Print & Make Your Own Working Pinhole Camera!

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Did you know that it’s absolutely possible to make your own camera? Here are the instructions! Get creative and dive right in!

Pinhole camera

Firstly, you will need:

  • A3 Card
  • Photo paper
  • Thin piece of metal
  • Tape
  • Xacto Knife
  • Needle
  • Sand paper
  • This Template
  • Scissors
  • New film roll
  • Developer
  • Fixer
  • Water
  • Tongs
  • Towels
  • Dark room
  • Safe light

Step 1: Making the Pinhole

  • Poke a very small hole using the needle in the metal sheet and sand it until it is smooth.
  • Trim the metal sheet so that it is a 10cm square with the hole in the centre,

Step 2: Making the Camera Box

  • To be honest you can use any box that does not allow light in, but here is a template for you to print on quite thick A3 card, cut out, and make your own box:

pinhole camera template

(If you can’t print on card then print on A3 paper and stick the template on card and cut out the parts.)

  • Here are instructions to make the box and also add the film:

Step 3: Placing the Pinhole

  • Securely place the metal sheet with the pinhole so that the hole in at the center of the front opening of the box, and stick it in place.

Step 4: Shooting the Picture

  • This only works when it is bright and sunny. Depending on lighting, hold the shutter open and point at what you want to shoot keeping the camera as still as possible for length of time as indicated on the template. Note that this should be between 1 second and 2.5 minutes.

Step 5: Developing

  • Firstly, make sure the dark room is pitch black and you use a safe light like an orange LED or a red darkroom light bulb.
  • The film will be negative so make it positive by putting photo paper under the developed negative face to face, with the negative on top.
  • Use the piece of glass to press them together and turn the lights on for a few seconds. Now develop the positive (using the developer, then water, then fixer and then air dry.)

Step 6: Decorating your camera

  • Don’t forget to also decorate your epic pinhole camera, you can paint it black or stick printed designs or faux leather on it.

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