This is the simplest form of camera – no film, no batteries, and no moving parts that can break. The biggest problem with this camera is that the inlet hole is so tiny that it lets in such a small amount of light and makes a faint image. If you make the hole larger, you get a brighter image, but it’s much less focused. The more light rays coming through, the more they spread out the image out more and create a fuzzier picture. You’ll need to play with the size of the hole to get the best image.
While you can go crazy and take actual photos with this camera by sticking on a piece of undeveloped black and white film (use a moderately fast ASA rating), I recommend using tracing paper and a set of eyeballs to view your images. Here’s what you need to do:
Materials:
- box
- tracing paper
- razor or scissors
- tape
- tack
Yes parchment is too thick. Tracing allows some light through. You can get it at art or office supply stores, usually by the sheet or a small pad. If you have very thin paper that would work also.
we tried and used parchment paper but i think it was to thick what exactly is tracing paper?
Not quite – the wax paper has a layer of wax on it (sounds obvious, I know) but it’s like dripping candle wax in a thin sheet over the paper.
Hi Aurora,
Is wax paper the same as tracing paper?
Thanks,
Jasmin & Isabel
We tried two sheets of tissue paper, but it didn’t work. We’ll try tracing paper now that we’ve found it. 🙂
It might – try it and let me know how it goes!
Will Tissue paper work?
Oh never mined that question I found why.
Why Is the picture up side down?
Great ideas! And yes, the images are inverted as you saw. This is because you’re beyond the focal point. Try this: take a spoon and look at your reflection in the inside and then on the outside. Do you see a difference? In one case, you’re in front of the focal point and the image is right-side up. In the other, you’re upside down because the focal point is between you and the spoon.
Just FYI: the focal point is the spot where all the lines focus down to a single spot. If you walk around with a magnifier next to your eye, you’ll find the spot where the image flips… that’s at the focal point. (DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN!)
p.s. why did it turn upside down? do ALL cameras do that? does light have to do with it turning upside down? Thanks!
-Cedar,Juneau AK
Dad figured out how to make it work really well by throwing a black blanket over our heads, and the camera, the way photographers used to take pictures! It made all the difference. The awesome part then was to see a clear image on the paper UPSIDE DOWN! Didn’t expect that! Thank you Aurora!
You want to be sure the paper is partly transparent (tracing paper is great), but tissue paper can work, too. The main reason this doesn’t work is that the hole is either too big, or you’re not using a bright enough light source (try a lit candle on a table or a bright, sunny window), or that you’re not at the right distance to focus the image onto the paper. Make sure you do NOT point this contraption at the sun, but rather at a bright object. See if any of those suggestions help?
We’ve tried everything to make this work, changing the light around us, fixing the hole size, and making sure the box had no leaks. And it still won’t work.
Any suggestions? Maybe it’s the paper, is there a special kind you use? The kind we used was a higher grade then normal, but it was older, because my aunt was a artist, and that’s the only kind we have.
Does it matter what kind of paper you use, or does it just have to let light pass though it?
Oh and by the way, how does this work, because somehow if it is supposed to make the image appear on the paper it would have to in large it…..
Thanks
Hmmm – I am not sure. But I am glad you got it to work! I have one here using tracing paper… well, that’s science for you. 🙂
I tried it again and used tissue paper and it worked! It was awesome, though it wouldn’t work with tracing paper. Could it be that I had the wrong kind of tracing paper?
What happens if you turn off the lights in your house and then try it? Since the camera relies on a light difference, the image might not be visible if it’s too bright in your house. You can also make the hole a tiny bit bigger. (Don’t worry if you make it too big, just cover it with tape or an index card and try again.)
Well, I tried starting at the window and backing up and the image still didn’t show up on the paper. Is there anything else that I can do?
What seems to be the trouble? Is it that the image not showing up on the tracing paper? If so, you might not be at the right distance from the window. Start with the hole at the window and then back up until the image appears on the paper.
Hi! I made a pinhole camera and I am sure there is no light leaking into the box. I used a thumbtack for the pinhole and it still didn’t work.:( Is there something I might be doing wrong?
Oh scratch my last comment. We got it too work and its awesome! Thanks for answering anyway, Aurora.
A bigger hole will make a fuzzier picture. Try turning down the lights and using a lit candle and see if you can make that appear on your tracing paper. Windows work well too, but remember it’s not the window you’ll see but the stuff beyond the window (trees, fences, houses, etc.)
Hi, we did everything like you said, 🙁 but it still didn’t work. Currently my brother is making the hole bigger. 😛