What is camera obscura?
Camera obscura (Latin for “dark room”) is the scientific exploitation of a medium that allows a photograph to be formed purely down to natural processing through collecting rays of light, through a pinhole into a dark space – the dark room. An inverted image is produced on the opposite side of the box.
How does the pinhole camera work?
Pinhole photography therefore uses the most basic concepts of a camera: a lightproof box, an aperture and light-sensitive material. Light is passed through a pinhole to project an inverted image onto the paper or film on the opposite end of the camera.
Method
1. Get a small box/tin/can e.g. a coffee can. The inside can be painted black so it doesn’t reflect light.
2. Take a needle and make a small hole in the centre of one side of the box.
3. Tape a flap of paper or cardboard over the hole to create a shutter you can open and close.
4. Tape a piece of photo paper to the inside of the box opposite the hole. This should be done in a dark room.
First attempt
Out of our first attempts of this picture was our most successful. The photograph, while still being slightly over exposed still captures the image relatively clearly.
Second Attempts
These are my second attempts using the pinhole camera and are more successful. There is still some flaring of light in the corners or darkening where I haven’t removed the shutter sufficiently. The method produces a rather eerie effect which I rather like.
There is a slightly soft, ethereal feel to this photo. With no viewfinder, it is much harder to compose the picture and think of the elements which will make it work. Consideration also has to be given to the light exposure time. On a bright, sunny day, exposure can be only a couple of seconds but in a darker, indoor setting it can be much longer.
