make a pinhole camera

I’m still reading the big book on pinhole photography that I picked up from the library, and I’m finding anamorphic paintings to be especially fascinating (best represented today, perhaps, by sidewalk chalk artists, where you have to stand in the right spot to see the image “correctly”). I have quite a few pages to go before I get to the section on how to build your own camera, but I can already see that this project has the potential to become huge in scope. We’ll see how it plays out.

On another note, I know what I want to try the camera out on. There’s this great little tree I found on a hike which looks fine and dandy, but if you approach from the backside, you see that the roots are in danger of being exposed as the soil has eroded away. It makes a nice metaphor for how people tend to put their best image forward, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have problems.

I checked out a kids’ book about photography from the library and spent some time this afternoon looking through it. It was very helpful in piecing together the big pieces, the main steps, in making and using a pinhole camera.

Honestly, I felt a bit overwhelmed at first, but I’ve got to remember to do things one step at a time. Sure, some forethought goes a long way toward making the whole process work more smoothly, but all in all, I will get where I want to be eventually, and I will probably learn a lot along the way.

I want to take pinhole photographs because it always looked like fun, because it’s probably the most accessible form of photography I can find beyond using my digital camera, and because it stands a chance at helping me to express my emotions and feelings about the world.

I think I may look for a good spot to take my first picture when I go for my run tomorrow.

So I think this is something I could get her to help me to do. Maybe she and I can do it together, sort of, with her in Florida and me here… we could make it a kind of game, sending one another pinhole camera photos.

Waiting for the paint to dry. Cut the holes in the top for the film advance and covered the chunk of foam to raise the film canisters off of the bottom. Tomorrow I should be able to finish this.

Have gathered almost all of my supplies. I am really enjoying the preparation for this, its almost like a treasure hunt. I need to find more things like this to keep me busy. More planning and less worrying about boys.

I want to experience one of the first methods of photography!

I finally did it.

it’s so easy. i used this: http://users.rcn.com/stewoody/ website for directions and everything worked perfectly and i got some really cool images.

After adding it to my list this past weekend and thinking about it, I spent some time this afternoon and evening finishing one kit and assembling another. All take 35mm, so now I just need to find some time to get out there and use them. Guess it’s time to add that goal to my list!

I’ve made them the old fashioned way, now I have two kits to build for better constructed ones that work with 35mm. I’ve put this on my list to make sure I get it done!