the beginner's guide to pinhole photography

Copyright ©1999 by Jim ShullAll photographs by the author.All rights reserved.

Published by:Amherst Media, Inc.P.O. Box 586Buffalo, N.Y. 14226Fax: 716-874-4508

Publisher: Craig AlesseSenior Editor/Project Manager: Richard LynchAssociate Editor: Michelle Perkins

ISBN: 0-936262-70-2Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 98-71750

Printed in the United States of America.10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-tronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opin-ions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in thisbook.

Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-12

� Pinhole Fotografy and Orthodox Photography . . . . . . . .5� Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Doing your own Pinhole Fotografy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-51� Building a Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

• Format Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22• Inside the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22• The Pinhole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25• General Types of Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

� The Darkroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32• Safelight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34• Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

� Darkroom Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37• Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37• Chemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

� Making Positive Prints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42-51

Exposure Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52-60� The Four Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54-55

• Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56• Sensitivity of Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56-7• Aperture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57-58• Interval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59-60

Nifty Pinholy Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61-70

Perfection: Advanced Exposure Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71-73

Pinhole Camera Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74-75

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76-77

4

You can do pinhole fotografy without know-ing anything about pinhole fotografy, orOrthodox Photography.

This manual has the basic informationabout the way of pinhole for uncommittedamateurs, artists who are allergic to tech-nical information, elementary and highschool teachers, and anyone baffled by f-stops, TL's, SLR's, RF's, and GTO's whowants to learn photography without theconfusion of the immense amount of jargonthat abounds in photography.

INTRODUCTION

5

� Pinhole Fotografyand Orthodox Photography

The most important difference between pin-hole fotografy and the more conventional"orthodox photography" is that a pinholecamera does not use a lens and an ortho-dox camera does. A pinhole camera usesinstead a very small, round hole, the pin-hole, which makes an image that can becaptured by standard light-sensitive mate-rials to make a photograph.

More importantthan the differ-ences betweenpinhole andorthodox pho-tography is thequestion; whypinhole? Thereare some goodreasons for theway of pinhole.

Introduction

The way of pinhole brings new perspectives to the ordinarystuff of our lives...

6

Pinhole is a relatively inexpensive, fast andvery educational way to make photographs.There is nothing "automatic" and there isno dependence upon proprietary film packs,batteries or equipment. People who go thrua pinhole fotografy experience gain a muchmore comprehensive understanding aboutphotography in general, and in less time,than any other method of learning aboutphotography. The resulting fotografs areusually interesting, often unique and occa-sionally amazing. It is also a lot of fun. Tosummarize, Pinhole Fotografy is:

Jim Shull

�� Cheap. The camera can be made of card-board or from various easily available con-tainers. The "film" can be printing paperand the darkroom doesn't necessarily needrunning water, electricity or the usualdarkroom apparatus beyond trays, tongsand safe-light.

�� Fast. Almost as fast as the instantfilm route, much less mysterious and muchmore satisfying. With some practice (butnot the first time), a pinhole negative canbe in your hands in 5 minutes, and the pos-itive of the negative can be produced inanother 5 minutes.

�� Educational. Since you have to do it allyourself, the procedures and effects can beobserved as they happen (you won't be inthe dark).

Another ordinary, and for some folks indispensi-ble, item in our lives: a satellite television dish.

7

� Background

The image-making ability of a very small,more or less round hole is not easilynoticed but has been known for some time.There is evidence that the ancient Greekswere aware of the phenomenon. You can seethe phenomenon for yourself by going into adarkened room and making a small roundhole in a wall (such as a window shade),that looks upon the bright outside world.

Introduction

8

By holding a more-or-less translucent pieceof paper 6 to 12 inches from the hole, youwill see an (upside down) image of whateveris outside.

If the hole is made large enough to fit asimple lens into it, a much brighter imageresults and new considerations are added;having to focus the image, and contendingwith lens aberrations. This contraption,either with or without a lens, was called a"camera obscura" (which is Italian for "roomdark"), by Italians of the Renaissance. Theyseem to have done the earliest explorationson the subject.

Jim Shull

9

By the sixteenth century, specially con-structed portable darkrooms were in com-mon use by artists who would take their"camera obscuras" out to a select view ofthe local scenery and trace the projectedimage on paper. This device was also usedto help work out understandings and usesof central perspective, which was a primeconcern of most artists of theRenaissance. The seventeenth centuryDutch painter Vermeer is thought to haveused a camera obscura for many of hispaintings.

Introduction

(left and above) Two not so normal views takenwith a "normal" focal length pinhole camera.

10

The use of a lens was preferred at firstbecause of the brighter image projected,even though the lens aberrations and thenecessity of focusing the image were some-what a disadvantage. In the nineteenthcentury, when light-sensitive materials wereinvented that made photography possible, alens had to be used because these earliestmaterials were very slow to react to light.As a result, the possibilities of pinhole weregenerally neglected, and many people nowthink that the main value of the pinholephenomenon is to demonstrate opticalprinciples in fifth-grade science.

A major advantage of a pinhole over a sim-ple (or not so simple) lens is "infinite depthof field." To see this for yourself poke a pin-hole into a thin sheet of opaque materialand hold the pinhole close to your eye (ifyou wear glasses, take them off). Hold oneof your fingers a few inches in front of thepinhole and notice that your finger is aboutthe same clarity as everything else beyond.That's infinite depth of field. A more or lessscientific explanation for depth of field isthat an optical image is made up of verytiny "circles of confusion." When the circlesof confusion are small enough, they arecalled "points" and the optical image isconsidered to be in focus. Therefore, pointsof focus. A pinhole camera has infinitedepth of field because the pinhole createscircles of confusion the same size as thepinhole all over the inside of the camera,and the little circles of confusion are smallenough to be regarded as points of focus.

Jim Shull

"A major advantage of a

pinhole over a simple (or

not so simple) lens is

'infinite depth of field.'"

Introduction

11

If you were taking this picture witha regular camera, you would haveto choose whether to focus on thebuilding in the background, or thecar in the foreground. You'd proba-bly end up with something like thetop image.

Because pinhole cameras have aninfinite depth of field, both thebuilding and the car are in focus,despite the distance between them!The bottom image shows theresults of shooting the same scenewith a pinhole camera.

12

Jim Shull

These have a high enough resolution to beacceptable as a coherent image, and maybeeven a work of art! Orthodox photographerscan use a small aperture to increase thedepth of field, but except for rather uncom-mon lenses, the depth of field is not veryextensive compared to a pinhole image.

13

� Building the Camera

Over years of teaching the way of pinholeI've evolved a distillation of ideas and tech-niques which can be useful for others,including teachers, and for workshop situa-tions.

There are lots of ways to make pinholecameras, all the way from total scratch tousing a ready made container needing a lit-tle modification, or modifying an existingorthodox camera. Try to avoid flimsy con-

Doing Your OwnPinhole Fotografy

14

Jim Shull

tainers for modification into pinhole cam-eras; shoe boxes are a prime bad example.Some of the Kodak boxes for films andchemicals are quite good. A light-tight lidand the film holding method inside thecamera are the most important details tobuild. Appropriate tools include scissors, X-Acto knives, model glue, ruler, black vinylelectrician's tape, etc. The use of artist'sblack acrylic paint is highly recommended toplug light leaks.

A mundane tool (a stapler) becomes an interest-ing foto.

15

Doing Your Own Pinhole Fotografy

Supplies forPinhole Camera-Making: sturdy box with a light-tight lid scissorsX-Acto knifemodel gluerulerblack vinyl electrician's tapeartist's black acrylic paintneedlepencil spare cardboard for film/paperholderwhite paint (if using a dark box)

17


A "normal" focal length pinhole foto, taken with a basic box camera placed on the deck next to a driveway.

19

Foto of a horse skull made with a "wide angle" curved back camera.


21

A foto of bleachers taken with a wide angle, curved back camera.


22

Jim Shull

The largest pinhole camera I've built wasfrom a refrigerator packing crate that wasoriginally made into a portable darkroom.The fotografer could go inside to make anexposure and then develop the negative.Instant fotografy!

• Format SizeIt is important to decide on a size offotograf (format size) that is convenient tohandle, such as 4 inches by 5 inches. Theother important dimension is the focallength, which is the distance from the pin-hole to the "film" inside the camera. For the4 inch by 5 inch format, the focal lengthshould not be longer than 10 inches. A focallength of 2 to 4 inches produces a sharper,"wide angle" image.

• Inside the CameraThe inside of the camera should be flatblack in order to prevent light from bouncingaround during an exposure and fogging thefilm. Black acrylic artist's paint is excellentfor plugging light leaks in corners and jointson the inside of the camera. The outside ofthe camera should be white, or at least nottoo dark, to help prevent heat buildup insidethe camera during an outdoor exposure. Amethod to hold the "film" in place is quiteimportant, partly for easy loading in thedarkroom and partly to hold the "film"securely while you are out with the camerascouting around for the perfect pinholeshot.

"The largest pinhole

camera I've built was

from a refrigerator

packing crate..."

24

Jim Shull

• The PinholeThe most important detail to a pinholecamera is the pinhole, and while it can be ahole made by a pin, it is usually a hole madeby a needle. Any hole of about the rightdimension in relation to a focal length willform an image, but a perfectly round hole ina very thin material will make the bestimage. So while it's possible to produce animage by stabbing a hole in the lid of a cof-fee can with a slightly used shingle nail, anicely drilled needle hole in thin brass oraluminum (or gold foil for a little moreclass) will produce a superior image, as willhigh-tech holes produced by laser.

There are several ways the ideal size of holecan be calculated for any particular focallength, however it's my experience (with alldue respect and admiration to those whohave made the calculations) that aboutany size of hole will produce an image. Thechart can be used as a rough guide. In gen-eral, the smaller the hole, the sharper theimage and the longer it takes to make theexposure.

A fairly simple and reliable method of mak-ing a perfectly round hole is to drill thrubrass shim stock of .001 or .002 inchthickness (obtainable from automobileparts stores) with a number 10 handsewing needle, which is presumed to be adiameter of .018 inch. Shove the eye end ofthe needle into the eraser of a pencil toprovide a convenient way to hold the needle.Twirl the point of the needle on the brass in

SIZE NUMBER DIA.OF NEEDLE INCHES

4 .0365 .0316 .0297 .0268 .0239 .02010 .01812 .01613 .013

order to form a dimple in the brass. Turnthe brass over and sand it with very fine(600) sandpaper or crocus cloth to removethe dimple. Then drill with the needle onthat side to open up the hole a little. Turnthe brass over and sand the other side andthen drill to increase the size of the hole.After 4 or 5 alternate sandings anddrillings of both sides, the hole will beexpanded to the full shank diameter of theneedle, and it should be perfectly round.With some practice a perfect "pinhole" canbe made in 5 minutes.


"With some practice a

perfect 'pinhole' can be

made in 5 minutes."

26

Jim Shull

• General "Types" of CamerasBooks on photography often state that the"normal" focal length of a given format isthe diagonal measurement of the formatsize. Therefore, the "normal" focal length ofthe 4"x 5" format is about 6 inches, whichamounts to about a 40° to 50° angle ofview. With pinhole the results from camerasthat have a shorter than normal focallength, or "wide angle," are usually finer inresolution, have more contrast and requireless time to make an exposure. A 4" focallength will produce a wide-angle effect ofabout a 60° angle of view. A 3" focal lengthresults in an 80° angle of view. Even greaterwide-angle effects result from curving the"film" holder in the camera, which alsosomewhat equalizes the exposure over the"film" plane. This camera can be made froma tube or cylinder, such as a Quaker Oatscereal box.

"Even greater wide-

angle effects result from

curving the 'film' holder

in the camera..."

28

Jim Shull

A wide angle foto of farm equipment made using a camera with a shorter than normal focal length and a curved "film" plane.

29


A wide angle, frog's eye view pinhole foto.

30

Jim Shull

The "telephoto" camera, which has a focallength that is longer than "normal," is quiteeasy to make, but extreme telephoto (whichfor the 4" X 5" format is a focal lengthlonger than 10 inches) is not especially sat-isfactory. Factors of diffraction and "circlesof confusion" enter in that make low con-trast (gray) and low resolution (fuzzy)images.

A "telephoto" view is made by using a longer than normalfocal length. For this image, the camera was placed on anearby ledge, about 5 feet from the subject.

31


A "telephoto" pinhole foto can be fairly sharp and of good con-trast. The camera was placed on the beam in front.

32

Jim Shull

Stereo pinhole is another simple thing. Acamera made from a long box that will takea 5" x 8" piece of paper is a convenient size.Make a divider in the center, put in two pin-holes 2" to 3" apart, and expose both sidesat the same time.

� The Darkroom

With the pinhole installed, the camera isready to be loaded for an exposure, whichrequires some sort of darkroom for theloading, unloading and processing of the"film." A darkroom for pinhole use can bequite simple and inexpensive. I've madedarkrooms out of cardboard, black sheetplastic and appliance crates, and dark-rooms for camp or workshop situationswhere there was no water or electricity. Themost difficult detail is the way in and out.A door that goes directly into the dark-room means that every time the door isopened a blast of white light gets in and allthe darkness goes out. For a small scalesituation with people that stop and thinkabout it before going in or out, this is OKaltho inconvenient. A much better methodis to construct some sort of zig-zag, walkthru light baffle. This can be done withcardboard, black sheet plastic, packingcases and the like, along with lots of ducttape.

"The most difficult detail

is the way in and out."

34

Jim Shull

It is advantageous if the wash part of pro-cessing can go on outside the darkroom,like in a convenient sink, or pond, or river, orthe ocean. This means that people can lookat their stuff in white light with out havingto suspend darkroom activities. If there isa shortage of water, the use of a washingaid after the fix can cut done the amountof water needed for the wash, or the fotoscan be washed later when and/or wherewater is available. Most photographicpapers can survive unwashed for a fewdays.

• SafelightEssentially, a darkroom is a place wherewhite light is excluded but red to orange"safelight" is present. For situations wherethere is no electricity, the safelight can bea hole to the outside covered with red cello-phane or red blockout film (used for graphicdesign purposes). A flashlight with redmaterial over the bulb can also be used.Where there is electricity any red to orangesafelight is OK including homemadearrangements such as a 1958 ford taillight lens with a 7 watt bulb inside. A wordof caution; no safelight is totally safe forlight sensitive materials and some safe-lights are safe for only a few minutes. Allphotographic paper should be kept in a lighttight place at all times. Most people learnthat basic rule when they turn on the whitelight and then notice the box of paper withthe lid off.

"A word of caution; no

safelight is totally

safe for light sensitive

materials..."

36

Jim Shull

• Equipment

Other equipment for the darkroom wouldinclude 4 trays big enough for 4" x 5" paper.Inexpensive office or household plastic con-tainers usually work well. 2 or 3 pairs oftongs are quite desirable but not absolute-ly necessary. Other darkroom items thatare more or less nice to have but notessential would include a timepiece, such asa wristwatch that indicates seconds, athermometer, various measuring containersof the kitchen variety, contact printer,paper cutter, and such really non-essentialthings like air condition-ing, stereo and refridgefor refreshments...

Darkroom Supplies

Gotta have:

4 trays big enough for 4"

x5" paper

Nice, but not essential:

2 or 3 pairs of tongs

a clock that shows seco

nds

thermometer

measuring containers

contact printer

paper cutter

And maybe even:

air conditioning?

stereo?snacks?

37

� Darkroom Events

• The Light-Sensitive StuffWhen a more or less workable darkroom hasbeen set up, the loading, unloading and pro-cessing of the "film" can commence, whichbrings up a point to ponder, namely, whatto load. While any light sensitive materialcan be used to make a pinhole image, suchas film and enlarging print papers, I recom-mend enlarging print paper for the followingreasons:

1. Most papers are Orthochromatic, mean-ing they are not very sensitive to redlight and are used in safelight condi-tions. This means the entire cycle ofloading, unloading and processing can beobserved. Regular Panchromatic films aresensitive to all light and require totaldarkness during processing.

2. With papers the same chemicals can beused for positives and negatives.

3. The developer for paper takes less timeto do its job than developer for film.

4. Paper is cheaper than film, which is inkeeping with the low cost way of pinhole.My usual method is to buy 8" x 10" printpaper and cut it down to 4" x 5" (in thedarkroom).

So now that the camera has been loadedand an exposure made, what's next?


"This means the entire

cycle of loading,

unloading and processing

can be observed."

38

Jim Shull

• ChemicalsThe standard chemicals are in readiness inthe trays; developer, stop bath, fix andwater wash. They will function at tempera-tures between 50° to 100°. The ideal tem-perature is 68°, give or take 10°. Theexposed paper is first placed in the tray ofDEVELOPER for about 2 minutes, thendunked in the tray of STOPBATH for 10 to15seconds, then into the FIXER tray for 5 to8 minutes, then to the water WASH forawhile (usually the longer the better).

Once again, the DEVELOPER is any brand ofpaper developer. The development time of 2minutes is sort of typical, with 1 to 4 min-utes being the usual range.

The STOP BATH can be plain water, but asnort of Acetic Acid will make it much moreeffective. Acetic Acid is a standard photo-graphic chemical, just follow the formula onthe bottle. Indicator Stop Bath, anotherstandard photographic chemical, is evenbetter, it makes the stop bath look yellow.When it becomes exhausted, it turns purple,a clear indication that the stop bath ispooped. The stop bath will stop the develop-er from developing the image, which for agood exposure is not of much concern. Moreimportantly, the stop bath will neutralizethe paper. The developer is alkaline and thefixer is acid and would soon be renderedworthless by the developer if there were nostop bath. It works the other way aroundas well.

"When it becomes

exhausted, it turns purple,

a clear indication that the

stop bath is pooped."

40

Jim Shull

The FIXER eschews obfuscation (a 1970'sbumper sticker comment). It will fix theimage so that white light will not turn theimage black.

The WASH gets the fixer out of the paperso the image won't turn brown and ulti-mately fade. An optional product known asHypo Clearing Agent will speed up the washtime and reduce the amount of water thatis needed.

In keeping with the inexpensive way of pin-hole, your well-washed but still wet nega-tives and/or positives can be dried betweenthe pages of a telephone book, a volume ofart history, or simply allowed to dry on aconvenient surface.

To rehash a bit more elaborately; the devel-oper stage is the moment of truth. If agood exposure was made the image willbegin to appear in 20 to 30 seconds andnot turn black all over. This makes the expo-sure a "keeper," at least for technical rea-sons; aesthetic reasons are another con-cern. If the exposure is obviously not akeeper there is no reason to go thru therest of the trays. Reload the camera andtry another exposure. "Bad" exposures andtheir causes are discussed in the table onthe next page.

"...the developer stage is

the moment of truth."

41

Two Symptoms of "Bad" Exposures...A.—The paper remains blank white, or the image is very faint. Thereare 3 reasons for this.

Causes:1. The paper was loaded in the camera backwards, hence very little light got thru the paper to the light sensitive side.2. The shutter was not open during the presumed exposure time.

3. The exposure was not long enough by a whole lot.B.—The paper image is very dark, or completely black. There are 3reasons for this.

Causes:1. The camera has a big light leak2. The paper was exposed to white light by mistake.3. The exposure was too long by a whole lot.


42

Jim Shull

� Making Positive Prints

After a few exposures have been made thatturn out OK, you will have a good idea ofwhat works with the particular paper youare using along with the general light condi-tions of the moment. The next trick is tomake a positive print from a negative. Thepositive is what people ordinarily call a pho-tograph (fotograf). The basic method isknown as contact printing and it can bedone either wet or dry. The dry method gen-erally results in better prints but the wetmethod can be done as soon as the nega-tive gets to the wash.

• WetWhen the negative is in the wash, an unex-posed piece of paper is also placed in thewash for a minute or two. Then the negativeand the positive-to-be are placed togetherface to face (emulsion surface to emulsionsurface) on some sort of support and theexcess water and air bubbles are skooshedout. Make sure the negative is between thesource of white light and the unexposedpaper, which usually means the negative ison top. Turn on the white light for aboutone second, then put the positive to be inthe developer and put the negative back inthe wash. With a few exposures a fairlygood idea of the proper exposure time canbe determined.

"The basic method is

known as contact printing

and it can be done either

wet or dry."

44

Jim Shull

• DryIf you can wait for the negative to dry, thedry method is simpler and can make betterresults. A piece of glass is needed to main-tain close contact between the negativeand unexposed paper during exposure. Theconstruction (or purchase) of a contactprinting frame or printing box with its ownwhite light source is usually worthwhile ifthere are lots of negatives to print.

"If you can wait for the

negative to dry, the dry

method is simpler..."

46

The following few pages will help you begin toget an idea of what kind of negative will pro-duce what kind of print. Closely examiningyour negative will determine which picturesyou decide to print.

Jim Shull

A negative that is too dark, produces a print that is too light.

A negative that is too light, produces a print that is too dark.

NEGATIVE PRINT

47


A well exposed negative is one that has well defined areas of light and dark (i.e. it'snot overwhelmingly dark or light).

NEGATIVE

PRINT

48

Jim Shull

NEGATIVE

PRINT

49


PRINT

NEGATIVE

50

Jim Shull

PRINT

NEGATIVE

51

PRINT

NEGATIVE


52

Returning to the business of making anexposure, otherwise known as "taking a pic-ture." There are factors about making anexposure that require a lot of study andtesting (as a lifetime project) in order tounderstand all the relationships and possi-bilities. Regardless of that, it is not diffi-cult to make a successful exposure withour rudimentary pinhole cameras, and for alot of simple cameras that have beenaround since the Kodak appeared in the19th century. For the way of pinhole, makingthe exposure mostly consists of loading thecamera, going to a likely place to take apicture, parking the camera where it can't

Exposure Info

53

move for a long exposure (like one minute),going back to the darkroom and processingthe exposure. An ability to produce a wellexposed negative is learned thru experience,and the way of pinhole is a fast way of get-ting the experience. This is the way mostpeople acquire and improve their ability tophotograph.

Exposure Info

54

Jim Shull

� The Four Factors

Regardless of our casual approach, thereare certain factors that are in effect everytime a photograph of any kind is made.Having some information about those fac-tors can help in understanding what hap-pens and why, or what doesn't happen andwhy not. Knowing the factors will also makeit possible to calculate an exposure for var-ious conditions, or to relate the way of pin-hole to the photographic methods like thezone system, or maybe even to the way ofZen. These can be conveniently regarded asthe Four Factors. They are fundamental tophotography because if any one of them ismissing, a photograph cannot be made.

The factors are listed on the opposite page,and treated in more detail in the rest ofthis chapter.

"Knowing the factors will

also make it possible to

calculate an exposure..."

55

Exposure Info

The Four Factors for Exposure1. Light.

How much and what kind. Measured in foot candles.

2. Sensitivity of "film." Measured with ASA, ISO, DIN or ANSI numbers.

3. Interval. The amount of time the light is allowed to go thru the hole. Measured by shutterspeeds.

4. Aperture. How big the hole is that the light goes thru to get to where the "film" is. Measured by "F" stops. This is where the needle comes in. The f-stop is a simple ratio expressing the relation of the size of the hole to the distance from hole to film plane. Therefore, a 1" hole and a 6" focal length creates a ratio of 1:6, or f/6.

56

Jim Shull

For orthodox photography the usual tech-nique is to take a light reading with a lightmeter that has been set to a particularASA, ISO or DIN number, which is the film"speed". The reading will show a range ofpossible "F" stop and shutter "speed" com-binations, one combination is selected, andthe exposure is made. On the surface, itlooks very simple, but there are a lot ofinteresting, sometimes peculiar and oftencomplex elements to each factor and theirrelations to each other. The subjective judg-ment for each factor that the photograph-er has is also part of the equation. This isan art part of photography, as well as beingphilosophical territory (filosofical for pin-hole). For pinhole the factors work thusly:

• LightThe more the better, especially if the "film"is enlarging paper. Paper is much more sen-sitive to the blue end of the spectrum sodaylight is about the best light usuallyavailable. Also, paper is slow stuff com-pared to film.

• Sensitivity of the "film"Manufacturers of enlarging papers don'trate papers with ISO numbers, but oftenuse ANSI numbers. A 200 to 300 rating isfairly slow and 750 to l000 is relativelyfast. Also the contrast grade of the paperusually affects "speed." Most papers ofgrade O, l or 2 (soft papers) are faster

"This is an art part of

photography, as well as

being philosophical

territory..."

57

than higher grades of the same paper.Variable contrast papers can be used andtheir rating will be for no filter. It is myexperience that the lower, soft grades ofpaper generally give better results, at leastfor the kind of pinhole fotos that I like.Single weight paper is easier to use, andcheaper, than double weight.

I usually use a medium speed, single weight,contrast 2 semigloss paper. I use an ISO of4 which I learned by trial and error. Mostpapers are about the same. You can takeyour particular brand and at least startwith ISO 4, then adjust accordingly. If youuse ortho film, there will be an ISO rating inthe instructions, sometimes two or three. Ifso, use the one for white flame arc.

• ApertureThis is the ratio of the size of the aperture(pinhole) to the focal length. The focallength is the distance from the hole towhere the film is. So if the hole is one inchin diameter and the focal length is 6 inches(distance from hole to film plane), the ratiois 1:6, or F/6. For example, a number 10 nee-dle is .018" and if used with a 5" focallength, then:

This is another reason for not using a lightmeter; even the best seldom chart beyondf/45.

Exposure Info

= f/277 (f/280 is close enough).0185.00

"It is my experience that

the lower, soft grades of

paper generally give

better results..."

58

Jim Shull

To save you from tiresome calculations,here's a table:

The table below shows the resulting f-stopsfor varying focal lengths with a .018" pin-hole.

Focal Length f-Stop4" f/2205" f/2806" f/3307" f/3908" f/440

Needle no. Diameter Best Focal Length f-Stop4 .036" 20" f/5505 .031" 15" f/4906 .029" 13" f/4507 .026" 10" f/3908 .023" 8" f/3509 .020" 6.5" f/30010 .018" 5" f/28012 .016" 4" f/25013 .013" 2.5" f/190

59

• IntervalGenerally known as shutter "speed." Withpinhole the shutter speed is usually morethan 15 seconds and can even be hours. Inmy opinion, if the exposure takes more than10 minutes then the conditions for the wayof pinhole are not sufficiently auspicious. Inother words, to heck with it; wait until thesun is out. Such slow shutter speeds meanthat the shutter can be quite rudimentary.I use black vinyl electrician's tape to coverthe pinhole. A finger over the pinhole willsuffice for a quick trip out and back intothe darkroom.

To calculate shutter speed, a basic law isused: at f/16 on a bright sunny day, theproper shutter speed in the reciprocal ofthe ISO number. Therefore at f/16, on abright, sunny day, with ISO 4 paper, theshutter speed should be 1/4 second.

However, pinhole cameras often have muchhigher f-stops (see the chart on the oppo-site page!). The following key shows theshutter speeds for different f-stops (stillon a bright, sunny day with ISO 4 paper).

Advanced exposure info is provided onpages 73 and following.

Exposure Info

"In other words, to heck

with it; wait until the sun

is out. "

F-Stops4 5.6 8 11 16 22 32 45 64 90 128 180 256 360 5121/60 1/30 1/15 1/8 1/4 1/2 1 2 4 6 16 32 64 128 256Shutter Speeds (in seconds)

60

Jim Shull

This mostly takes care of the basic busi-ness of the way of pinhole fotografy. I rec-ommend using this information and makingsome exposures for a while. You will probablyget some ideas for pinholy possibilities,which will increase your interest, magnifyyour joy, and generally demonstrate whypinhole fotografy has significance beyondbeing a funny way to take pictures. Also,questions may begin to form which are usu-ally a variation on "what am I going to takea picture of?" The next chapter suggests afew possibilities.

"This mostly takes care

of the basic business

of the way of pinhole

fotografy."

61

• Try high-contrast paper, or "litho" films,such as Kodalith. It's not necessary to usethe specified developer. Dektol will developanything. However, the best high-contrastor tonal range possibilities will result withspecified developers.

• Try panchromatic stuff, otherwise knownas regular film. It's more of a hassle in thedarkroom but it sure is fast exposing, andyou can modify orthodox cameras in orderto use roll film.

Nifty Pinholy Ideas

62

Jim Shull

• Try X–Ray film. Orthochromatic and fast(but not cheap).

• Make your own light-sensitive emulsions,such as the gum bichromate process, andapply to different shapes or surfaces, likethe inside of a rubber ball. Info about thiscan be found in books on alternate photo-graphic methods.

• Distorted images such as the image offa Christmas tree ball or convex mirror, orwindows with water drops on them.

• Modify a Polaroid camera and exposecolor film.

• Multiple images by using several pinholesin different kinds of patterns.

• Use unround-pinholes, such as a narrowslit or a square hole.

• Try infrared film.

"Modify a Polaroid

camera and expose

color film."

The image to the right was created using an array ofthree pinholes in a "normal" flat-back camera.

64

Jim Shull

When shooting this image, three of the five pinholes in the"normal" flat-back camera were used.

65

Nifty Pinholy Ideas

The negative of the same image shown on the previous page.

Jim Shull

67

This pinhole foto of some old farm equipment was shot with a"normal" flat-back camera, using three pinholes.

Nifty Pinholy Ideas

68

Jim Shull

Foto of an ear (with surrounding head).• Lie down next to your camera and take apicture of your ear (or some other view ofyour anatomy).

• Halfway thru an exposure, put an objectin front of your camera, or move some ofthe objects that are in view of the camera.This will result in transparent "ghost"objects. Also, anything moving about duringan exposure will not show up in the fotograf.A view of a busy downtown will appear to bedeserted.

69

Shot with a "wide-angle" curved-back camera, a child's ballwas removed from the foto mid-exposure to create the ghost-ly image you see in the upper left-hand corner.

Nifty Pinholy Ideas

70

Jim Shull

• Take a picture of an object and processthe negative. Place the negative in anothersituation and fotograf that. The negativewill be a positive in the next negative.

A negative looks like a positive on a negative fotografed of it.If you print the second negative, the original negative will onceagain look like a negative.

71

While the info in the manual is adequate forthe more casual pinholer, experienced pho-tographers will notice the omission of infor-mation about reciprocity failure during thetypically long exposures for the way of pin-hole. For those of you who must know every-thing and have good light meters and wantto pinhole according to the Zone System,here is some additional info to carry you onto the perfect pinhole fotograf.

Perfection: Advanced Exposure Tips

72

Jim Shull

Reciprocity means that when shutter andaperture values are changed step-by-step,say, from f/16 at 1/125 second to f/l1 at1/250 second, the two exposures would beidentical as far as the film is concerned.

However, this reciprocity conks out whenexposures are extremely short or (as we areconcerned about in pinhole) extremely long.Since the phenomenon has been known forquite some time, fairly accurate (andlengthy and complicated) compensatingfactors have been worked out. They look likethis:

However, not all photographic emulsionsrespond the same way and some papersare much more sensitive than the compen-sating table indicates. Testing and com-plete notes of test results are in orderhere. Prayers and incantations may also beof some help.

Indicated Exposure X Reciprocity-Failure Compensation = Actual Exposure Time

1 second x 1.25 = 1.25 seconds5 seconds x 1.5 = 7.5 seconds15 seconds x 2 = 30 seconds45 seconds x 2.5 = 1 minute, 52 seconds2 minutes x 3 = 6 minutes5 minutes x 4 = 20 minutes10 minutes x 5 = 50 minutes20 minutes x 6 = 2 hours40 minutes x 8 = 5.5 hours

73

When making precise calculations for expo-sure, you may also find it helpful to aug-ment the shutter speed key on page 59 byadding two intermediate slots between themajor slots of aperture and shutter speed.The resulting table would look somethinglike this:

This kind of key works the best with pinhole,since the f-stop of the individual camera ininvariably something odd like f/290 whichdoes not fit the standard progression.Extra intervals on the key will make thingsa little more precise.

For pinhole fotografers who want to masterevery little detail, a handy guide for calcu-lating exposure is the Black Cat ExtendedRange Exposure Guide (see the back pagesof this book for ordering info).

Perfection: Advanced Exposure Tips

F-Stops11 12.5 14 16 18 20 22 25 28 32 35 40 45 50 56 641/15 1/12 1/10 1/8 1/6 1/5 1/4 1/3 2/5 1/2 3/5 4/5 1 1 1/3 1 2/3 2Shutter Speeds (in seconds)

Pinhole Camera PlansFor those pinholers industrious enough to start from scratch (or for those who find themselveslacking a suitable box to modify), the plans below will make an excellent pinhole camera. Theplans are designed for use with approximately 1/16" cardstock. Using a photocopier (or scannerand printer, if you have access to these), the plans can easily be scaled up to a 100% pattern (or you can just draw them out the old fashioned way!).

76

Acetic AcidCan be used with water to create an effective stop bath.

ApertureHow big the hole is that the light goes through to get to where the film is. This is measured in f-stops (see F-Stop).

Circles of ConfusionThe constituent components of an image,when these are close enough together they are called points and the image is considered to be in focus.

ContrastRefers to the light and dark areas in an image. High contrast images have strong areas of dark and light, low contrast images have few areas of dark and light but lots of gray.

DeveloperAn alkaline chemical used to develop images in the darkroom.

Enlarging PaperThis is the "film" of pinhole. Compared to standard film, its reaction to light is quite slow. Since it is much more sensi-tive to the blue end of the light spectrum,it is best used in daylight. Generally rated with ANSI numbers for "speed" (rate of reaction to light.)

ExposureRefers to the exposure of the film to light. The four important factors to con-sider are the kind of light, the sensitivity of the "film," the amount of time the shutter is open, and the aperture of the camera (see Film, Interval and Aperture).

FilmA material (for pinholers generally paper) which reacts to light. The degree of its reaction is measure using ASA, ISO, DIN or ANSI numbers (see also Enlarging Paper).

Film HolderHold the "film" in place in the camera. May be either flat, or curved (for "wide-angle" effects).

FixerAn acidic chemical which fixes the image so that white light will not turn the imageblack.

Focal LengthThe distance between the film plane and the pinhole. The "normal" focal length isis the diagonal measurement of the for-mat size (see Format Size).

Format SizeRefers to the dimensions of the "film" that is used in the camera.

F-StopExpresses the ratio between the size of the pinhole to the distance from the hole to the film plane.

Infinite Depth of FieldObjects are in focus no matter how close to or far from the camera they are.

IntervalThe amount of time the light is allowed togo through the hole. It is measured by shutter speeds.

Orthochromatic PapersPapers which are not very sensitive to red light and are used in safelight conditions (see Safelight).

Glossary

77

Panchromatic FilmOtherwise known as "regular" film, can also be used for pinhole. It is more of a hassle in the darkroom, but is very fast to expose, You can also modify an ortho-dox camera in order to use roll film.

Printing, Wet or DryInvolves the making of a positive print from a negative.

SafelightA red to orange light used in a darkroom to which lightsafe materials do not react strongly.

ShutterSince shutter speed are very slow with pinhole, a piece of electrical tape (or even a finger) will suffice as a shutter.

Stereo PinholeAccomplished by placing a divider in the center of the camera with a pinhole on either side. Both halves of the film are exposed simultaneously.

Stop BathUsed to stop the developer from develop-ing the image. Also neutralizes the paper.This bath can be plain water, or you can use Indicator Stop Bath, a yellow solutionthat turns purple when it is exhausted.

Telephoto CameraTelephoto cameras are those with a focal length that is longer than normal (see Focal Length).

WashGets the fixer out of the paper so the image won't turn brown. An optional prod-uct known as Hypo Clearing Agent will speed up the wash time and reduce the amount of water needed.

78

Fix, 40Focal Length, 26Format Size, 22Ghost Images, 68Gum Bichromate Process, 62Negatives, Evaluating, 46-51Pinhole Sizes, 24

Multiple, 62Stereo, 32Unround, 62

Polaroid, 62Printing, Contact, 42-45

Dry, 44-45Wet, 42-43

Reciprocity, 72Self Portraits, 68Special Effects

Distorted Images, 62Ghost Images, 68Multiple Pinhole, 62, 32Photographing Negatives, 70

Stop Bath, 38Supplies, 14-15Telephoto, 30Wide Angle, 18-21, 26Zone System, 71

Index

Aperture, 12, 57-59, 73Camera Obscura, 8-9Camera

Types, 16-22Plans, 74-75

Chemicals, 38Circles of Confusion, 10Darkroom, 32-51

Door, 33Safelight, 34Supplies, 36

Depth of Field, 10, 12Developer, 38, 61Developing, 38-41Distorted Images, 62Exposure, 52-60, 71-3

Advanced Tips, 71-73Aperture, 55, 57Interval, 55, 59Film Sensitivity, 55-56Light, 55-56

Film/Paper Enlarging Paper, 37Holder, 22-23, 27Infrared, 62Litho, 61Loading, 32Panchromatic, 61X-ray, 62

Other Books from Amherst Media, Inc.

Black Cat Extended Range Exposure Guide ��Jim LehmanAll the exposure information you need for pinholeor 35mm photography in one comprehensive,easy-to-use tool! Features lighting conditions, filmspeed settings that extend beyond your camera’sISO/ASA built-in range, Zone System readouts,and more! $19.95 list, 4x8, order no. 1271

Basic 35mm Photo GuideCraig AlesseGreat for beginning photographers! Designed toteach 35mm basics step-by-step — completelyillustrated. Features the latest cameras. Includes:35mm automatic and semi-automatic cameras,camera handling, ƒ-stops, shutter speeds, andmore! $12.95 list, 9x8, 112p, 178 photos, orderno. 1051.

Don’t Take My PictureCraig AlesseThis is the second edition of the fun-to-read guideto taking fantastic photos of family and friends. Bestselling author, Craig Alesse, shows you in clear,simple language how to shoot pictures, work withlight, and capture the moment. Make everyone inyour pictures look their best! $9.95 list, 6x9, 104p,100+ photos, order no. 1099.

Build Your Own HomeDarkroomLista Duren & Will McDonaldThis classic book shows how to build a high quality,inexpensive darkroom in your basement, spareroom, or almost anywhere. Information on:darkroom design, woodworking, tools, and more!$17.95 list, 81⁄2x11, 160p, order no. 1092.

Into Your Darkroom Step-by-StepDennis P. CurtinThe ideal beginning darkroom guide. Easy tofollow and fully illustrated each step of the way.Information on: equipment you’ll need, set-up,making proof sheets and much more! $17.95 list,81⁄2x11, 90p, hundreds of photos, order no. 1093.

Camera Maintenance &Repair Thomas TomosyA step-by-step, fully illustrated guide by a mastercamera repair technician. Sections include: testingcamera functions, general maintenance, basic toolsneeded, basic repairs for accessories, cameraelectronics, plus “quick tips” for maintenance andmore! $24.95 list, 81⁄2x11, 176p, order no. 1158.

Camera Maintenance &Repair Thomas TomosyAdvanced troubleshooting and repair building onthe basics covered in the first book. Includes;mechanical and electronic SLRs, zoom lenses,medium format, troubleshooting, repairing plasticand metal parts, and more. $29.95 list, 81⁄2x11,176p, 150+ photos, charts, tables, appendices,index, glossary, order no. 1558.

Restoring Classic &Collectible CamerasThomas TomosyA must for camera buffs and collectors! Clear, step-by-step instructions show how to restore a classic orvintage camera. Work on leather, brass and wood torestore your valuable collectibles. $34.95 list,81⁄2x11, 128p, b&w photos and illustrations,glossary, index, order no. 1613.

Book 2

the beginner's guide to pinhole photography

Documents