have an almost infinite depth of field. This means that everything from just a few feet in front of the camera to the distant horizon will be in focus.

Things You'll Need

• Cylindrical oatmeal box
• Black paint
• Aluminum freezer foil
• Fine gauge sewing needle (No. 10)
• Very fine (240 grit or higher) sandpaper
• Electrical tape
• Thick black paper
• Photographic paper or film

Instructions

1. Cut a hole 1/2 inch in diameter in the center of the sealed bottom of the oatmeal box. As the box is cylindrical, the bottom of the box becomes the front of the camera.

2. Paint inside the oatmeal box and lid with matt black paint. Allow to dry.

3. Poke a hole in a piece of aluminum freezer foil with the needle. Move slowly and carefully, avoiding pressing the needle all the way through the foil. Stop when the tip of the needle just perforates the foil, then turn the foil over and sand very lightly to remove any burrs. Flip the foil over (back to the original side) and rework the same hole until the tip of the needle penetrates the foil just up to where the needle tapers.

4. Cover the hole in the oatmeal box with the foil so that the pinhole is in the center. Tape into place. Put the foil inside the box if possible, or on the outside if you cannot reach all the way inside. Make sure the foil is taped securely so that no light can seep in around the edges.

5. Cut a piece of opaque black paper for the shutter and tape it over the foil so that it is possible to flap it open. Avoid taping the paper onto the foil otherwise the foil will rip when the shutter is opened.

6. Trim the corners of a piece of photographic paper to fit inside the box and tape it to the inside of the lid, opposite the pinhole. Replace the lid securely. Find a scene to photograph and aim the pinhole at the scene. The camera must remain absolutely stable, so stand it on a wall, a rock, or something else to hold it perfectly still. Remove the shutter and allow exposure times of 2 minutes in bright sunlight, or 8 minutes in bright cloudy conditions before replacing the shutter. Process the picture in the normal way under darkroom conditions.

Tips & Warnings

• To check that the pinhole is perfectly round remove the box lid and look through the length of the oatmeal box towards the hole. The pinhole can also be checked by holding the foil up to a light source, such as a window, before it is taped in place.

• To check that the image is clear, look at a printed page through the camera. The letters should be clearly visible.

• The film or photographic paper must be loaded and unloaded into the camera in total darkness. A safe light can be made by covering a flashlight with several sheets of red cellophane then placing it between 6 and 8 feet away from the photographic paper.

References

• Kodak: How to Make and Use a Pinhole Camera
• Photo: Pinhole Photography
• Australian Centre for the Moving Image: The Camera Obscura