Studying in a specialist artistic environment does have it's advantages. Recently we had a visit from Justin Quinnell, one of the top pinhole photographers in the U.K. During the day Justin gave us a lecture on the basics of pinhole photography and some of it's history.
Lecture notes:
Pinhole photography is the mixture of old and new tech- it's unconventional, there are no rules
It is a combination of art and science
It is a complicated craft, you must have a lot of knowledge, you can't rely on the camera to do anything for you
As the name would suggest, a pinhole camera photographs through a pinhole, not a lens, this means there is no diffraction of light.
Pinhole photography is upside down, you must inverse it
The smaller the hole the sharper the image will be
Before lenses were invented, all photographs were taken through pinholes
Then came the Fox Talbot process, the arrival of paper negatives, started to dominate photography
Lenses then took over from pinhole photography as they were much better and quicker for portrait pictures
Pinhole cameras don't need focussing, everything is in focus
Surprisingly pinhole cameras were used more by artists than photographers
Pinhole cameras can be made out of anything that is light tight
How to make a pinhole camera from a beer can:
You will need:
A pin
Gaffer tape
A rubber band
Black card - a strip roughly 5cm by 20cm
Black card - a rough rounded shape, approximately the diameter of the can
Scissors
Black electrical tape
Remove the top from the beer can and smooth any rough edges
Cut 1cm notches all along one edge of the strip of card (long edge)
Curl the strip around the can, and tape it with gaffer tape. But do not tape it to the can
Fold the notches inwards, and tape the round piece of card to the top of it, making a ‘cap’. Make sure you have enough tape to make it ‘light proof’. Don't leave any gaps!
Find a point half-way up the can, a make a hole with a pin (do not wiggle the pin)
Now use a small strip of black electrical tape and cover the hole, leaving the end of the tape with a folded-over part so you can peel it on and off when needed, this is your "shutter." Do not cover the hole with the flap, it has to be covered by the sticky part
Put the rubber band around the can
You now have a pinhole camera!
To photograph with your camera just slip in a piece of darkroom paper (5x7 is normally best- Don't cover the hole), find something you want to photograph, peel of the shutter, expose the paper, replace the shutter and develop the paper in the darkroom. This will create a black and white image. To photograph in colour, use standard 35mm film instead of darkroom paper.
Exposure times will vary but in strong sunlight it is usually around a 2 second exposure, in weak sunlight 4 seconds and in shade around 10 seconds +.
This was a brilliant day filled with lots of fun and creativity. Pinhole photography really gives you the freedom to forget the rules and let your creativity take over!