WHAT IS A PINHOLE CAMERA
A pinhole camera is also known as a camera obscures. It is a light-tight box with a small round hole at the end and transparent, film, or photographic paper at the other end. Light passes through the hole, and images appear and are formed in the camera.
HISTORY OF A PINHOLE CAMERA
The tiny hole's power of forming images is believed to have been identified by the nomadic tribes of North Africa thousands of years ago when they lived in animal-skin tents. These tiny holes in the tent would project a picture of the scenes outside.
Scientists and Astronomers who wanted to understand the solar eclipses and wavelength of light used this type of camera as a tool. Pinhole cameras would also become popular with painters and artists by the 16th century.
THE CREATION OF THE PINHOLE CAMERA
Although photography, as we know, is to produce and capture images, people first used the camera to research optics. Alhazen (945 - 1040), an Arab scholar, was credited as the first person who studied how human see and inventing the pinhole camera.
Even though there are references to the camera obscura as early as 400 B.C.E. in China and written in Aristotle's writings around 330 B.C.E., these references are solely conceptual. There is also little to indicate that they created a system to test their hypothesis.
INTRODUCTION TO TASK
For this task, I was asked to create a pinhole camera and "take" an image with it. I also did some light research to get a better idea of the item. I couldn't find background information on the photographers who used this type of camera, but I still got an idea of how they used them. Even though I can't take images with these cameras, I can still see how it was possible. Making the cameras was very straightforward. I made two versions of the camera since it was challenging to show the first camera's images.
STEPS TAKEN TO MAKE A PINHOLE CAMERA
A Pinhole Camera Made from a Box
Step 1: Seal the box. Tape the box closed so that it doesn't open.
Step 2: Cut a rectangle on one side of the box (that is the right for me) where the light will project the image.
Step 3: Fully cover the box in tinfoil, black card or paper (duck tape can also work). Using white paper will not work since light can go thought it. Duck tape or black tape is prefered since light doesn't go through them.
Step 4: Cut out a rectangle piece of transparent or baking paper, and tape it over the rectangle opening.
Step 5 (Final Step): On the other side of the box (the left side for me), use a pin, thumbtack or needle to make a tiny hole in the centre on that side. If you covered that side with tape like me, remove some of it to make the hole. The tape will get in the way, and the image won't show clearly.
I then created a dark room (by turning off all the light in that room) and lit a candle. I then placed the side with the hole close to the flame and moved it around until it appeared on the baking paper.
(since the room was very dark, I wasn't able to take a picture of the image)
As I tried using the box in lighter areas, nothing appeared on the baking paper. When I thought about why it showed in the bark room, it was because it was in a dark place. If I had something to cover that side, then I would be able to see other scenes. But, there was one problem: I didn't have another box to try again.
Instead of using a box, I used a pringles container instead.
A Pinhole Camera Made from a Pringles Container
Step 1: Measure a distance from the bottom and cut that piece off (I measured 6 centimetres).
Step 2: Used the container's cover and cut out a circle from the baking or transparent paper and place it inside the cover. Then place the cover over the space you just cut, with the inner side facing the bottom.
Step 3: Tape the cover to the bottom and then tape the two sections together.
Step 4 (Final Step): Cover the container with tinfoil or black card and make your pinhole using a pin, thumbtack or needle on the metal end.
(you can also use these steps with another cylinder object like a toilet roll and use tin foil to place the hole. NOTE: The tinfoil needs to be as smooth as possible since the light shining through will be distorted if it isn't)
SOME IMAGES SEEN WITH THE CAMERAS
With the Pringles container, I was able to see the windows and laps. Remember, the images are seen upside-down with a pinhole camera.
POINTS I LEARNT WHILE DOING THIS TASK
While I was doing this task, I learnt some important points about the pinhole camera and other cameras I didn't know before.
All cameras work using the same principle, which is that they use light. Cameras today use their lenses to focus and bend light, but pinhole cameras didn't have lenses. The light passes through the hole in a straight line and creates an image on the opposite wall upside-down.
The pinhole acts as the aperture for the image. The smaller the hole, the narrower the light shines into the camera. This will make our photo crisp and clear, but there will be less light because the light is narrow, making the image dimmer.
The field of view (how much you can see through the camera) is affected by the distance between the baking paper and the pinhole. This distance is the focal length—the shorter the focal length, the wider your field of view.
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