Pinhole Photography Reflection

By: Adham Sameh

The pinhole camera is a manual, lensless, often handmade camera. It literally takes
long-exposure photos through a pinhole that projects an inverted image into a darkened box.
Pinhole cameras serve many purposes, from purely artistic to the scientific. This method was
developed by Euclid in 300 B.C! If it were to be summed up, pinhole photography is making
photographs with no more than a box, a hole, and light sensitive material. Light from a scene
passes through the aperture and projects an inverted image on the opposite side of the box, which
is known as the camera obscura effect.

Similarities between Pinhole & Digital Photography:

- Both capture a picture (or scene)
- Light is needed to capture the image

Differences:
- In order see the pinhole photograph you need to insert the light sensitive material in
chemicals to be able to visualize the photograph
- Digital Cameras, you can just see the picture on the camera instantly and later edit it on
the computer

Pinhole Photography Steps:

- Get an object, preferably a shoebox because it does not allow any light in therefore, not
affecting the light sensitive material (or your final negative)
- After you select your object, paint the inside of it black
- Using a small pin, make a hole in your object
- Later cover the hole, with black tape so no light is allowed inside your object
- Enter a dark room, with special light so it does not ruin your light sensitive material
- Place the light sensitive material inside your object while ensuring the hole is covered
and no light at all is entering your object
- To take a picture, remove the black tape and numerously perform different experiments
to find the perfect exposure timeframe
- After you take a picture, enter the darkroom, and develop your photograph by carefully
placing your light sensitive material in chemicals while trying not to get any fingerprints
on it
- Place the exposed photo paper into the developing tray for 1 minute, moving the
chemicals slowly across the paper.
 - Place the photo paper into the STOP bath, 30 seconds.
- Place the photograph into the FIX solution, 5 minutes.
- Wash the picture with water to remove chemicals
- NOW you have a negative image that you can safely bring into the light.

Challenges:
- Determining the perfect exposure time because each class where we were allowed to take
pictures, it was in a different time of day, meaning sun could be stronger/weaker in some
instances
- Getting a black solar eclipse repeatedly due to long exposures (this was the only
challenge that I faced because I kept getting them every time I took a picture until I was
able to determine the perfect exposure time)

Successes:
- Receiving high definition and easily comprehensible images
- Determining the perfect exposure time period after a lot (15+) of tries
- Understanding the mistakes that were made in the beginning of the project and learning
what to do so I will not do them again. Thus, allowing myself to continually get good
images.