Build and Use a Pinhole Camera – Part One.

There are many ways for the imaginative photographer to go about the various aspects of building and using a pinhole camera.

Here’s one set of methods that will work. This is about as basic as it gets. You won’t need a proper darkroom, you can improvise a safelight and you’ll find most of what you need if you look around the kitchen.

There are three products that you’ll need to purchase. After that it’s mostly a matter of using what’s on hand or what you can find.

Products you’ll need to buy:

A packet of black and white photographic paper

Doesn’t matter much which paper you get at this stage.

6 x 4 inch (10cm x 15cm) or 5 x 7 inch (12.5cm x 17.5cm) will be fine, depending on the size camera you build.

Important: Open your packet of paper only in the dark, (under safelight) and get out only the one sheet that you’ll be using.

Small bottle of paper developer

Small bottle of fixer

You’ll find these products at some camera stores, but they are getting less common as digital photography increasingly takes over.

A suitable place to purchase online is form Les Porter at Newcastle, NSW. Les calls himself “The Photographers Best Mate,” and he is.

I suggest the following Agfa products from Les’ catalog:

• B37GF or B37PW PREMIUM PAPER 12.7×17.8cm 25 – G or SM $8.40. I suggest SM, semi matte.
• B3MUS MULTICONTRAST DEVELOPER 500ml $8.00
• BVJ6E AGEFIX FIXER 125ml $3.20

Articles that you’ll be able to find or easily purchase down the street:

This is about improvising to keep the process within your hobby budget.

Safelight
You can use a torch with some amber cellophane wrapped around, probably two or three layers, and held with a rubber band. Red or yellow will do so you can use a plastic lid taped over your torch.

You can also use the screen of the TV or computer. Drape a sheet of amber cellophane over the screen. Or you can set an amber screen on the computer using a graphic arts programme.

If you decide to use a bed lamp way over the other side of the room, with cellophane, then be very careful of fire.

Your safelight should be bright enough that you can just see and you may have to feel your way a bit. The paper is sensitive to small amounts of white light and will be greyed by too much safelight, so work quickly with your own shadow over the paper whenever possible.

You’ll need to load your camera at night, make your exposure the next day, and process your paper that night.

Draw the blinds and put the house lights off. If you can’t see to walk around the room when the lights first go off, but your eyes gradually get accustomed to the low light, that should be dark enough, as regards white light, for pinhole camera work, but work quickly to minimize the effect of light pollution.

Chemical trays
You’ll need two trays: one for the developer and one for the fixer. Any old plastic or styrene food containers such as icecream dishes, meet trays or biscuit packs will do. Just see that they are labeled and don’t find their way back into the food chain after use.

Tongs
A few plastic spoons or paddle pop sticks.

I’ll point out at this stage that it is important not to pollute your chemicals. So have one set of tongs for the developer and another set for the fixer. It won’t matter so much if you get a little bit of developer in the fixer, but definitely don’t get any fixer in the developer.

Chemical measures
Get some small glass jars, put water in the jars to the required volume of the chemical and mark on the outside with a waterproof, felt tip pen. Label for correct chemical and don’t pollute. The dilution rates for developer and fixer are not all that critical. The temperature isn’t all that critical, either.

Print washing
Your pinhole photograph doesn’t have to be of archival quality. It’s only got to last till you scan it, so proper washing isn’t a high priority.

You can wash the processed print in the sink, with or without running water. One method is to place a tray in the sink, bath or laundry tub and use a generous trickle of water to overflow the print washing tray.

PPE (personal protective equipment)
Developer and fixer are not so toxic as to worry about using them at this level, though I’d recommend against drinking them. Use a surgical glove or other rubber glove on one hand, left hand if you’re right handed, while handling the chemicals and processing your paper.

Be sure to have some water in the sink, just in case you get chemical on your skin. Oh! And don’t wear your good clothes. If you splash it will stain.

Ods and ends
Scissors, knife, carpenter’s chisel or wad punch, sticky tape or masking tape, black plastic or black card, aluminium foil pie dish, blue tack.

Camera body
Find a Milo tin, coffee tin or some sort of light tight, cardboard box. If you can work out a lid from foil or cardboard, then a jam tin will do.

So that’s about what you’ll need. Next, see part two of how to Build and Use a Pinhole Camera.